Reason 1 of why Sick-Lit is controversial is geared toward young adults and teens
Sick-Lit is a sub-genre of Young Adult (YA) fiction. According to Allison, Monaghan can “offer a narrative medicine scholar a prolonged and authentic view into what it’s like to be a teenager and to be dealing in some way with illness.”
However, while authenticity can be achieved, Sick-Lit is controversial; for, mental health is a complex topic, and the inspired sick literature can dilute and simplify the harsh reality of issues like suicide. 13 Reasons Why is a well-known example of this.
Perks of Being a Wallflower is an excellent example of an authentic representation of mental health.
The protagonist, Charlie, is a lonely high school freshman. Charlie experiences a deep depression while writing to an unnamed friend while fighting his mental illness.
In his first letter he says
“I need to know that someone out there listens and understands and doesn’t try to sleep with people even if they could have.
I need to know that these people exist. I think you, of all people, would understand that because I think you, of all people, are alive and appreciate what that means.
At least, I hope you do because other people look to you for strength and friendship, and it’s that simple. At least that’s what I’ve heard.”
The “Perks” representation addresses mental illness as confusing and happening slowly. In contrast, Hannah Baker from 13 Reasons Why tells of her descent into depression as clearly linked to certain people. Authenticity brings awareness to mental health struggles.
Photo by Alexander Grey from Unsplash
Reason 2 of why Sick-Lit is controversial is the effects of raising awareness
Raising awareness toward taboo topics like mental health or sharing stories about rare, life-threatening diseases is promising. Young adults without those illnesses can, through the protagonists, connect with a person’s struggles.
Five Feet Apart, for example, deals with children with cystic fibrosis, a rare terminal illness.
The plot centers around the romance between the two leads breaking the health regulations for people with cystic fibrosis that require people to stay six feet apart.
Romanticizing illnesses into romantic tragedies makes it appealing to young audiences.
But that romance makes the conditions seem desirable to some degree. That is, having one of these illnesses is attractive.
Romance sells, which makes people aware of these health conditions This is another reason why sick-lit is controversial. To be fair, not all Sick-Lit stories are romantic.
What makes Perks of Being a Wallflower different from other “Sick-lit” books is its focus on friendship and acceptance.
Charlie is naive about how to date and make friends. The trauma is woven carefully throughout the novel.
Micheal’s suicide is what the reader might assume is the source of Charlie’s depression; in fact, it goes much deeper.
At the end of the novel, it is revealed that Charlie’s favorite Aunt Helen died on her way to pick up Charlie’s birthday present on December 24th.
Charlie feels overwhelming guilt; he was not allowed at the funeral. Charlie’s breakdown around realizing Aunt Helen had molested him as a child was well written.
He remains in the hospital for 2 months between the end of the novel and the Epilogue.
Charlie says his friends and family visiting were the best parts of his time in the hospital.
This underscores the themes of friendship. Perks of Being a Wallflower is one of the most authentic stories about freshman year in high school.
Being a teen is hard. Change is also difficult, and closure is not always possible.
Support from friends and family is vital during tough times. Throughout Charlie’s struggle, he writes to his “friend” because he needs to know there are still good people in the world.
Source
Monaghan, A. S. (2016). Evaluating Representations of Mental Health in Young Adult Fiction: The Case of Stephen Chbosky’s The Perks of Being a Wallflower. Enthymema , 0(16), 32-42. https://doi.org/10.13130/2037-2426/7400