Introduction
Mental illnesses have a long history of being represented in books, movies, and TV shows, with varying degrees of success. When executed carelessly, these portrayals perpetuate the social stigma and pre-existing negative stereotypes about mental disorders. On the contrary, proper representation of post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, and antisocial personality disorder are instrumental in shaping productive societal conversations about these topics. As an example of the latter, this paper focuses on the analysis of Charlie Kelmeckis, the protagonist of Stephen Chbosky’s novel The Perks of Being a Wallflower, and his PTSD.
Charlie’s PTSD: A Summary with In-Text Evidence
Charlie is the protagonist and the unreliable narrator of Chbosky’s coming-of-age novel The Perks of Being a Wallflower. He is a lonely and awkward teenager with a history of psychiatric treatment who struggles to adapt to the high school social life while grieving his friend’s suicide. The novel is comprised of Charlie’s letters to the anonymous reader, in which Charlie depicts his daily life and internal thoughts that take a self-destructive turn as the story develops. As the protagonist navigates his romantic feelings for an older girl Sam, it eventually becomes apparent that Charlie is a childhood sexual assault survivor, previously groomed by his late aunt.
Post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, is a mental health condition that develops as a response to a severely traumatic event. The spectrum of symptoms and their intensity may vary from case to case depending on the specifics of the event at fault. However, the common signs of the disorder include involuntary memories or intrusive thoughts, avoidance of trauma-related triggers, alterations in cognition and mood, as well as changes in arousal and reactivity. Interestingly, all of these behaviors have been demonstrated by Charlie over the course of the novel.
From the early stages of the story, Charlie exhibits discomfort in sexually charged situations, mainly addressing them as non-consensual in his narration. When Charlie’s friend Patrick becomes a target of homophobic bullying in school, the protagonist’s attempt to defend him manifests in a violent outburst that greatly contrasts his usual manner. During the truth-or-dare game, when asked to kiss the prettiest girl in the room, Charlie impulsively reaches for his crush Sam, despite dating another girl at the time (Chbosky, 2009). Towards the finale, in an intimate situation with Sam, Charlie can’t separate the pleasant experience of touching from the sensation of “something being very wrong” (Chbosky, 2009, p. 202). The encounter ends abruptly as the protagonist goes through feelings of fear, shame, and disgust he cannot explain rationally that manifest in intense physical trembling. On the following morning, Charlie undergoes a mental breakdown with intrusive memories of his aunt and the flashbacks of the sexual abuse she has put him through.
Perspectives and Reactions within the Story
Despite PTSD not being named directly in the book, its symptoms are depicted with care and intent. The book addresses Charlie’s typical symptoms of the disorder, having him go through mood swings, blackouts, and derealization, in which he compares life to a dream (Austriani, 2017). The reader is deliberately made aware of Charlie’s mental health issues, with him indicating his past stay in the psychiatric hospital in the narration. Hence, the novel can be treated as the canonical representation, rather than the interpretation, of a mentally ill person.
From the beginning of the story, Charlie’s family is somewhat aware of his mental condition, though its roots are partially misinterpreted. Charlie’s parents link his mood swings and social difficulties to the recent suicide of his friend Michael, being unaware of the other traumatic events from his past. Admittedly, Michael’s storyline and the impact his suicide has had on Charlie get quickly side-lined, without the proper exploration of how it has contributed to the disorder (Monaghan, 2016). Yet, after the aforementioned breakdown, Charlie’s family is quick to act: his sister calls 911, and the protagonist is appropriately put into the psychiatric hospital. Throughout the course of the novel, Charlie’s family and, eventually, his friends demonstrate concern and compassion for his mental well-being. Their reaction is not portrayed overtly idealistically, as internal tensions and consequences of Charlie’s irrational actions are also addressed. Particularly, his friends’ justified frustration with his inability to react appropriately in sexually charged situations gets him temporarily excluded from their group.
Implications and Representational Value
The novel contains a generally accurate depiction of PTSD, as it demonstrates Charlie experiencing symptoms in accordance with the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder (Austriani, 2017). His memories of his abuser are recurrent and involuntary, often transpiring in sexual situations, which, understandably, disturbs him. Charlie is anxious about physical intimacy and, despite having romantic and sexual feelings towards girls, subconsciously associates sex primarily with threat and display of force (Monaghan, 2016). In particular, the author has him recall witnessing a party rape scene near the beginning of the book, thematically hinting at how the subject is triggering for Charlie.
Furthermore, “Perks of Being a Wallflower” avoids falling into the trap of stigmatization or trivialization of mental disorders. Charlie has experienced bullying at school for displaying socially punishable behavior, yet the narration never justifies it. He receives appropriate treatment and is not perceived as lesser by his friends for being in need of it. As it deals with the mental health issues of young adults, the novel could potentially be used as a discussion tool to dismantle the existing stigma around such disorders. Finally, the novel ends on an optimistic note, with Charlie going through therapy and taking medication, now with full awareness of what has happened to him. In the closing letter of the novel, the author outright states that recovery from mental health conditions is possible, which is an undoubtedly strong epilogue for a coming-of-age novel.
Conclusion
In conclusion, “Perks of Being a Wallflower” provides the reader with a detailed and sympathetic, although graphic, depiction of PTSD. Interestingly enough, the novel has been banned from several school libraries in the United States due to its allegedly shocking content. The first-person perspective highlights the intensity of Charlie’s internal struggles as his mental health deteriorates under the trigger of adolescent sexual exploration. Nonetheless, the novel contains one of the most informative and positively handled depictions of PTSD in coming-of-age fiction. It avoids trivialization; Charlie’s life is undoubtedly disturbed by the trauma he has gone through and the disorder he has developed in response. At the same time, the protagonist is not defined by his illness and gets to experience young friendship and first love. In the end, Charlie receives appropriate healthcare and full support from his friends, finishing the book with a letter to all the struggling readers, encouraging them to not give up.
References
Austriani, F. (2017). Traumatic Experience resulting from sexual abuse in Stephen Chbosky’ The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Lantern, 6(1). Web.
Chbosky, S. (2009). The Perks of Being a Wallflower. Simon and Schuster. Web.
Monaghan, A. (2016). Evaluating representation of mental health in young adult fiction: The case of Stephen Chbosky’s The Perks of Being a Wallflower.ENTHYMEMA, (16), 32–42. Web.