"Study as if you were to live forever, live as if you were to die tomorrow." (Maria Mitchell)

THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER by Stephen Chbosky.

I found this picture and immediately thought of Charlie. Charlie seems to be in this world of confusion and chaos, but yet order and stability. Throughout the book we get the sense that his parents love him, and his family, even though there are imperfections within the structure, is a supportive family. Yet, Charlie's entries are sort of chaotic and random at times.

For Christmas, Charlie desperately searches for the "right" presents for his family. He knows his brother has many posters in his room. What if Charlie were to buy his own Christmas present and decided he also wanted a poster? I think that his choice might be a poster with a similiar image as above--a picture that leaves room for his own interpretations. Even if others call him a freak.

Also, as Ryan Ryden eludes to in his entry, Charlie's thoughts in his letters are all over the place--like playing “hopscotch” (Chbosky, 98). Can this image be a suggestive image of Charlie's imaginations? There are different squares within it that seemingly have a pattern but haven't quite reached the point of realizing what they are there for....

I think if Charlie had encouragement to find support online, this site is one that may have helped him through his times of lonliness and confusion. Charlie loved to read, and perhaps reading texts online would have been a different and unique way for him to sort out his thoughts as well. The following points are included on the homepage of the site:

*you're alone and you don't feel you have a choice not to be;
*you feel that you're lacking attachments you had in the past;
*you are facing changes in your life--a new school, town, job, or other changes;
*you feel there's no one in your life with whom you can share your feelings and experiences;
*your self-perceptions are that you're unacceptable, unlovable, not worthwhile even if others don't share those perceptions.

These statements, I think, would really have really hit home with Charlie. Charlie should know that he is not the only one that had to deal with struggles. When Sam and Patrick left for college, Charlie especially felt a loss of attachment, even though he didn't lose them as friends. It would have been fortunate if Charlie could have had someone consistent in his life that told him that he was loved, even if his mom said it twice.

When Charlie was happy and riding with Sam and Patrick in the truck, he felt as if his life were infinite. At that moment, he wasn't thinking about being lonely or unaccepted. Perhaps a poster like the image above could have reminded him of this feeling every time he entered his room.