The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky is the story of Charlie who writes to an unknown reader in order to find comfort and a place in this world. This is a coming-of-age epistolary novel that examines the upheavals of teenage life in the 1990s. Charlie not only struggles to find his place in the halls of his high school: he struggles with the death of his best friend by suicide and his aunt Helen who once sexually assaulted him. The book is written in a diary style, which demonstrates the inner turmoil Charlie faces as well as his inability to connect with the outside world. Throughout the book, Charlie meets friends like Patrick and Sam who help him feel accepted. His teacher, Bill, connects with him through literature; writing on the books assigned to him helps him learn about himself and improves his writing ability. Charlie experiments with drugs and alcohol but never has a problem with addiction. Charlie's family is described in the book but the only family member directly named is his aunt Helen. He shows her a lot of affection even after her death. Although the presentation is ambiguous, the audience learns that Charlie's Aunt Helen physically abused him. He does not blame her for this, but for the unfortunate circumstances of her life. This realization comes at the end of the book when Charlie faces his repressed childhood memories. Patrick describes Charlie as a “wallflower” because he sees and understands things but remains shy and afraid to actively participate in what is happening around him. Charlie's growth and path to understanding is accompanied by ups and downs, but at the end of the novel, Charlie explains to his audience that he is going to stop writing a...... middle of paper. .....erosexual. Overall, I feel like the author seems to be making strides in inclusion (as it relates to his support of same-sex relationships), but is failing in executing on it. Although Charlie shows no signs of homophobia and at one point they all become great friends, it is misleading that both gay characters are stereotyped. This should not be considered a gay work simply because it features two gay minor characters. Their relationship is too stereotypical and completely ignores other non-heterosexual relationships. Brad and Patrick, however, contribute to Charlie's development and help him broaden his view of the world. They show him that he is not the only one who does not feel like he belongs. Their role as Charlie's friend is perfectly executed, however, their role as a representative of non-heterosexual relationships could be significantly improved..