Auggie's friendships with Summer and Jack save him from total isolation and misery at school, but each friendship comes about differently and follows a different trajectory. Being Auggie's friend is easy because Auggie is a fun, nice kid, but it's also hard because there are social penalties for hanging out with the kid who is not like the others.
Both Summer and Jack are regularly challenged by their peers over their friendship with August in Wonder. But while Summer consistently and reflexively defends Auggie, Jack takes longer to learn the value of his friendship with Auggie. He reaps all the benefits of having a good friend, but makes none of the sacrifices, at one point even denying the friendship.
But Jack isn't a total jerk. When he realizes how deeply his thoughtless words have hurt August, he asks for Auggie's forgiveness and re-evaluates his priorities. Through the process of rebuilding that relationship, Jack learns the meaning of true friendship.
Questions About Friendship
- Why does Summer sit with Auggie on the first day of school?
- What kind of a friend is Auggie? How does he support his friends? How do Auggie's friends support him?
- Are kids in the popular crowd happier than the kids who aren't in the popular crowd? What's the difference between friendship and popularity?
Chew on This
Mr. Tushman's efforts to secure some friends for Auggie are pointless. Only one out of three kids really becomes Auggie's friend, and another one out of the three becomes his relentless bully. Auggie would have been better off without Mr. Tushman's help.
Jack's priorities change over the course of his friendship with Auggie; Summer's do not.