Setting

Physical setting

Stephen Chbosky’s novel The Perks of Being a Wallflower is set in a suburb of Pittsburgh, a city in Pennsylvania, USA. We know this because of the reference to Fort Pitt Tunnel, which is a real highway tunnel running under Mt Washington in Pittsburgh. 

Much of the novel takes place at Charlie’s high school, which is where he meets Sam and Patrick and where he finds the support of his teacher, Bill. Other parts of the novel take place in Charlie’s home and in the homes of his friends’ parents or boyfriends. Because they are high schoolers, most of the characters don’t have their own space – and, metaphorically, they are all trying to find their place in the world.  

Another important part of the physical setting is the tunnel Sam and Patr...