The Auggie in All of Us

I always love a good quote, and I most definitely love a good precept. Words have a magical way of inspiring us. They can keep us motivated, they can cheer us up, they can bring hope and encouragement.

When I read Mr. Tushman's speech, in which he presented Auggie the Henry Ward Beecher medal, I was on the verge of tears. Mr. Tushman seemed to sum up all the little morals in the book quite nicely:

" It's what you've done with your time, how you've chosen to spend your days, and whom you have touched this year. That, to me, is the greatest measure of success." Page 299

"If you act just a little kinder than necessary, someone else, somewhere, someday, may recognize in you, in every single one of you, the face of God." Page 301

"He is the greatest, whose strength carries up the most hearts by the attraction of his own." Page 304

How inspiring!! I feel my heart form wings and fly away every time I read these lines! How amazing this world would be if we lived by these very words!! August Pullman isn't a fictional character...he's out there. He's everywhere! He's in you and in me. The silent kid at lunch, or the loud kid down the hall. The little infants and in the elderly. We all have trials that break us down, and cause us to question ourselves. So how would we treat August Pullman if we met him in person? How would we treat our neighbor?

This leads to my personal precept. I hope to one day fulfill it in everything I do:

Love is more than a feeling. It's an action.

We often think of love as only an emotion. However, the best way to show love is through our deeds toward those around us... our deeds toward all those Auggies out there.

So, I will leave you with one more quote from my good friend August Pullman:

 

 

What Auggie Taught Me

Last, consider August. What if the book didn't contain August's own perceptions? Our whole outlook on August would be completely different. So this made me think...how do I react to individuals who seem just a little different? Do I try to see life through their eyes, or do I just pass judgments based solely on what I see? Perception is everything.

Before reading this book, if I would have seen someone like Auggie walking down the street, I probably would have done the "eye thing" that Auggie describes in the book. I would have looked at the child, quickly glanced away, and then looked back and smiled.  But this one glance could be enough to make the child feel unwanted, unloved, and horribly different.

But this book changed that for me! It made me think about my everyday actions, and my dealings with other people. I grew to love August while reading this book. As cheesy as it sounds, he became like a brother and a friend to me. Yet, August isn't all that different from you and me... Thus, we should treat everyone with an open eye and an open heart. We should realize that others have trials, just like we have trials and Via has trials. Others have trials like August, and, yes, they have trials just like Julian.

We all may be different, but we are all very similar.

Just Big Misunderstandings

 

Now here is my secret. It is very simple. It is only with one's heart that one can see clearly. What is essential is invisible to the eye.

Antoine de Saint-Exupery, The Little Prince

 

 

Sometimes I feel like most of the world's problems are created by simple misunderstandings. All too often, we focus so intently on the things we see, that we forget to focus "behind the scenes," or the parts of situations that we don't see.
 
This is one of the main reasons I love Wonder. The book is divided into different perspectives, so we get to see more than one side of a situation. My feelings toward certain characters changed substantially as I read the reasons behind their actions.
 
Consider Via. If I wouldn't have heard Via's perspective of the story, I would probably have a hard time relating to her. Sure, it wasn't right for Via not to tell her parents about her participation in a play. By reading her side of the story, though, I saw that Via had grown up in a life revolving around August and his facial difference. Although she loved August immensely, Via didn't want to be defined by her brother any longer. By reading her perspective, I could easily sympathize with Via. If I would have just read that she intentionally failed to tell her parents about the play, I would have probably looked down upon Via. It would have been a simple misunderstanding.
 
Now, consider Jack. Before I read Jack's perspective, I thought he was just pretending to be August's friend. How could he say such horrible things about August? It was so hard for me to understand his actions. Though Jack may not have been morally right in speaking negatively about August's face, I began to understand Jack a little more when reading his side of the story. Jack actually wants to help August adjust to middle school! And he even learns to like August for his personality. But Jack's family isn't the richest family around, and when Jack hangs out with August, a lot of kids avoid the both of them. Once again, I found a little sympathy for Jack. Nobody wants to be hated. Jack said hurtful things about Auggie because he has the human desire to be respected and loved. It doesn't make his actions right, but we can begin to understand Jack just a little bit more by seeing the story through his eyes.

Perhaps this is why the illustrations contain faces with only one eye. We get to see the story of August Pullman through the eyes of different characters. We get the opportunity to turn our misunderstandings into understandings.

Not So Different

Isn't it amazing how children can teach us so much by simply telling the truth? Many children state their opinions matter-of-factly, and they often find it difficult to hide their feelings. And isn't it funny how their feelings aren't all that different from our own?  Think about it. Kids cry when they lose a friend. They cry when people make fun of them. They even cry when they know people love them. Don't we, as young adults and adults, have similar feelings?

In Wonder, by R. J. Palacio, we meet a boy named August Pullman. He's a kid who laughs and cries. He loves his family and his dog. He's a major Star Wars fan, and he even laughs at jokes. August is a kid who feels the same feelings we do. He's just like every other kid, and he's just like every other human. Yet, just like every other person, August has a trial in life.  He has a noticeable facial difference, which follows him wherever he goes.

When I first started reading Wonder, I couldn't help but remember a quote a friend once told me: "Everyone is either in a crisis, heading out of a crisis, or heading into a crisis." So, we all have problems in life--problems that scare or sadden us--problems that cause despair, grief, and even anger. In this sense, we can all relate to Auggie. However, our problems aren't always noticeable, and most of the time, they don't last forever. But for Auggie, his major trial in life is extremely noticeable, and it is a direct part of his individuality. Isn't it sad how a person's individuality can be considered a trial?

Yet, R.J. Palacio does an excellent job observing this detail, especially through the eyes of middle school students. In elementary school, kids are taught to love and accept everyone, despite differences. However, middle school students are often caught in the "middle" between how they were taught to treat each other, and how the world often treats others labeled as "different." Poor Auggie just happens to be the one kid who is "different."

"...I feel ordinary. Inside. But I know ordinary kids don't make other ordinary kids run away screaming on playgrounds. I know ordinary kids don't get stared at wherever they go." Page 3

Like I said, though, its funny how we can all relate to August. Many of us have been laughed at. Many of us have experienced the horrible lunch room scene, unsure of where to sit. Many of us have been the "new kid." So maybe August is not so different after all. Maybe we all experience the same feelings, but in different ways.