Heartstopper: Volume Two

Charlie is the deuteragonist of Heartstopper: Volume Two and plays a major role in the personal and social transformation that takes place within Nick during this volume. The story starts out with a journal entry from Charlie, whose emotional experience was the focus in the first volume and whose experience continues to play a central role in the narrative. Charlie is a highly emotional, intelligent, and compassionate person, whose skills are numerous and varied. Nick is inspired by Charlie from the very beginning, and this is what draws Nick to him. Charlie is very expressive and conveys his feelings for Nick openly; Nick is often inspired to kiss him because of his implicative expressions. Charlie cries when Nick cries, and he’s happy when Nick is happy. When Nick comes out to Tara and tells Charlie about it, Charlie is thrilled for him. Charlie is the right person that Nick needs to be able to come to terms with who he is while Overcoming Internal Anti-Gay Bias and learning to stand up for himself.

Charlie always assures Nick that it’s okay to be confused and uncertain about his sexuality and what he wants. Although Charlie always knew he was gay, he understands that everyone’s journey of self-discovery is different and gives Nick the patience he needs. Charlie was bullied when it came out at school that he was gay, and he spent a long time enduring and overcoming those experiences. Now, he is experiencing The Sparks of a First Love, and his whole world centers around his new relationship with Nick. He no longer allows others to intimidate him or shame him for who he is, so he acts as a strong role model and friend to Nick alongside their romantic relationship.

Tao Xu is Charlie’s closest friend aside from Nick and is a semi-antagonistic character. While his appearances in the story are brief, they always bring about a dramatic situation that leads to a change. When Charlie introduces Tao, he says, “That’s Tao. Sorry in advance if he says anything rude to you. That’s just the way he is” (110). This trait of being highly outspoken and sometimes insulting is what defines Tao, but his fierce loyalty is what makes him a good friend. Tao was there when Charlie was being bullied and nobody else would support him, and he has become protective over his friend. Tao thinks Nick is straight and is using Charlie for some sort of farce, and whenever he sees them together, he has a look of anger and distrust on his face. When Tao confronts Charlie about this at Charlie’s birthday party, Tao ostensibly cares more about getting his point across than letting Charlie enjoy his day. Even though Nick has made mistakes, he hasn’t done anything to warrant Tao’s judgment, and Charlie accuses Tao of stereotyping Nick. Charlie tries to convince Tao to give Nick a chance, and Tao reluctantly agrees.

Harry is the story’s antagonistic character. He is a friend of Nick’s, but Nick never really liked Harry and just tolerated his presence. Harry is known for being prejudiced against both LGBTQ+ people and women, and he often pushes Nick to talk to and flirt with girls. When Harry shows up to the movie night, Nick and Charlie both freeze, unsure of how to approach the awkward and unpleasant situation. Harry is brash and outspoken, and he immediately starts asking Charlie things like, “What’s it like to be gay?” (216). Charlie tells himself he won’t be intimidated by Harry or the others, but Charlie is not immune to The Effects of Peer Influence on Self-Esteem, and Nick can see that Charlie is deeply uncomfortable throughout the evening. After the movie ends and Charlie leaves, Nick confronts Harry and the rest of his friends about being so rude or ignoring Charlie all together. Harry lies and says he isn’t homophobic, but he calls Charlie a prejudiced slur. Nick stands up for himself and for Charlie in this moment, which represents a big step in his process of Overcoming Internal Anti-Gay Bias and accepting himself. His choice of defense is to use violence, which he immediately regrets, but he gets the message across that he is tired of seeing his friends bully people who are different from them.