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Jack: Private School
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Wonder, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
The Difficulty of Kindness
Independence and Growing Up
Status and Bullying
Identity
Parenting and Guidance
Summary
Analysis
Jack admits that he's not a great student. School isn't his favorite, and he especially hates science. When Jack and August were friends, Jack was doing okay because August let Jack copy his notes. Now, Jack is struggling. One day in science class, Jack is struggling as usual, but is especially taken aback when his teacher starts talking about the science fair. Jack's mind wanders and as it does, he suddenly realizes what Summer meant by "Bleeding Scream"—it was August in the costume that day. August heard him talking to Julian. Jack admits he never would've said anything in front of August, and now he feels ready to vomit.
Jack's realization recalls Mr. Browne's precept that one's words are their monuments, as he now realizes that his words weren't just words—they have a concrete effect on other people. This begins to show Jack that it's not enough to just be kind to someone's face; he must also be kind to people when they're not around. In this way, Jack continues his realization that he cannot rely on others to be kind; he has to do the work himself.
Themes
