Sanvi Sinha Week 1 - Unlocking Oneself: How Language and Identity Connect in The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Week 1
Unlocking Oneself: How Language and Identity Connect in The Perks of Being a Wallflower – 08/26

Identity can be defined as a sense of self: a collection of one’s traits, beliefs, and qualities that define who a person is. Language is the fundamental tool through which we construct and understand our identity—it directs how we communicate, not only with others, but also with our inner selves. For this week's blog,
I would like to talk about a book that resonated with me when I was an upcoming high-schooler trying to figure out my own identity—Stephan Chbosky’s The Perks of Being a Wallflower.

Written as a series of journal entries or “letters” to an anonymous reader, an introverted high school freshman, Charlie finds his voice as he navigates his identity.

At the start of the novel, Charlie’s identity is defined mainly by his passiveness and silence. He is often referred to as a “wallflower”, or someone who only observes and never participates. Coping with repressed childhood trauma and the suicide of his best friend, he resorts to using silence as a shield. I recognized much of my early teenage experiences in his letters at the beginning of the novel—navigating through the little anxieties of growing up.

Charlie’s shift from an outside observer to an involved person is made almost entirely by linguistic discovery. Mr. Anderson, his English teacher, assigns him classic literature every month or so, which helps him develop his vocabulary and understanding of human experience. Reading those books provides Charlie with devices that he can use to better identify his emotions, while essays allow him to process his thoughts. Simultaneously, his new friendships with Sam and Patrick introduce him to the language of music and late-night conversations. He confides in and identifies himself through mixtapes and the people he surrounds himself with—yet another aspect that makes his character so relatable. Through literature and conversations, he realizes that words can be used to claim space in the world. Charlie's entire understanding of his self-worth is reframed when Mr. Anderson famously tells him, “We accept the love we think we deserve.”

Reading Charlie’s letters showed me how deeply our identities are connected to the words we use and surround ourselves with. This book shows that identity is not something that can be figured out all at once, but an ongoing conversation. Writing things down or reflecting on past phases is how we piece together who we are.

In his final letter, when Charlie declares, “We are infinite,” he is actually declaring his victory of self-expression. By narrating his story in his own words, Charlie claims his newfound identity and reminds the reader that to be “infinite” is to recognize that identity is an ongoing concept—that we are not just defined by our past or our present, but by our capabilities to keep evolving.





He feels infinite, I think