Based on Stephen Chbosky’s novel, The Perks of Being a Wallflower was made into a movie. After a traumatized childhood, Charlie is socially awkward and tries to fit in at highschool. Perks focuses on the many problems teenagers today. Peer pressure and the desire for conformity are just a few of the issues that teens face today. The main theme of peer pressure runs throughout the novel and is a constant in the lives of many characters. Charlie and Brad have both fallen for peer pressure. Charlie is a drug addict who, in order for Sam and Patrick to accept him, also takes up smoking and drinks. His friends Sam and Patrick were regular users of drugs and smoked, so he also did it, trying to fit in with their circle of friends. Patrick also had little knowledge about drugs and suffered serious consequences. One example is his experience with LSD during Christmas parties. He was taken to hospital and fell asleep on the snow. Brad doesn’t want to be acknowledged as gay and conforms to society. His situation is more dangerous than Charlie’s, though, because his father and friends are homophobic. Patrick and Patrick suffer for their efforts to suppress their sexuality. His father became angry when he saw Patrick and Brad in bed together and beat him like an insane man. Brad was embarrassed and humiliated by his father’s discovery of Patrick in bed together, and he attacked Patrick. Peer pressure influenced him to fight alongside Patrick and his friends. We see many characters in this movie who are under peer pressure. Some push while others are pressured. These characters succumb to peer pressure and choose to conform rather than alienate themselves due to their morals. This is a realistic portrayal for most teenagers. The movie shows Charlie and Brad being pushed by peers, which can have a ripple effect on those who are also facing similar issues. The movie’s most famous quote is “We accept what we believe we deserve”. This quote is so famous because it can be easily understood by many people. Either they have been in a better relationship than their friends or they themselves. Charlie’s brother slaps Candace across the face in the movie. She excuses her boyfriend’s abuse and says that he “isn’t usually like this” or that she was “egging him on”. One third of teens say they have known a friend who was punched, kicked by their partner. Teenage Research Unlimited, February 2005. This movie shows that any person can be abusive to a partner. Chbosky represented Candace as being a victim of abuse and he was able to show that Candace could forgive her partner. The audience of adolescents will be rethinking domestic violence after seeing how Candace was treated. Patrick, Charlie’s friend, is gay. His classmates also harass him. Brad is his secret partner. Adolescence allows teens to find their identity. Teens may discover they enjoy the same sex, as well as the opposite. Homosexual students can find school environments with other teens to be both beneficial and detrimental. They are often treated with discrimination and can struggle to accept their sexuality. Patrick, a gay character, is subject to discrimination at school for his sexual orientation. Patrick and Brad were involved in a fight. Charlie intervenes and Patrick loses the fight. The movie revealed that LGBTQ students can be bullied simply because they identify. Charlie defends Patrick. This movie encourages young people, especially teens, to confront bullies and protect those less fortunate. These issues are not solved as in other coming-ofage movies. The protagonist rises above any problems. Chbosky’s characters are able to act like normal teens. Although the content can seem overwhelming at points, it actually addresses real problems teens are faced with in their lives. Three of the problems teens face in life are peer pressure and drug exposure, abuse by dating partners, and sexuality, as well how they are treated.
