DeeAnna Chatmon

3-4-2016
Final Draft
Wallflowers Around The World

Many people around our community and around the world go through physical,
emotional, and sexual abuse that has been overlooked in the past. Sadly some ongoing
abuse is still being overlooked today. Sexual abuse committed against children continue
to be a big problem, and it is having long-term effects on these victimized children as
they reach adulthood. Stephen Chboskys novel The Perks of Being a Wallflower on the
topic of sexual abuse is a masterpiece because it retains the line of communication with
the past regarding sexual abuse of children and abusive teen relationships that go
unnoticed, it explores the truth of how damaging sexual abuse is to children, it moves us
to think about how can we support one another after abuse occurs.
The Perks of Being a Wallflower retains the lines of communication with the past
because it represents the history of how we, as a nation, ignored sexual abuse for decades
and let it go unnoticed and untreated. A writer for Moral Panic, Philip Jenkins states, As
in the early 1930s, in the sixties social research emerged to support the notion that
deviant sexual behavior was not especially harmful to children (Philip Jenkins,
Moral Panic: Changing concepts of the child molester in modern America). In the past
sexual abuse was not looked at as having a negative effect on children. Researchers
collected data to support the fact that sexual abuse had no effect on children, so it was not
looked at as harmful or damaging. The victim did not received help or support for what

they had gone through. Chbosky represented this in The Perks of Being a Wallflower-how no one knows what was wrong with the main character, Charlie, and he was never
really able to receive the help he needs. This problem is mirrored in his Aunt Helens
situation. Helen was sexually abused by her father, and later lives with Charlie and his
family; unfortunately, the family does not get her the help she needed. Helens mental
state gets worse which leads to the start of her being a sexual abuser, and she abuses
Charlie. Jenkins states, Moreover, a man convicted of fondling, taking nude photos of,
or exposing himself to a person under 17, who may have been incarcerated long-term in
psychiatric hospitals during the 1940s, was more likely to be viewed in the late 1960s as
a harmless pervert with an underdeveloped sense of manhood (Philip Jenkins, Moral
Panic: Changing concepts of the child molester in modern America). Even when it was
seen and brought to light, sexual abuse and treatment for the victim was often ignored.
This is really important to our past as a nation because sexual abuse was never really
looked at as a problem. In The Perks of Being a Wallflower, sexual abuse in the
characters past becomes the focus of the novel. Some victims do not receive help for
what happened, and some get help. Charlie only really receives treatment in the end when
he suffers a mental breakdown. This novel is a masterpiece because Chbosky discusses a
tough subject so we as a nation can connect to how sexual abuse has been ignored for so
long.
Another way The Perks of Being a Wallflower retains the lines of
communication with the past, the past within the book, and the past of our society. Within
the book, it demonstrates past abuse with the characters and how they are affected in the
long run, if the abuse from past events was overlooked. Suffering happen when past

events of abuse that was not comforted and victims not getting the right support they
need. The Overview- Child abuse reported, In 1996, more than three million victims of
alleged abuse were reported to child protective services (Unknown, Overview-Child
abuse). When it started to come out more, there was an increase more child victims. This
shows how sexual abuse was overlooked and not really taken into considerations even
though many children are going through this. The Overview-Child abuse also states that,
The child abuse problem gained international awareness when national laws were
created in Great Britain in 1884 to protect children from cruel treatment, and when the
National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children originated that same year
(Unknown, Overview-Child abuse). Sexual abuse started to getting more attention to
what was going on and was seen as a huge problem. One example of this is when they
finally understand that Charlie has been sexually abused.
The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a masterpiece because it examines the truth
that eventually comes out over time when has occurred. Rick Nauert, a doctor who
studies abuse, says, Researchers have discovered that a history of sexual abuse is
frequently linked with a lifetime diagnosis of multiple psychiatric disorders (Rick
Nauert PhD, Mental Disorders Often Follow Sexual Abuse). Sexual abuse is harmful
to the mental health of the abused victims. They are affected by what has happened to
them, and it affects their everyday lives because their mental health is damaged. Chbosky
shows the effects of abuse with the main character, Charlie. In some scenes, the viewer
can see Charlie getting worse, as Charlie himself senses how he is getting worse. In the
end Charlie suffers a full mental breakdown and is hospitalized. When Charlie and Sam
begin to get more sexually intimate, Charlie starts claiming that he does not see her--he

sees his aunt instead. Now natural, healthy activity that humans engage in becomes hard
for him because of his past abuse. Nauert also shows, Scientists discovered mental
disorders association held true regardless of the victims gender or age when the abuse
occurred (Rick Nauert PhD, Mental Disorders Often Follow Sexual Abuse). In the
book Charlie suffers from PTSD, social anxiety, and depression; he is also looked at as a
wallflower. A wallflower is someone who sees everything and understands them.
Studies now show that past abuse can greatly affect someones mental health. This shows
society the real truth behind how badly abuse can damage someone. It is not harmless,
and it should not be overlooked.
The truth is also shown in the dating abuse that occurs within The Perk of Being a
Wallflower because Chbosky shows the signs of the abuse and how more people are
being aware of what was happening. In Dating abuse statistics states, Nearly 1.5 million
high school students nationwide experience physical abuse from a dating partner in a
single year(Unknown, Dating Abuse Statistics). Abuse happens to girls and boys. In
The Perks of Being a Wallflower Charlie's sisters relationship is abusive at first; she
abuses him by hitting and slapping him and mentally abusing him. He would start crying,
and they usually argue. Relationships like this are not healthy because they affect a
persons mental state. Dating abuse is a big deal because many students are going through
this. The Dating abuse statistics also shows, One in 10 high school students has been
purposefully hit, slapped, or physically hurt by a boyfriend or girlfriend (Unknown,
Dating abuse statistics). A lot of teens do not get help during or after being in a abusive
relationships. Charlies father and his sister said you get love you think you recieve.
This shows how Charlie's father really did not help in his daughters case, but it is also

true that sometimes when one does not have a strong mental state, one accepts the things
one think one should get.
Chbosky shows the beauty in being different but also the effects of in it. Zachary
Sniderman writes, One study showed shy people had trouble reading facial expressions
related to fear and happiness (Zachary Sniderman, Why Shyness Can Be a Secret
Weapon for Success). A wallflower is looked at as shy and not really talking that much.
Sometimes they have a hard time understanding people's expressions of fear or
happiness. They do not know when to do the things they would want to do or if they
should. Chbosky shows this a lot with Charlie; first he has a experience when he sees a
girl getting sexaully assulted by her boyfriend in his room. While it is happening, he sit
there not knowing if he should speak or not. Another example shown is when his gay guy
friend keeps kissing him, and he does not want to kiss him; Charlie lets it happen anyway.
Finally when Sam breaks up with her boyfriend and is waiting for Charlie to come and be
there for her, because she knew his feeling he wanted to but he was held back by himself.
Sinderman states, Wallflowers, rejoice! Shy people are apparently having a much better
time than the rest of the world (Zachary Sniderman, Why Shyness Can Be a Secret
Weapon for Success). Their good sides to being a wallflower which is being quiet and
seeing everything. In The Perks of Being a Wallflower, they called Charlie a wallflower
because he see everything and can understand in his own way. This is important to
understanding his friends and other people's feelings. The down side is in certain
situations, Charlie can not decide what to do because of his past. Depending on the
situation he is unable to say no or stop a lot of things he does not agree with, so he sits
back and let it happen.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower moved us because it shows us how to help

people who have been abused and hurt. It shows us how things are when people are
struggling and do not get help. Some good advice to help a friend who have been or are
victims of abuse is Tell your friend you love him/her (Unknown How to Comfort a
Friend Who Has Been Sexually Molested). When dealing with abuse, one's mental state
is affected so being reminded that one is loved is very important. It shows people that
they are more than what happened to them and that they matter. In The Perks of Being a
Wallflower they showed the love Charlie and Sam have and the love the whole group of
friends have together. When they a together, you could see the change in Charlie. He is
happy and is doing okay. In one part he expresses the feeling as feeling infinite. The
most important tips one can give to help a friend or someone you know is Encourage
your friend to seek therapy(Unknown How to Comfort a Friend Who Has Been
Sexually Molested). It is always important to get your friends help so you know they
will be okay and will not hurt themselves or anyone else. In The Perks of Being a
Wallflower, if Charlie's aunt had gotten proper help for what happened to her, there would
be a greater chance of her not sexually abusing Charlie. A lot of people that end up
hurting or killing people have been through traumas and were never helped. So it is good
to advise how one should get help so something like what happened in The Perks of
being a Wallflower will not happen.
The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a masterpiece. Chbosky shows the reader bad
things that we can relate to from our past history of a nation and provides us some truth
behind different subjects that might get overlooked. While showing these bad events
people go through, Chbosky is able to move his readers by providing how you can help

and that even though you go through things you are able to move on from them. It shows
how much friends can do to help you through things. These are all shown in a unique
point of view that makes it relatable, and by that, it touches the people who read it
proving it is a masterpiece.