Psychology

Unit 3: Life Span

Mr. Ring

Perks of Being a Wallflower

During class we will watch the film Perks of Being a Wallflower and test developmental
theories. You will need to identify changes in characters and relate those changes to
developmental theories discussed in class.
Adolescence: What you need to answer.
1. Describe the character's personality in terms of who they are at the
beginning of the film.
2. Explain how each character has changed throughout the film. Be sure to
cite specific events that changes each character.
3. Describe their want to fit in, want to be an adult, and their need for
acceptance.
4. Connect the characters development to a theory from class and explain
why that theory explains the development.
Charlie
1. Charlie is innocent, confusing, shy, quite, sensitive, caring, loving, doesnt
seem comfortable in his own life.Hes always in his head, trying to analyze
something mystery.
2. Charlie begins to become more comfortable after he meets Sam, Patrick,
and their group of friends, and with their addition to his life he is able to better
process past events and experiences. He started to feel like he belongs
somewhere, and started to talk and do fun with other people. He learns much
about himself, dealing with love, alienation, depression, mental instability, and
other problems that high school students deal with.
3. Charlie wants to fit in the groups of friends, Charlie hopes to become a
writer at some point. He wants to to participate more and truly engage his
acquaintances and companions.
4. Charlies character development is related to the Levinson theory of male
development because when Charlie is about to enter early adult transition, he
started to make a choice about his future, what he wants to be, how he wants to
be and how he will deal with his future. Even though, early adult transition is
between 17 to 22, but Charlie started to feel and observe things in a positive way,
and started to feel comfortable with his own life.

Psychology

Unit 3: Life Span

Mr. Ring

Brad
1. Brad is a gay, but popular and good looking and also he is cruel. Brad is
ashamed of being gay and is trying to hide it from everyone.
2. Brad has changed completely when his dad catches him and Patrick. Brad
doesnt want to tell people that he is homosexual, so in order to hide his truth, he
even date a girl. Brad said bad things to patrick and fight with him, even though
he loves Patrick because he doesn't want his truth to come out.
3. Brad wants to get accepted as a gay in the society. They want to fit with all
the people around them as a gay, but he is scared to tell everyone because he
knew nobody is going to accept him, not even his father.
4. Brad personality and behavior is related to the Eriksons identity crisis
theory because Brad is struggling to find balance between his real identity and
the society, but still wants to fit in on the society.
Candace
1. Candace is mean, quiet, smart, engaged, and high-achieving. She thinks
she is at her best when shes being treated badly.
2. Candace changed when she break her relationship with her boyfriend,
Ponytail Derek. And started her summer job with her friends.
3. Candace wanted to get the love she thinks she deserve because she still
accept her boyfriend when he hit her because she thinks she deserve his love.
4. Candace have a ego identity and role confusion which defines the stage of
psychosocial self stages. Candace have a lack of self- esteem and confuse
about her role, what she wanted to do, because when her boyfriend hits her, she
still accept him and meet him secretly.
Patrick
1. Patrick is a gay, but he is funny, caring, and care lots about Brad because
they were in a relationship. Patrick is Charlies first friend in high school.
2. Patrick uses drugs, drinking, and different guys after his violent fight with
his boyfriend, Brad. Patrick changed into a good person again when he started to
go to college.
3. Patrick wants Brad to accept him because Brad was insecure about his
sex, but Patrick was not. Patrick also want to accept that Brad has left him, so he
have to move on in his life.
4. Patrick personality defines by the Kohlberg stage of moral development
because Patrick have the ability to conceal negative reaction and also he have
the use of self-initiated strategies for redirecting feelings because after Brad

Psychology

Unit 3: Life Span

Mr. Ring

leaves him, Patrick was broken, but after few month, he control his feelings and
move on as a new person.
Sam
1. Sam is sweet, reserved, supportive, non-judgemental, and slightly timid,
and wants everyone to be happy. A girl who wins the Charlie affection on the first
day of their friendship.
2. Sam changed when she decided to broke up with her boyfriend and have
a new life by studying and having fun with her friends.
3. Sam wants to get a job and go to the great school.
4. Sam personality is same as the theory of cognitive development by Jean
Piaget because rationalization is a process of explaining or accepting an
unpleasant incident in a way that will preserve self- esteem or self sense. Sam
accept or explain her unpleasant emotions about her past and take that as a
positive support for her to go to college and be a great person.
Ponytail Derek
1. Mean, rude, and dumb. Candice boyfriend for a while.
2. Ponytail Derek abused Candice for being mean to him. Derek hit her in front of
Charlie.
3. Broke up with Candice. Charlie tells that Derek will regret for having ponytail.
4. Ponytail personality relates to the theory of sexual development. Ponytail
started to express his feelings to Candice by abusing her or by loving her.

Mary Elizabeth
1. Mary Elizabeth is a best friend of Sam and Patrick. She has a belly button
ring and tattoo. She is a buddhist and loves to smoke. She became charlies
girlfriend for a short period of time. She is quite independent and free-spirit girl.
2. Mary Elizabeth got accepted in a Harvard University, and she went there
to study further after high school.
3. Mary Elizabeth loves Charlie and wanted him to accept her as a partner.
4. Mary Elizabeth defines the theory Kohlbergs theory of moral development
because after she had a broke up with Charlie, she accept the truth and move on
with a new feelings which shows that she determine the right and wrong by her
personal values, which is one of the stage from the moral theory.

Psychology

Unit 3: Life Span

Mr. Ring

Alice
1. She is the member of the group and she steal jeans from the Mall.
2. Patrick kiss Alice when they were playing game called truth and dare.
3. Alice loves Vampire. Alice bought a jeans and give it to Mary Elizabeth at
Christmas-New Year.
4. Alice is like a cognitive development theory because she was learning
what to do and how to do to make her future bright.
Adolescence: What you need to answer.
5. Explain the impact each adult has on the teenagers.
6. Are the adults helpful? Why or why not?
7. What do you think they could have done to help the teenagers?
8. What stage of adult development do you believe each character is at and
why?
Charlies Mom
5. Charlies mom is emotional, especially about her children. She is quiet. She
worried lots about her children.
6. Yes, because she is cool and calm to her children.
7. They could have talk to their children more, stay with them, convince their
children to try new things which will help to build their future.
8. relate to psychosocial development by Erik. Because she have the love and
care for everyone.
Charlies Dad
5. He is a good dad to Charlie even though he never show his love and affection
to his children. He looks cold, and uncaring, but he do cares a lot about Charlie
and his family.
6. Yes, because Charlie admires him for being such a good husband which is like
an inspiration and also he is a proud man.
7. Be supportive, soft, and caring dad to his children.
8. Theory of male development because his personality is like a settling down
where he should establish as a good person in society, family and in his career.
Think and behave like a father so they are facing more demanding role and
expectation.
Mr. Anderson

Psychology

Unit 3: Life Span

Mr. Ring

5. Teacher of Charlie, who sees the Charlies passion for reading and writing, and
help him by giving Charlie a extra curricular activities. Mr. Anderson is one of
Charlies greatest support for his career and future.
6. Yes, Mr. Anderson is so helpful because he is the first person to see Charlies
passion and help him to achieve what he wants to be in the future.
7. Nothing. Whatever he did to Charlie was enough.
8. He is related to the Theory of male development because he is helping Charlie
to shape his future like a dad.