Wonder

Don’t judge a book by it’s cover

‘’It’s like people you see sometimes, and you can’t imagine what it would be like to be that person, whether it’s somebody in a wheelchair or somebody who can’t talk. Only, I know that I’m that person to other people, maybe to every single person in that whole auditorium’’(Palacio,2012,p. 212)

Judging someone by how they look? Most of us do it but after reading Wonder you will hopefully think twice next time. The main message of the book is ‘don’t judge a book by its cover’. That this is more complicated in real life, did the author found out herself, when she ran into a little girl with severe cranial facial difference. Her son, who was with her, started to cry when seeing the girl and out of panic she took him and quickly walked away. She later got so mad with herself about the way she reacted, that she could only think about the little girl and how she must have felt. After that Palacio decided to write a book about what it must be like to face a world every day that doesn’t know how to face you back to hopefully inspire other parents and children in the same situation (Dooley, Joseph & Valiente, 2017).

” But I’m kind of used to how I look by now. I know how to pretend I don’t see the faces people make. We’ve all gotten pretty good at that sort of thing: me, Mom and Dad, Via” (Palacio, 2012, p.10)

In class we discussed the theme of the week, first love, but we found that in this book it is more about friendship and the evolvement of that instead of first love. There is definitely a lot of love present in the book, but it is the love between family and friends. The central characters of the book, Auggie, Via, Summer & Jack, tend to run together into a composite adolescent self- image: the sensitive, misunderstood out sider, no longer a child and not yet an adult. That seems to be the most successful formula for securing the reader’s identification (Appleyard, 1991).

The thing I liked the most about the book is the writing style. The author has chosen to write from different perspectives which gives you various omniscient point of views. They always say there are two sides to every story in this case there are more than two. By reading different point of views it gives the story another meaning. Which according to Appleyard(1991)’’represents a higher level of abstraction, because a statement of meaning requires a generalisation about the significance of the story taken as a whole’’(p.16). For example when reading from the perspective from Auggie who mostly sees the bad in people and then reading from the perspective from Jack who struggles to being a good friend. By getting to know the characters better and by seeing the story from a different point of view, it helps you the understand why they do certain things. According to Appleyard (1991) ‘’The more common expression of involvement is not so explicitly a matter of emotion, but rather of identification with the characters and the 7 situations they are in’’(pp.7-8).

The main event in the book, and why I think it is very suitable for young adolescents age 12-18 (Erikson,1970), is going to a new school. Young adolescents can identify with the story as they just like Auggie started a new school with all new people. What is most important when just starting a new school is to fit in as said by Appleyard(1991) ‘’tragedy tends to oppose the isolated individual to the social structure, and one of our deepest fears that tragedy plays on is the terror of being excluded from the group and therefore being pathetic’’(p14). For Auggie it is even worse because it is his first time going to school ever. He is so afraid he won’t fit in with the others as he looks different than anyone else. As stated by Appleyard (1991) ‘’One does not have to read many successful adolescent novels to discover that the fantasy of being unique is inseparable from the fear of being different’’(p.11).

” Next week I start fifth grade. Since I’ve never been to a real school before, I am pretty much totally and competly petrified” (Palacio, 2012, p.11)

Auggie created his own identity in his safe environment at home but now he must search for a new one. As described by Erikson (1970) ‘’teens need to develop a sense of self and personal identity’’. Success leads to an ability to stay true to yourself, while failure leads to role confusion and a weak sense of self’’. This is shown by Auggie, when going to school and making friends with Jack and Summer he feels like he is really living for the first time and he is actually happy. But then when he hears Jack talking behind his back about him, he feels so bad and if he is not worth having friends. As the year progresses, also the friendship between Jack, Summer and Auggie develops. And finally going to school is the best decision Auggie had made.

“Thank you for making me go to school,” I said quietly’’ (Palacio,2012,p.213)

It is a perfect book to read with young adolescents, it will make them think more about other children who might not fit in, or help does who have troubling fitting in. Thinking as stated by Appleyard (1991) ‘’reflect about the characters, their motives and feelings, and how these do or do not resemble his or her own motives and feelings’’(p.16). It will hopefully help them to understand that it is all about the inside, how you treat someone else. Your behaviour is more important than the way you look. And I think that is the most important message a young adult can learn.

” ‘He is the greatest,’ ” he finally continued, ” ‘whose strength carries up the most hearts by the attraction of his own.’ Without further ado, this year I am very proud to award the Henry Ward Beecher medal to the student whose quiet strength has carried up the most hearts. “So will August Pullman please come up here to receive this award?” (Palacio,2012,p. 211)

Bibliography

Appleyard, J.A. (1991). Becoming a Reader: The reader as thinker. Cambridge. Cambridge University Press

Dooley, S., Joseph, J., Valiente, A. (2017) ‘Wonder’ author on her inspiration for the book and meeting an ‘Auggie Pullman come to life. Retrieved April 10, 2020, from
https://abcnews.go.com/US/author-inspiration-book-meeting-auggie-pullman-life/story?id=51202406

Erikson, E.H. (1970) Reflections on the dissent of contemporary youth. International Journal of Psychoanalysis, 51, 11-22

Image 1 – [Untitled image Don’t judge boy by his face]. Devianart. Retrieved April 10, 2020, from
https://www.deviantart.com/xxskyhd/art/Don-t-judge-a-boy-by-his-face-372087077

Palacio, R.J. (2012) Wonder. London: Penguin Random House UK.