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Why does Charlie go to the hospital?
There are two major occasions in which Charlie goes to the hospital. The first is when Charlie tries LSD for the first time, has a bad trip, and ends up lying in the snow outside his friend’s house. When he’s found by the police, he’s asleep and his skin has turned blue. He’s taken to the hospital to recover, and the doctor suggests that Charlie should begin seeing a psychiatrist again. While no one knows that the catalyst of Charlie’s accident was LSD, the doctor seems to recognize that Charlie is vulnerable and would benefit from further mental care. The second time Charlie goes to the hospital is at the end of the novel, when he finally remembers he was molested as a child by his Aunt Helen. The memory is deeply traumatic and sends Charlie into a catatonic state. He doesn’t wake from it even when his father slaps him in the face. Charlie’s stint in the hospital this time is much longer, as the uncovering of sexual abuse warrants intensive care.
What happened to Brad?
Brad is the school’s star quarterback, and he’s also in a secret relationship with Patrick. Brad is not yet open with his sexuality, and when his father catches him with Patrick, the reason becomes clear. Brad’s father is extremely homophobic, and the discovery of his son’s sexual orientation sends him into a rage. He beats Brad severely, to the point where Patrick worries that Brad could be killed. Brad doesn’t return to school for some time, and when he does, it’s clear that he’s been beaten into submission. He actively avoids Patrick, and when Patrick continues to try to contact him, he lashes out by calling Patrick a slur in front of everyone in the cafeteria. This prompts a fight between Patrick, Brad, and their friends. Later, when Charlie and Brad serve detention for being involved in the fight, Brad thanks Charlie for breaking up the brawl and saving Patrick, showing that Brad still cares about Patrick. His bigoted behavior is the result of his fear of his father and the social consequences of his homosexuality being revealed.
What did Aunt Helen do to Charlie?
When Charlie has his first sexual experience with Sam, Sam puts her hand into Charlie’s pants to touch his private parts. This prompts a trauma reaction from Charlie, who becomes extremely upset. Sam’s touch has triggered a memory of Aunt Helen doing the same thing to Charlie when he was a child. As Charlie uncovers more memories of the abuse, it becomes clear that Aunt Helen’s sexual molestation was a regular occurrence. While the extent of the abuse is not detailed, it is certain that Aunt Helen touched Charlie inappropriately during her weekly Saturday visits with their family. Aunt Helen was herself a survivor of child sexual abuse, but her own trauma went untreated or was unresolved, and she continued the cycle of abuse with Charlie.
How did Michael die?
Charlie’s best middle school friend Michael dies by suicide. Charlie hears from another student whose parents were visiting Michael’s neighbors that they heard the gunshot, implying that Michael killed himself with a gun. The motives behind Michael’s suicide are unclear. The school counselor suggests that Michael may have had problems at home and felt alone. Charlie finds this explanation plausible because Michael’s father leaves his wife months after Michael’s death, but there is no other confirmation of this theory. It’s possible that Michael, like Charlie, may simply have struggled with mental health. The lack of concrete knowledge surrounding Michael’s suicide only increases Charlie’s emotional struggle with his friend’s death, as he doesn’t understand why Michael would take such an extreme action. Later in the novel, when Charlie begins to experience his own depressive episodes and suicidal ideation, he gains insight into Michael’s state of mind.
Who does Sam end up with?
By the end of the novel, Sam is not in an official relationship with any of the men in her life. Her relationship with Craig, which lasts for much of the novel, ends at Sam’s senior prom when Mary Elizabeth’s boyfriend Peter demands that Craig confess to cheating on Sam with multiple women. After Sam breaks up with Craig, Charlie hesitates to make a move. He knows that Sam is hurting and doesn’t want to cause awkwardness or drama, especially since Sam has made it clear in the past that Charlie is too young for her. But a week before Sam leaves for college, when they are alone together, Sam tells Charlie that she thought he might ask her out after she broke up with Craig. She urges Charlie to be more assertive in his life. In response, Charlie kisses her, and the two enjoy a romantic moment before their sexual activity triggers a trauma response in Charlie. Despite their connection, Sam and Charlie don’t start dating. There is obvious love and attraction between the two, but Sam is going away to college and starting a new phase of her life. However, while Sam and Charlie may never be an official couple, Sam is learning how to choose partners who truly love and appreciate her, rather than men who mistreat her. Her progress in her love life represents a happy ending for her character’s arc.
