Sexual Abuse and Traumatic Memory in The Perks of Being a Wallflower Movie (2012)

Abstract

Sexual abuse is broadly defined as any sexual action or behavior that occurs without the permission of the victim. It entails employing force, persuasion, or pressure to force someone to do sexual actions against their will. Sexual abuse can impact a short-term or long-term trauma for the victim, either child or adult. This study uses data from the film The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky. This film tells about childhood traumas, friendships, and the teenage love life that experienced by each of the characters. In this research, researcher will compare how trauma caused by sexual abuse on Charlie and Sam's Characters and compare how the trauma impact their life. The researcher will approach this study using Levine’s book "Trauma and Memory". This study used a descriptive qualitative approach. The data for this study came from observations of the film The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012) and from the aspects of cinematography. Other sources included Levine's books, websites, journals, journal reviews, and other pertinent online information.