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The novel “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” is formulated in the epistolary format. The main character, Charlie, discusses the events in his life by using letters to an unknown friend. The peculiar feature of this novel differentiating this work from others is that the thought flows in letters is slightly distorted. Chbosky uses such an approach to show the emotional instability of young Charlie. The changes in the mood and the lack of logical structuring are also used to show that the events discussed by the young boy affect his emotional state (Chbosky 25). The novel touches upon many psychologically and socially conditioned problems relevant to teenagers’ self-identification formation. Through Charlie’s relationships with family, friends, community, and himself, the author addresses many issues within the education and family spheres. The process of value formation of teenagers through understanding others is discussed within the novel. The time narration in the story is primarily established in chronological order. However, as far as Charlie writes letters, his thought flow often gets back to the past, allowing the reader to understand important events affecting the character’s life comprehension.
The movie The Perks of Being a Wallflower is produced based on the eponymous novel. The film focuses on showing the emotional state of teenagers. The film’s narration is chronological, which allows the viewer to experience the same emotions as the characters. The primary spheres of Charlie’s life which are shown in the movie are his relationships with friends and society. Patrick and Sam become Charlie’s guides to the real world, with all sorts of complexities of adolescence. Charlie’s life changes dramatically: the first experience of sexual relations and drug use. The film highlights the problem of teenagers’ sabotage against typical society’s values and the desire to choose freedom over rules.
A significant difference between the novel and the movie is the way of Charlie’s self-characterization. In the novel, he analyzes his feelings through letters, while in the film, Patric and Sam become the crucial power affecting the changes in Charlie’s personality. Charlie tries to understand himself and others through reading and writing. On the contrary, the film shows the boy as being less rational and often guided by emotions. Some of the relationships, such as with the sister and aunt, are not developed in the movie.
Moreover, the type of narration is entirely different. The monologue storytelling allows an understanding of the emotion of the character better. For example, the Thanksgiving episode, which is vital for developing the topic of building good relationships with family, is of less value. The lack of Charlie’s comprehension of the situation makes movies more emotionally valuable. The film also focuses on showing the life of teenagers omitting many psychological and value-forming Charlie’s self-analysis scenes. As a result, the book’s characterization and the movie are different. In the first case, the story is secondary, while the characters’ emotions are primary. On the contrary, the film centers on the character’s emotions, peculiar psychology, and relationships with others. I like the novel better because it shows a more diverse specter of Charlie’s emotions. It is also vital for me to understand the motivation of the characters’ actions and comprehend the thought flow. Unfortunately, the film provides no opportunity to realize the depth of Charlie’s suffering.
Work Cited
Chbosky, Stephen. The Perks of Being a Wallflower. Pocket Books, 1999.
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