An Analysis Of 'Perks Of Being A Wallflower'

A cassette tape holds not only great songs. In the Perks of Being a Wallflower, a fiction composed by Stephen Chbosky, mix tapes, as an important object mentioned repeatedly in this piece, is endowed with certain attitudes, memories, and emotions. The fiction is a collection of letters from a teenage boy called Charlie to an anonymous friend about his life — full of confusion, self-doubt, and insecurities — and managing to gradually go through a course of inner development, throughout which mix tapes play an indispensable role.

What really changed Charlie from a kid full of insecurities into someone who is really “there”, someone who is more certain of and holds greater values to himself, is his friends Patrick and Sam. Music sets the cornerstone
In this context, mix tapes serve as a representation of friendship, love, and even consoler and salvation. When Charlie gets to be Patrick’s “Secret Santa”, he “just know(s)” that “the first present is going to be a mix tape” with, of course, music. On this tape he named “One Winter”, Charlie puts in ‘Asleep’ twice and other songs that Patrick loves and “can listen to whenever …… he feels sad,” which shows the readers that he makes the tape very meticulously, hoping his friend would related to it and like it.
“One Winter”, as a medium of music, is indeed a meaningful mix tape that holds Charlie’s earnest care and love towards Patrick in form of all those great songs. Both those songs that Charlie knows Patrick likes and will like are selected out of his personal, yet sincere wishes that the tape can be a mental comforter for his dear friend. The present with such heart in it means the whole world to Charlie as the readers can see that he ends “Patrick loved the tape” in his letter with an exclamation mark and thus easily infer that this is because the tape is for his best
The mix tape from a friend becomes a means of comfort for this poor, tearful boy — it does work the way Charlie wants it to. The healing power of mix tape is by now fully illustrated. If knowing Patrick and Sam offers an opportunity to a new life, then the making of a mix tape definitely elevates it. Before meeting Patrick, Charlie is just a “wallflower” standing in the corner, lonely and insecure. But through music they get closer and through a mixtape, Charlie is given a chance to give back his love to his friends and build up a certain connection to these who he treasures. With songs that he carefully picks out and the wintery vibe he created the songs with, he makes his mix tape so special and precious. While making a mix tape, Charlie is able to focus on this present and not be bothered by his uncertainties and worries in the real world. Once Patrick says he loves the mix tape, he feels recognized and that his being has a meaning, thus strengthening the friendship and connection between him and Patrick. Moving on, when Patrick is devastated and needs comfort, it is the mixtape that Charlie makes brings him the first consolation — it is almost like Charlie consoles him, but in the form of a mix tape. And as his mix tape heals his friend, Charlie himself is also salvaged. The mix tape goes beyond to a way for Charlie to realize his value in a friendship, and