91 pages • 3 hours read
R. J. PalacioWonder
Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 2012A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.
Themes
Wonder
“Wonder” is both the title of the novel and a significant theme for many of its characters, especially Auggie and Summer. At the novel’s end, Auggie’s mom thanks him for being “a wonder” to the family. For Auggie’s parents, his journey from fear to courage demonstrates remarkable growth. Throughout his trials, Auggie maintains a sense of composure and wonder. In fact, Summer and Auggie get along so well because she, too, views the world with awe. In Auggie’s words, “When Summer talks, especially when she’s excited about something, her eyes squint like she’s looking right at the sun” (68). Moreover, both Summer and Auggie love to dress up for Halloween and play games; they hold on to their playful curiosity long after most of the kids in their grade have left such games behind. Summer also marvels at how seemingly lighthearted Auggie is about his circumstance. A childlike sense of mirth brings the two characters together. When Summer is around Auggie, she says, “I laughed again. He was such a good sport about himself. That’s one of the things I like the most about Auggie” (129). Most kids in Auggie’s shoes might sulk, manifest self-loathing, or act out their anger. On the contrary, Auggie considers himself normal and approaches life with an openness that allows him to remain positive even in tough times.
Bullying
Bullying is a prevalent issue in the narrative and an especially relevant theme given the prevalence of bullying in US schools today. Auggie is used to people staring at him in shock, confusion, or horror. He even knows that people call him names like “Orc” or “Wookie” behind his back. Auggie admits, “I know how to pretend I don’t see the faces people make” (3). In reality, however, he wishes people would just see him for who he is inside. Rather than stand out, he would like to blend in: “If I found a magic lamp and I could have one wish, I would wish that I had a normal face that no one ever noticed at all” (3).
While Auggie initially makes friends at school, he also faces isolation. One by one, the other students choose either kindness or ostracism in their responses to Auggie. Many are swayed by groupthink at first; however, as they begin to stand up to the central, loudest bullying voice (Julian’s), the students find courage and connection in being true to themselves and kind to Auggie. His fellow students finally see beyond his face to the person inside.
Auggie’s experience demonstrates how being different can make one a target for ridicule. By contrast, Miranda’s character shows that standing out can also make a person a target for admiration.
Kindness
Kindness is a theme woven throughout the pages of Wonder. Auggie’s English teacher, Mr. Browne, gives students monthly precepts to write down and discuss. His very first precept, delivered on Auggie’s first day of school—“When Given the Choice Between Being Right Or Being Kind, Choose Kind” (48)—lays the groundwork for the class. The lesson is not only to treat Auggie kindly but to treat each other with kindness as well. As Mr. Browne says, “Basically, a precept is anything that helps guide us when making decisions about really important things” (46). It’s important, then, to choose kindness over fear or rudeness—as visible shock and unease are typical initial responses to Auggie’s face.
Kindness is also at the heart of Mr. Tushman’s graduation speech, and the reason he awards Auggie the Henry Beecher medal. To Mr. Tushman, Auggie embodies kindness because of his positive outlook on life despite adversity. Auggie’s courage inspires his fellow classmates to choose kindness and to support him after seventh graders assault him. Jack Will demonstrates kindness when he decides to be Auggie’s friend despite his initial reluctance; he sees Auggie for who he is and not what he looks like, and Jack Will stands up for Auggie on several occasions. Summer, too, exercises kindness by sitting next to Auggie at lunch when no one else will. Miranda is kind when she gives up her role as Emily Webb in the school play so that her ex-best friend Via can shine in the role. Kindness and courage are inexorably linked, just as fear and isolation are.
Growing Up
Auggie isn’t just passively growing up, he wants to grow up and makes deliberate choices to leave childhood behind. For example, he tones down his love of Star Wars; in his eyes, having Star Wars posters and sleeping bags is childish, so he gets rid of these things. He also learns to accept difficult circumstances with grace. His mother notes this change when he’s packing for his trip to the nature retreat: “I can’t believe how much you’ve grown up this year, Auggie” (254). Though he thinks perhaps that he’s gotten taller, she admits, “I’m not really even talking about your height” (254).
At the beginning of the novel, Auggie is a sheltered child who hasn’t had a chance to grow socially or emotionally like other children. Attending school at Beecher Prep is his first step toward growing up, and he faces being away from home without family for the first time. He is forced to navigate new relationships and a new sense of identity among his peers. Auggie’s growth as a character is underscored when he receives an award at the end of the narrative for courage and resilience.
The theme of growing up also affects other characters, including Via and Jack Will. When Via moves on to high school, she wants to be known as “Olivia.” She associates her nickname with her younger self, a self inherently tied to identity through Auggie. She too seeks to deliberately break with her past, to gain independence, and assert a new identity. Jack Will also grows, as he befriends Auggie and sees him not as “deformed,” which he’d previously called him, but as a kind and funny friend. In fact, for the kids at Beecher Prep, choosing to befriend Auggie and treat him with kindness is a signal that they have grown up.
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