The Perks of Being a Coming of Age Novel

By: Alex

Bildungsroman—my new favorite word.

In fancy German terms, it means ‘a coming of age story,’ which just happens to be my favorite genre of literature. Being a lover of the bildungsroman, I’ve collected many angsty novels that resonate with a certain piece of me. But one bildungsroman that is especially relevant to my life right now is Stephen Chbosky’s The Perks of Being a Wallflower.

Without difficulty, Perks captures the spirit of the bildungsroman that I love so much. Chbosky channels the overwhelming desperation that goes along with growing up through his true-to-life teen characters, who can flawlessly execute these complicated feelings.

Perks’ protagonist, Charlie, is an anxious, troubled soul beginning high school. And through his journal entries, we get an insight into Charlie’s struggles to find his place and forget about his unsettling past. Charlie’s journal takes us through his first encounters with relationships, heartbreak, drugs, abuse, suicide, and true friendship.

Charlie gives a voice to every misunderstood and troubled teen. His muted cries for help and introverted personality reveal that when you’re growing up, nothing is easy.  Charlie’s experiences are so relatable, yet so unique. I find myself feeling for Charlie’s yearning to find his place and prove himself. He embodies the conflicted element of the teenage brain, when you never know what to do, what the next step is; how it’s so hard to see your future but even more difficult to let go of a troubling past. It’s easy to be a wallflower--to be stoic and refrain from participating. To keep anxieties numb by feeling so little. But Charlie proves that those you love can make growing up a little easier.

Because of this story’s ability to describe what teenagers fear, dream and struggle with most, it remains one of my favorite novels. Chbosky understands what it means to long to escape, to become something better than yourself, and to grow up with a purpose. This book has taught me that when you’re growing up, you don’t always have to fit in. What made Charlie unique were the things that brought him the most happiness and taught him the most about himself. Seeing a character like Charlie makes me feel like I’m not so alone in a world where I feel like everyone has it all figured out and I don't. Perks provides solace for teens who just want to know there’s someone out there who understands.

Perks lends itself to the grand question of 'who am I?' and 'what do I stand for?', and it speaks to me exactly for that reason. Through his deeply personal journal entries, Charlie gives an effortlessly accurate description of the angst and desperation of growing up that goes unsaid. It’s very hard for teens to share their hardships, or even put their effusive emotions into words, but Chbosky did just that. He is a hero of the bildungsroman. This is not just a paperback book—it’s a powerful story. The story of a life.