The Conflicts

This book is all about internal conflicts, almost. Some external conflicts exist. But the book center person is Charlie. It´s his thoughts that the book is about and it’s his fights with himself that we got to follow.

Charlie is thinking a lot and it’s this that is his conflicts. He starts thinking about something and then it just continues. Here comes a quotation to clear this up.

I look at people holding hands in the hallways, and I try to think about how it all works. At the school dances, I sit in the background, and I tap my toe, and I wonder how many couples will dance to "their song." In the hallways, I see the girls wearing the guys' jackets, and I think about the idea of property. And I wonder if anyone is really happy. I hope they are. I really hope they are. (The perks of being a wallflower, 1999. Stephen Chabosky, p. 31)

This shows that he thinks a lot not only about himself but also about everything and everyone around him. At the same time this is an internal conflict, when it´s his own thoughts.

Following comes one more quotation and it´s both an internal and external conflict.

The counselor said that he suspected that Michael had "problems at home" and didn't feel like he had anyone to talk to. That’s maybe why he felt all alone and killed himself. Then, I started screaming at the guidance counselor that Michael could have talked to me. And I started crying even harder. He tried to calm me down by saying that he meant an adult like a teacher or a guidance counselor. But it didn't work. (The perks of being a wallflower, 1999. Stephen Chabosky, p. 11)

In this quotation it shows that Charlie somehow was concerned about Michael’s death. He wondered why Michael didn´t come talking to him and that made him very sad. He almost felt betrayed. In one way he has a conflict with Michel.  But in another why he has internal conflict. However Michel is dead, therefor it cannot be an external conflict? Or can it? The answer is partly yes.  It is an internal conflict in the way that Charlie thinks, “Did I do something wrong” “Why didn´t he trust him” “Could I have done something to save Michel´s life”. He somehow blame himself, or he cannot come to an answer if he should blame himself. But at the same time this is a conflict between Charlie and Michel. Because it is about two persons, it is about their friendship. Therefore it is an external conflict.

To end this blog log here comes a quotation that show that people was concerned about Charlie.  In this quotation it is clear that Bill is a little bit concerned about that Charlie thinks a lot.

Bill looked at me looking at people, and after class, he asked me what I was thinking about, and I told him. He listened, and he nodded and made "affirmation" sounds. When I had finished, his face changed into a "serious talk" face.

"Do you always think this much, Charlie?"

"Is that bad?" I just wanted someone to tell me the truth.

"Not necessarily. It's just that sometimes people use thought to not participate in life." (The perks of being a wallflower, 1999. Stephen Chabosky, p. 32)

What Bill says is true. Because thinking very much is like being a workaholic. Both of them may not participate in life. Because when you’re a workaholic you just want to work and almost just think about work. You don´t participate in life. The same about thinking too much. Because if you think too much you lost track from reality, and then if you keep on thinking it may lead to that you not participate in life.