O filme é bastante fiel ao livro de Stephen Chbosky, e neste guia do leitor de shmoop (como Cliff Notes ou Spark Notes):
Charlie thinks about his mom's sister a lot. He even visits her grave, telling her secrets that he only shares in his letters. So why does he love and trust her so much? He thinks it's because she was one of the few people who bought him two gifts at the holidays—one for Christmas and one for his birthday, which was Christmas Eve. He thinks it's because she died in a car accident on Charlie's seventh birthday when she went to buy his birthday present. He thinks it's because he's guilty for her death...
Growing up, Aunt Helen was molested by a friend of the family. When she finally told her parents, they didn't believe her. They did nothing to stop it, and even continued inviting the man into their home. Eventually, Aunt Helen grew up and got away. But of course, the trauma stayed with her: "My aunt Helen drank a lot. My aunt Helen took drugs a lot. My aunt Helen had many problems with men and boys. […] She went to hospitals all the time" (2.13.9).
Victims of abuse often become abusers themselves. And of course, Aunt Helen goes on to molest Charlie. She took advantage of shy, quiet Charlie's love and trust. Charlie forgives her, but it has changed the course of his life forever.
Do melhor amigo Michael Dobson:
As the novel opens, Charlie is still reeling from his best (and probably only) friend Michael's suicide. We never really get to know Charlie and Michael as a duo—all we know is that they went to a few football games and peeped inside their neighbors' windows. Seems like tame high school fun, but maybe Michael was window shopping for a new family.
We're pretty sure Michael exists to show Charlie how not to be. Even though Charlie eventually stops writing about Michael, the suicide still haunts him. When he experiences his own suicidal thoughts, he pleads with the reader, "I never wanted to. You have to believe me" (2.15.12), as if to say, I won't end up like Michael. I won't. Maybe he's trying hard to convince himself of that, too.
Michael is the only character in the book who gets a last name.