Quote 34
My father came in and sat on the edge of my bed. He lit a cigarette and started telling me about sex. He gave me this talk a few years before, but it was more biological then. (3.9.17)
Part of Charlie's transition involves learning about the social and psychological aspects of sex—not just the birds and the bees and what goes where.
Quote 35
It's strange to think of your teachers as being people. (4.6.8)
Teachers Are People: News at 11:00. But seriously, this is just another part of growing up: realizing that adults, even teachers, are people, too. Hey, they were even kids once. They might have been through the same things as you and made the same mistakes you made.
Quote 36
All I cared about was the fact that Sam got really hurt. And I guess I realized at that moment that I really did love her. (4.12.32)
This declaration shows a real maturity on Charlie's part. During his relationship with Mary Elizabeth, Charlie hoped to make Sam jealous, but now he's just worried about her. That's assuming that he isn't just writing this to convince himself—but that's another discussion altogether.