How we cite our quotes: (Part.Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
Did anyone happen to notice the plaque next to the door of this school? Anyone read what is says? Anyone?"
He looked around but no one knew the answer.
"It says: "Know Thyself," he said, smiling and nodding. "And learning who you are is what you're here to do." (1.Choose Kind.23-25)
"Know Thyself"—a compelling challenge for anyone with a pulse—is quite possibly the number one place to start in the Identity department. Which characters in Wonder know themselves best? Who has the most learning to do?
Quote #2
"Why do I have to be so ugly, Mommy?" I whispered.
"No, baby, you're not…"
"I know I am." She kissed me all over my face. She kissed my eyes that came down too far. She kissed my cheeks that looked punched in. She kissed my tortoise mouth.
She said soft words that I know were meant to help me, but words can't change my face.
(1.Padawan.47-51)
Although he's generally positive, upbeat, and funny, Auggie is occasionally overwhelmed with sadness about the way he looks. It's brutal, but the truth is that Auggie's appearance is an inseparable part of his identity. However, knowing so much sadness gives Auggie a great deal of compassion and kindness for others.
Quote #3
I'm not saying they were doing any of these things in a mean way, by the way: not once did any kid laugh of make noises or do anything like that. They were just being normal dumb kids. I know that. I kind of wanted to tell them that. Like, it's okay, I know I'm weird-looking, take a look, I don't bite. Hey, the truth is, if a Wookiee started going to the school all of a sudden, I'd be curious, I'd probably stare a bit! (1.Wake Me Up When September Ends.4)
Re-framing his other-ness in this Wookiee metaphor helps Auggie understand and deal with kids' general behavior toward him—but mostly, he wishes they would just get a grip, already.
Quote #4
I wish every day could be Halloween. We could all wear masks all the time. Then we could walk around and get to know each other before we got to see what we looked like under the masks. (1.Costumes.2)
The sad thing is that a mask really does make a big difference in how people treat Auggie. Do you think this idea could actually work for him? What would be the benefits and drawbacks of Auggie wearing a mask when he first meets people? If people knew how nice and how funny he was before they looked at him, do you think they would react differently when they eventually see his face for the first time?
Quote #5
"Your soul stays the same but everything else is different."
"I like that," he said, nodding a lot. "I really like that, Summer. That means in my next life I won't be stuck with this face. (3.Warning, This Kid is Rated R.35-36)
Auggie loves the idea of getting to have another go-around with a different mug. He's happy with his soul. But oh, to be free of the burden of his face….
But would he still turn out to be such a kind, perceptive, and brave person?
Quote #6
I mean, I don't want to brag or anything, but I'm actually considered something of a medical wonder, you know."
He smiled.
"That was a joke," he said. "You can laugh."
I smiled and shook my head.
"You're funny, Auggie," I said.
"Yes I am," he said proudly. "I am cool beans." (3.Warning: This Kid is Rated R.47-52)
When Summer asks Auggie honestly and respectfully about his face, he's got the run-down on his condition down pat, with a little tongue-in-cheek swagger in the mix too about how medically exotic he is. Treating the subject with humor helps to reduce its impact on the other aspects of his identity—when he cracks jokes, people think of him as funny and relaxed, not as deformed and anxious.
Quote #7
i'm an awful person" she says through her tears.
you're not an awful person, i say softly.
yes i am! she sobs. it's just been so nice being in a new school where nobody knows about him, you know? nobody's whispering about it behind my back. it's just been so nice, justin. but if he comes to the play, then everyone will talk about it, everyone will know….i don't know why I'm feeling like this…I swear I've never been embarrassed by him before. (5.Bird.24-26)
Via hasn't told her family about the school play because she has been enjoying the reprieve of no one at school knowing about Auggie. Via doesn't want "to be defined in terms of being the sister of a kid with a birth defect"—she wants her own, separate identity. And that's not wrong of her. In fact, it's pretty normal. But she sure does feel guilty about it.
Quote #8
I'm not even sure why, but I started playing this little make-believe game with the girls in the camp. They'd ask me stuff about myself, and I'd make things up: my parents are in Europe, I told them. I live in a huge townhouse on the nicest street in North River Heights. I have a dog named Daisy.
Then one day I blurted out that I had a little brother who was deformed. I have absolutely no idea why I said this: it just seemed like an interesting thing to say. And, of course, the reaction I got from the little girls in the bungalow was dramatic. (7.Camp Lies.4-5)
Miranda, who are you? Not even Miranda knows. Don't like your life? Invent another. No wonder she ends up being such a good actor….
Quote #9
I asked Mom to buy me a new rolling duffel bag because my old one had Star Wars stuff on it, and there was no way I was going to take that to the fifth-grade nature retreat. As much as I love Star Wars, I don't want that to be what I'm known for. Everyone's known for something in middle school. (8.Known For.1)
Creating your image/persona/identity in middle school can be as much about showing the world who you are as it can about concealing and protecting your innermost self. Auggie's always going to have a special place in his heart for Star Wars, but he's comfortable with leaving the obsession behind in order to establish an identity that is based on who he really is, instead of on his favorite movies.
Quote #10
Jack's version of the story was probably the best because he's so funny, but in whatever version of the story, and no matter who was telling it, two things always stayed the same: I got picked on because of my face and Jack defended me, and those guys—Amos, Henry, and Miles—protected me. And now that they'd protected me, I was different to them. It was like I was one of them. (8.The Shift.1)
Auggie's the same person he has always been, but his identity in the eyes of his classmates has changed overnight. Finally. What makes the kids suddenly see Auggie differently? Do you find it a little disappointing that it took so long for this to happen?