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Bill is Charlie’s freshman-year English teacher who noticed Charlie’s talent for reading and language. Bill establishes a closer relationship with Charlie by assigning him extra reading and essays to challenge him and stimulate his learning. Bill purposefully gives Charlie lower grades on his extra assignments to push Charlie to reach greater heights with his writing and vocabulary. However, Bill also notices Charlie’s lack of confidence and his difficulties in social situations, and one day engages Charlie in a conversation about his social life. Charlie opens up to Bill about his sister’s abusive relationship, as well as his own personal problems, and Bill listens seriously and without judgment. Bill not only shares the wisdom that people “accept the love we think we deserve,” a theme that can be applied to many characters in The Perks of Being a Wallflower, but also encourages Charlie to participate more by joining in on school activities and trying harder to form friendships with his classmates. Bill’s advice becomes the catalyst for Charlie making an effort to expand his social life. He actively seeks out Sam and Patrick’s company and attends the homecoming dance despite not having a date. As the novel progresses, Bill continues to be a source of wisdom, support, and stimulation for Charlie.
Bill is an essential adult role model in Charlie’s life. While his parents are generally loving and supportive, his father in particular is traditionally masculine in the sense that he is uncomfortable with expressions of deep emotion and prefers to bond with his children over neutral activities like sports. Charlie, however, isn’t particularly interested in athletics – he’s thoughtful and sensitive, and far more predisposed toward the arts and humanities. As such, Charlie often takes second fiddle to his star athlete older brother.
Until he met Bill, Charlie hadn’t received serious encouragement from an adult to pursue his natural talent for writing and analysis. Bill opens a world of opportunities for Charlie, not only helping him to connect to the world-expanding philosophy of classic literature but also affirming Charlie's own literary abilities. Bill’s support is mirrored by Patrick and Sam, who both gift Charlie writing-themed presents. It’s essential for Charlie’s intellectual and emotional growth that he have friends and mentors who encourage his thoughtful, introspective self, as his family is unable to do so.
As the school year comes to a close, Charlie visits Bill outside of school for dinner, and meets Bill’s wife. Bill and his wife live a quiet yet slightly alternative life, further confirming that Charlie is drawn to people who don’t feel pressure to meet the status quo but rather live as their authentic selves. At the dinner, Bill tells Charlie that he’s “special.” For Charlie, who has suffered extreme survivor’s guilt over the deaths of Michael and Aunt Helen, has a popular and athletic older brother and a valedictorian older sister, and has known for some time that he’s considered different and odd by his peers, being told that he is a special person by a trusted adult is a much-needed affirmation. Bill’s presence in Charlie’s life has undoubtedly changed the trajectory of his high school experience for the better, which is the mark of a great teacher.
