Charlie
Characters
Title and themes
Being an outsider
Do you remember?
100

When is Charlie's birthday?

The 24th of December.

100

Name 5 characters.

E.g.: Charlie, Patrick, Sam, Candace, Mary Elizabeth, Alice, Craig, Brad, Mr. Anderson, Aunt Helen...

100

Name 3 themes from the movie.

E.g.: Youth, mental health, love, being an outsider, trauma, abuse, transformation, masculinity, sexuality, violence, friendship...

100

Define the term "outsider".

A person who does not fit in. Someone who stands outside social groups looking in.  

100

What does Charlie first think Sam and Patrick's relation is? And what is it actually?

Charlie thinks Sam and Patrick are boyfriend and girlfriend. They're actually step siblings. 

200

What is Charlie told that he should be when he grows up?

A writer.

200

What is specifically interesting about Mary Elizabeth? (hint: something about stereotypes)

She is both a punk and a buddhist. 

200

Why/how is trauma, abuse and mental health themes in this movie?

Because the movie presents a teenager dealing with a traumatic experience from his childhood. The abuse of Charlie clearly has had an impact on Charlie's mental health and personality in his later life.

200

Why is Patrick an outsider?

Due to his sexuality. The movie takes place in the 90s where being gay wasn't as accepted as it (luckily) is today. 

200

What is the nickname of Candace's boyfriend?

Ponytail-Derek

300

How does Charlie "break up" with Mary Elizabeth? What does this say about Charlie? (2 things)

When asked to kiss the prettiest girl in the room, Charlie kisses Sam instead of Mary E. 

It shows: 1. Charlie is very much in love with Sam, 2. Charlie does not know the social rules of being in a relationship.

300

What happened to Sam in her childhood?

When she was 11 her dad's boss kissed and thereby assaulted her. 

300

In what ways do we see the themes masculinity and violence in the movie? (give at least two examples)


E.g.: Derek hits Candice + Brad's dad beats him up after finding Brad with Patrick (domestic violence, toxic masculinity) + examples of soft masculinity (the guys embrace traditionally feminine clothes in their show)...


300

Why is Sam an outsider?

Because she dates older guys who doesn't treat her right + there's been a rumor that she "sleeps around". 

300

What is the first book Charlie has to analyze in Mr. Anderson's class?

"To kill a mockingbird" by Harper Lee (1960).

400

What has Charlie repressed from his childhood and when do Charlie (and the audience) find out?

His aunt Helen molested him when he was just a child. He realizes when he has yet another mental breakdown in the end of the movie. 

400

Who is Michael and what happened to him?

Michael was Charlie's only friend. He committed suicide. 

400

What Danish phrase does "being a wallflower" resemble? (hint: Danish translation)

Being a wallflower = at være fluen på væggen eller at være bænkevarmer.

400

What is the friend group (Charlie, Sam, Patrick, Alice, Mary Elizabeth and Bob) an example of?

A group of outsiders/quirky characters coming together to form an important friendship. 

400

Who was the first person to call Charlie "a wallflower"?

Patrick calls Charlie a wallflower at the first party they attend together.

500

Describe Charlie's development (be thorough!).

E.g.: In the beginning he is an outsider, but then he finds "his people" (a group of outsiders). His development is not a straight line - he has mental setbacks, however in the end he comes to terms with who he is and gains some very good friends along the way. 

500

Describe Charlie's perception of his aunt Helen. Does his perception develop throughout the movie? (be thorough!)

In the beginning of the movie Charlie sees aunt Helen as his favorite person in the world. In the end he realizes what she did, however his empathy for her seems to remain. Yet he still expresses that maybe he wished for her to die. He is very conflicted.

500

Explain the title of "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" with your own words.

The title means "the advantages of being an outsider" = the good things about being an outsider.

500

How is being an outsider depicted in this movie?

Both positively (being special, outsiders coming together, etc.) and negatively (loneliness, bullying, mental health issues, etc.)

500

Why do good people fall for bad people according to Mr. Anderson? (hint: this is a quote)

Because: "We accept the love we think we deserve."