Quote Compendium: The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Here is a complete list of my favourite quotes that I found whilst reading The Perks of Being a Wallflower with page numbers and the diary entries they're found in.
Also, I have the Pocket Books paperback edition with 232 pages.
Lets go.
I just need to know that someone out there listens and understands and doesn't try to sleep with people even if they could. I need to know that these people exist.
- Aug 23, 1991, P3
So, this is my life. And I want you to know that I am both happy and sad and I'm still trying to figure out how that could be.
- Aug 23, 1991, P3
Maybe it's sad that these are now memories. And maybe it's not sad.
- Sep 26, 1991, P18
It's just that sometimes people use thought not to participate in life.
- Oct 13, 1991, P26
We accept the love we think we deserve.
- Oct 13, 1991, P27
I feel infinite.
- Oct 28, 1991, P36
He's a wallflower.
---
You see things. You keep quiet about them. And you understand.
- Oct 28, 1991, P40-41
And in that moment I swear we were infinite.
- Oct 28, 1991, P42
I am very interested and fascinated by how everyone loves each other, but no one really likes each other.
- Nov 23, 1991, P60
I thought about how many people have loved those songs. And how many people enjoyed good times with those songs. And how much those songs really mean.
- Dec 7, 1991, P66-67
Once on a yellow piece of paper with green lines
he wrote a poem
And he called it "Chops"
because that was the name of his dog
And that's what it was all about
And his teacher gave him an A
and a gold star
And his mother hung it on the kitchen door
and read it to his aunts
That was the year Father Tracy
took all the kids to the zoo
And he let them sing on the bus
And his little sister was born
with tiny toenails and no hair
And his mother and father kissed a lot
And the girl around the corner sent him a
Valentine signed with a row of X's
and he had to ask his father what the X's meant
And his father always tucked him in bed at night
And was always there to do it
Once on a piece of white paper with blue lines
he wrote a poem
And he called it "Autumn"
because that was the name of the season
And that's what it was all about
And his teacher gave him an A
and asked him to write more clearly
And his mother never hung it on the kitchen door
because of its new paint
And the kids told him
that Father Tracy smoked cigars
And left butts on the pews
And sometimes they would burn holes
That was the year his sister got glasses
with thick lenses and black frames
And the girl around the corner laughed
when he asked her to go see Santa Claus
And the kids told him why
his mother and father kissed a lot
And his father never tucked him in bed at night
And his father got mad
when he cried for him to do it.
Once on a paper torn from his notebook
he wrote a poem
And he called it "Innocence: A Question"
because that was the question about his girl
And that's what it was all about
And his professor gave him an A
and a strange steady look
And his mother never hung it on the kitchen door
because he never showed her
That was the year that Father Tracy died
And he forgot how the end
of the Apostle's Creed went
And he caught his sister
making out on the back porch
And his mother and father never kissed
or even talked
And the girl around the corner
wore too much makeup
That made him cough when he kissed her
but he kissed her anyway
because that was the thing to do
And at three a.m. he tucked himself into bed
his father snoring soundly
That's why on the back of a brown paper bag
he tried another poem
And he called it "Absolutely Nothing"
Because that's what it was really all about
And he gave himself an A
and a slash on each damned wrist
And he hung it on the bathroom door
because this time he didn't think
he could reach the kitchen
- Dec 21, 1991, P75-77
I don't know if you've ever felt like that. That you wanted to sleep for a thousand years. Or just not exist. Or just not be aware that you do exist. Or something like that. I think wanting that is very morbid, but I want it when I get like this. That's why I'm trying not to think. I just want it all to stop spinning.
- Dec 30, 1991, P100
Just tell me how to be different in a way that makes sense.
- Apr 26, 1992, P149
I walk around the school hallways and look at the people. I look at the teachers and wonder why they're here. If they like their jobs. Or us. And I wonder how smart they were when they were fifteen. Not in a mean way. In a curious way. It's like looking at all the students and wondering who's had their heart broken that day, and how they are able to cope with having three quizzes and a book report on top of that. Or wondering who did the heartbreaking. And wondering why.
- Apr 29, 1992, P153
It's much easier not to know things sometimes.
- Apr 29, 1992, P155
It's just hard to see a friend hurt this much. Especially when you can't do anything except "be there". I want to make him stop hurting, but I can't.
- May 17, 1992, P173
Try to be a filter, not a sponge.
- May 21, 1992, P177
I would die for you. But I won't live for you.
- Jun 2, 1992, P182
I think the idea is that every person has to live for his or her own life and then make the choice to share it with other people. Maybe that is what makes people "participate".
- Jun 2, 1992, P182
And I guess I realised at that moment that I really did love her. Because there was nothing to gain, and that didn't matter.
- Jun 13, 1992, P193
I just want you to now that you're very special... and the only reason I'm telling you is that I don't know if anyone else ever has.
- Jun 13, 1992, P195
She wasn't bitter. She was sad, though. But it was a hopeful kind of sad. The kind of sad that just takes time.
- Jun 22, 1992, P213
I don't want to be somebody's crush. If somebody likes me, I want them to like the real me, not what they think I am. And I don't want them to carry it around inside. I want them to show me, so I can feel it, too. I want them to be able to do whatever they want around me. And if they do something I don't like, I'll tell them.
- Jun 22, 1992, P216
So, I guess we are who we are for a lot of reasons. And maybe we'll never know most them. But even if we don't have the power to choose where we come from, we can still choose where we go from there. We can still do things. And we can try to feel okay about them.
- Aug 2, 1992, P228
I think that if I ever have kids and they're upset, I won't tell them that people are starving in China or anything like that because it wouldn't change the fact that they were upset. And even if somebody else has it much worse, that doesn't really change the fact that you have what you have.
- Aug 2, 1992, P228-229
We didn't talk about anything heavy or light. We were just there together. And that was enough.
- Aug 2, 1992, P229
Also, I have the Pocket Books paperback edition with 232 pages.
Lets go.
I just need to know that someone out there listens and understands and doesn't try to sleep with people even if they could. I need to know that these people exist.
- Aug 23, 1991, P3
So, this is my life. And I want you to know that I am both happy and sad and I'm still trying to figure out how that could be.
- Aug 23, 1991, P3
Maybe it's sad that these are now memories. And maybe it's not sad.
- Sep 26, 1991, P18
It's just that sometimes people use thought not to participate in life.
- Oct 13, 1991, P26
We accept the love we think we deserve.
- Oct 13, 1991, P27
I feel infinite.
- Oct 28, 1991, P36
He's a wallflower.
---
You see things. You keep quiet about them. And you understand.
- Oct 28, 1991, P40-41
And in that moment I swear we were infinite.
- Oct 28, 1991, P42
I am very interested and fascinated by how everyone loves each other, but no one really likes each other.
- Nov 23, 1991, P60
I thought about how many people have loved those songs. And how many people enjoyed good times with those songs. And how much those songs really mean.
- Dec 7, 1991, P66-67
Once on a yellow piece of paper with green lines
he wrote a poem
And he called it "Chops"
because that was the name of his dog
And that's what it was all about
And his teacher gave him an A
and a gold star
And his mother hung it on the kitchen door
and read it to his aunts
That was the year Father Tracy
took all the kids to the zoo
And he let them sing on the bus
And his little sister was born
with tiny toenails and no hair
And his mother and father kissed a lot
And the girl around the corner sent him a
Valentine signed with a row of X's
and he had to ask his father what the X's meant
And his father always tucked him in bed at night
And was always there to do it
Once on a piece of white paper with blue lines
he wrote a poem
And he called it "Autumn"
because that was the name of the season
And that's what it was all about
And his teacher gave him an A
and asked him to write more clearly
And his mother never hung it on the kitchen door
because of its new paint
And the kids told him
that Father Tracy smoked cigars
And left butts on the pews
And sometimes they would burn holes
That was the year his sister got glasses
with thick lenses and black frames
And the girl around the corner laughed
when he asked her to go see Santa Claus
And the kids told him why
his mother and father kissed a lot
And his father never tucked him in bed at night
And his father got mad
when he cried for him to do it.
Once on a paper torn from his notebook
he wrote a poem
And he called it "Innocence: A Question"
because that was the question about his girl
And that's what it was all about
And his professor gave him an A
and a strange steady look
And his mother never hung it on the kitchen door
because he never showed her
That was the year that Father Tracy died
And he forgot how the end
of the Apostle's Creed went
And he caught his sister
making out on the back porch
And his mother and father never kissed
or even talked
And the girl around the corner
wore too much makeup
That made him cough when he kissed her
but he kissed her anyway
because that was the thing to do
And at three a.m. he tucked himself into bed
his father snoring soundly
That's why on the back of a brown paper bag
he tried another poem
And he called it "Absolutely Nothing"
Because that's what it was really all about
And he gave himself an A
and a slash on each damned wrist
And he hung it on the bathroom door
because this time he didn't think
he could reach the kitchen
- Dec 21, 1991, P75-77
I don't know if you've ever felt like that. That you wanted to sleep for a thousand years. Or just not exist. Or just not be aware that you do exist. Or something like that. I think wanting that is very morbid, but I want it when I get like this. That's why I'm trying not to think. I just want it all to stop spinning.
- Dec 30, 1991, P100
Just tell me how to be different in a way that makes sense.
- Apr 26, 1992, P149
I walk around the school hallways and look at the people. I look at the teachers and wonder why they're here. If they like their jobs. Or us. And I wonder how smart they were when they were fifteen. Not in a mean way. In a curious way. It's like looking at all the students and wondering who's had their heart broken that day, and how they are able to cope with having three quizzes and a book report on top of that. Or wondering who did the heartbreaking. And wondering why.
- Apr 29, 1992, P153
It's much easier not to know things sometimes.
- Apr 29, 1992, P155
It's just hard to see a friend hurt this much. Especially when you can't do anything except "be there". I want to make him stop hurting, but I can't.
- May 17, 1992, P173
Try to be a filter, not a sponge.
- May 21, 1992, P177
I would die for you. But I won't live for you.
- Jun 2, 1992, P182
I think the idea is that every person has to live for his or her own life and then make the choice to share it with other people. Maybe that is what makes people "participate".
- Jun 2, 1992, P182
And I guess I realised at that moment that I really did love her. Because there was nothing to gain, and that didn't matter.
- Jun 13, 1992, P193
I just want you to now that you're very special... and the only reason I'm telling you is that I don't know if anyone else ever has.
- Jun 13, 1992, P195
She wasn't bitter. She was sad, though. But it was a hopeful kind of sad. The kind of sad that just takes time.
- Jun 22, 1992, P213
I don't want to be somebody's crush. If somebody likes me, I want them to like the real me, not what they think I am. And I don't want them to carry it around inside. I want them to show me, so I can feel it, too. I want them to be able to do whatever they want around me. And if they do something I don't like, I'll tell them.
- Jun 22, 1992, P216
So, I guess we are who we are for a lot of reasons. And maybe we'll never know most them. But even if we don't have the power to choose where we come from, we can still choose where we go from there. We can still do things. And we can try to feel okay about them.
- Aug 2, 1992, P228
I think that if I ever have kids and they're upset, I won't tell them that people are starving in China or anything like that because it wouldn't change the fact that they were upset. And even if somebody else has it much worse, that doesn't really change the fact that you have what you have.
- Aug 2, 1992, P228-229
We didn't talk about anything heavy or light. We were just there together. And that was enough.
- Aug 2, 1992, P229
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