“True friends come in when the rest of the world goes away” Walter Winchell . Best friends are the ones who show they will be there, as demonstrated in The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky. Throughout the book Chbosky demonstrates that bonds can break down quickly, families are not always supportive, and that new understanding friends are better than old friends who don't. The age of a friendship is not measured by the quality of a friendship. The bonds that are created are easily broken. Although she has known Susan for years, she ignores Charlie throughout the book. As Charlie walks through the high school, he sees a familiar face and feels relieved. “Susan was a lot of fun to be around in middle school.” Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay In middle school Susan and Charlie had bonded after the loss of Michael and had become friends. Over the summer Susan had changed, ending the partnership between her and Charlie. Furthermore, broken bonds are very difficult to repair. Charlie talks to Susan to see how she was doing and Susan continues to ignore him. “It was almost like she didn’t want to… she was my friend.” Charlie felt alone and wondered how Susan felt and she shushed him, forgetting about the bond the two had shared last year. Charlie is not only neglected at school, but is often removed at home. Family love is not always as supportive as they should be. Charlie's kind actions are often belittled in his family. “Charlie! Shut up! All right!? Just get up!”. When Charlie sees his distraught sister and goes to console her, she screams back because he is still seen as her younger brother who understands nothing. Charlie also risks being ignored at his home. Charlie wants to help, but is seen as annoying and in the way. “I tried to help my mother in the kitchen but I dropped the saucepan... Because she wanted to watch the hockey game.” Charlie has known his family his whole life and even though they know how great Charlie is, they still push him away. Charlie, however, still keeps a positive mind because he has reconnected with Sam and Patrick. New friends who understand and accept are much better than old friends who don't. As soon as Charlie meets Sam and Patrick, they treat Charlie like he's an old friend. “The great thing about the Big Boy was that Patrick and Sam didn't just joke around and make me struggle to keep up.” One of the best characteristics of Sam and Patrick is that they let Charlie in without missing a beat and continue to treat him like a friend and not the new kid he was. After knowing Sam for only a year, Charlie considers her the best friend he's ever had. As Sam leaves for college, Charlie says something to her while she is gone for a couple of months. “You are my best friend.” Sam has taken the time to get to know the good guy that Charlie is and will continue to be friends well into the future. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom EssayThe length of a friendship does not contribute to the value of a friendship. This is demonstrated in The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky: Charlie's long bond with Susan is over, even in his own family it is often overlooked, and when he meets Sam and Patrick they continue to be good friends. “True friends come in when the rest of the world goes away.