Essay - How Do The Characters In The Book Wonder Demonstrate Greatness

How Do The Characters In The Book Wonder Demonstrate Greatness?

By me,

For xxx teacher

What is greatness? How do we demonstrate greatness? The book “Wonder” written by R.J. Palacio is about a deformed boy called August. He goes to school for the first time, tries to fit it, when he is borned to stand out. He is in fifth grade and has a really hard time dealing with bullies. However, with the support of his family and friends, he succeeds in being a good student that everyone likes. And through August, his classmates all learn about greatness. At the beginning of the school year, Summer is the only one who sat with August at lunch, and they become friends; Jack is both a classmate and a good friend of August; Julian is a bully who never rectifies. “Wonder” is a touching book that teaches people about greatness, but what is greatness? In the book, “Greatness, lies not in being strong, but in the right using of strength…” How do the characters in the book demonstrate greatness? The characters demonstrate greatness by being loyal and brave, by being kind and caring and sympathetic, and by being inspiring and lifting up others’ hearts.

Firstly, the characters demonstrated greatness by being kind, caring and sympathetic. August was being a really kind, caring and sympathetic person. During Halloween, at school, when Jack didn’t realize August was listening behind his mask, he badmouthed August, “Actually, what he really looks like is one of those shrunken heads. Have you ever seen those? he looks exactly like that” (77). August heard it, and he was angry with Jack. August ignored Jack for quite a period of time. However, when Jack asked if he could become friends with August again in text, August accepted. Jack asked, “... really really really sorry for wat I said dude, OK? can we b frenz agen?” (166) August replied to Jack, “yes dude we’r frenz agen” (167). He didn’t hesitate or interrogate Jack. It shows that he was a really kind person that forgave people easily, because he understood how it felt to lose a friend. August’s mum was really kind, caring and sympathetic too. She always forgive her family members, August’s friends, and Via’s - August’s elder sister - friends. Once, August lost his temper with Mum when she was asking him about school, because he wasn’t in the mood. August apologized to Mum at night, and Mum said, “Shh… You have nothing to be sorry about…” (60) She forgave him because she understood how difficult August’s day at school was, when people treated him poorly, and that he was unhappy. This shows she was a kind, caring and sympathetic person. Summer is another example. At the beginning of the year, no one was sitting next to August. Summer went to sit with him, because she felt sorry for him - She didn’t do it because she thought he was weak or special with special needs, she didn’t do so because she was asked, but because she was kind, and she felt sorry that no one sitting with him, and they became friends. Once, Charlotte, a good student, asked Summer, “Did Mr. Tushman ask you to be friends with him?” (119) Summer answered, “No. I’m friends with him because I want to be friends with him” (119). This shows that what she did was out of pure kindness and sympathy. She could understand how August felt when he had no friends, and she went to be his friend because she was kind. She is a being really kind, caring and sympathetic. It also shows that she was loyal and brave too because she told the truth. Hence, the characters demonstrated greatness by being kind, caring and sympathetic.

Moreover, the characters demonstrated greatness by being loyal and brave. There was a popular girl called Savanna in school, and Summer was invited to Savanna’s Halloween party. When Summer was in the party, Henry, Savanna’s boyfriend, asked, “So, we want to know why you hang out with the Zombie Kid so much” (Palacio 122). Summer answered, “He’s not a zombie” (122). At the time when Summer had a chance to let go of August and be in the popular group that was spiteful to August, she didn’t. Summer didn’t let go of him, hide the truth, or badmouthed him because she was being a loyal friend both inside and outside. She was also really brave because it was dangerous to not pretend she didn’t like August, but to stand up for August instead. Jack was also a character who was loyal and brave. Although Jack once betrayed August, it was out of anxiousness, because Julian the bully was talking to him. However, he was still a true friend of August. Jack realized afterwards August was listening, he felt guilty and was ashamed of himself. On the same day, Jack was arranged to be partners with August for a Science project. Julian said, “You should tell Ms. Rubin you want to switch partners. I bet she’d let you” (154). Jack became really angry because of the way people were treating August, like August was scary and dangerous. Julian asked Ms. Rubin if they could switch partners and Jack stopped him. Julian said to Jack, “You don’t have to be friends with that freak if you don’t want to, you know…” (154) He went so mad for August he punched Julian right in the mouth. Although hurting others wasn’t what he should do, it showed he was a really loyal friend to August. He didn’t hide the truth, but he showed to others that he liked August, and would always stand up for him. Therefore, the characters demonstrated greatness by being loyal and brave.

Last but not least, the characters demonstrated greatness by being inspiring and lifting up others’ heart. Grands was a character who lifted up one’s heart. Her words lifted up Via’s heart and covered her like a blanket. No one to really took care of Via since August was borned. Everyone’s attention went to August, who was physically deformed and weak. Once, August had a surgery and Via had to stay with Grands. They went to a beach and Grands told Via she loved her more than anyone else in the world. Grands said, “You are my everything” (87). No one was paying attention and Via felt very lonely. At the time, this warmth of Grands’ words covered her like a blanket. That lifted Via up and kept her warm. Daisy, August’s dog, inspired someone too. She inspired August. August always thought that everything in the world is about him. August was not considerate to anything else, not until Daisy died. One day, August and his family were all arguing, about Via being embarrassed of letting her classmates know about August. August went mad because of the way his family treated him, like he was still small and doesn’t understand or know anything. August went into his room. That was when Via told him Daisy had been sick and was in pain and was whimpering. August realized not everything was about him. Before, he didn’t even notice Daisy was getting old and sick. On that day, he went to see Daisy and finally paid attention to her, he said “Bye little girly. I love you” (221). The other morning when he was about to go for nature retreat, he saw Daisy’s ghost when he woke up. August was really nervous about leaving home and being bullied more in nature retreat, but Daisy’s ghost gave him confidence. In the book, he thought, “It didn’t make me sad to see her at all: it just filled me up with nice feelings inside” (256). Daisy did inspired him, changed him, lifted up his heart and gave him confidence. August was a character who inspired a lot of people. One of the people he inspired most is Jack. In the beginning, Jack was a person who discriminate the kind of people like August - people who are deformed and has some physical problems. He then felt sorry for August and became friendly to him. Then, Jack found out that August was a cool dude and he became August’s friend. He said in the book, “At first, I admit it, I was only friendly to him because Mr. Tushman asked me to be especially nice and all that. But now I would choose to hang out with him. He laughs at all my jokes. And I kind of feel like I can tell August anything.” It shows how he changed and realized people like August could be cool and fun. However, he still wasn’t a loyal person before. At halloween, in the classroom, when he didn’t know August was there and said to the popular people, “If I looked like him, seriously, I’d kill myself… Tushman asked me to hang out with him at the beginning of the year…” (77) He still wasn’t a loyal person at that time, but after he recognizes it, he regretted and finally understood how August must have felt. He changed and became a greater and more loyal person. August taught him a lesson and inspired him, a lot - that people with problems can be good too, and that being a loyal friend is important. Thus, the characters demonstrated greatness by being inspiring and lifting up others’ heart.

The characters in the book demonstrate greatness by being loyal and brave. They demonstrate greatness by being kind, caring and sympathetic. They demonstrate greatness by being inspiring and lifting up others’ heart. These are really good ways to demonstrate greatness - not being strong, but using strength the right way. How they demonstrate greatness is also important to us, we can demonstrate greatness like them too, so keep them in mind. However, different people demonstrates greatness in different ways, how do you demonstrate greatness? Do you do it like how the characters in the book do it?

Our Own Short Stories- Goosebumps

The second thing we did in LA is short stories. We read a few stories and are asked to write a few of them. We turned some longer short stories into 55 words. And the big project we did is to write our own short story. I wanted mine to be funny and surprising. I thought the best way to make it like that is to make it seem scary at first.

GOOSEBUMPS

The door creaked open.

With a cool night breeze, a shadow came in from the opening door.

Footsteps were approaching his bed.

He nervously pulled the blanket over his eyes.

The footsteps came closer and closer .

***

He shivered and burst out,

“ Please don’t kiss me! It’s childish and disgusting! I’m nine Mum!” said the boy on the bed.

And the reason I named it goosebumps is because it was a cold night and it was scary and the boy thought it was disgusting. So the title "goosebumps" is really good and it fits.

Where I'm From

We started this year with poems in LA. We studied different poem and wrote one ourselves using the title and based on the poem "Where I'm From" by George Ella Lyon. Here it is.

Where I'm From

By Rex

Looking at the sky, thinking of where I’m from,

the stars and moon are the same,

but I am a world away from home. 

I am from skyscrapers that reach the sky,

racing with the mountains which surround them,

where beneath is crowded streets with thousands and thousands of different customs of people,

where shops, restaurants and offices are all located,

where busy business by days and nights knits a network all over.

I am from beeps and vrooms and pings.

I am from fast speeds,

of twenty-five-minutes lunches,

and tons of statements an hour.

I am from a school among schools,

where schoolmates were like neighbours.

I am from an estate among estates,

where neighbours were like families.

I am from a flat among flats,

where lived a family which never gave up one another.

I am from a flat,

where lived a dreamer,

who worked with his studies till dinner,

and watched television later.

I am from watching television for quarters, 

while wishing Dad would come home earlier,

just like a dog waiting for its owner.

I am from swimming pools and amusement parks,

from weekly family gatherings with arts, crafts and darts,

which in my mind they’re marked.

I am from the clock which annoyed me in class,

from the clock which frightened me during tests,

from the clock which rushed me at weekends,

from the clock which gave me new chances every morning.

Because I am from stories and experiences of time.

This is where I’m from,

I am from my home,

where the stars and moon are the same.

But home seems a world away.

Essay- What Can We Learn From Parvana

This is one of our big/ important essays we wrote at the beginning of the year. "Parvana" was a book, and the girl which is the main character from the story is called Parvana. She and her family are Afghanistan people, and they are fighting for freedom. There are a lot of morals and themes in the book, and we learnt a lot from it. We learnt especially from the girl Parvana, so we wrote an essay about it.

What Can We Learn From Parvana?

By Rex


Everyone has had a tough time, but can you imagine being in a condition where your father is arrested, you cannot even step out of your door or you will be beaten by soldiers, and you have to change your identity to be the bread-winner for your family's living? The book “Parvana” by Deborah Ellis is about an eleven-year old girl called Parvana. In the story, the Taliban have taken control of Afghanistan and their beliefs were that females- except for little girls- could only go out with their husbands, or their husbands’ note explaining why the women could go out. They did not like people receiving any education. Parvana's father was arrested because he had gone to a university in England. Due to the strict rules of the Taliban, Parvana had to cut her hair and change her identity into a boy to earn money and buy and get things home for the family's survival, like her father did. She was successful in solving her family's problems. What can we learn from Parvana? Parvana teaches us to take risks, she teaches us to be brave and face our problems and not to run away from them. She also teaches us not to give up our hopes and dreams but to take action to see them came true.


Firstly, Parvana teaches us to take risks in order to solve our problems. Parvana, as a girl, was not allowed to go out in Afghanistan. However, she overcame her fears of being caught by Taliban soldiers and changed her identity into a boy to be able to go out to earn money and get all the needs, for a better life of her family. After talking about the plan of Parvana to become a boy, Parvana said, “All right, I’ll do it.”(Ellis 68). This showed that Parvana was willing to take risks. It was really dangerous going out disguised as a boy. There was always a possibility of people finding she was a fake. Nevertheless, she overcame her fear and took this big risk for her family. Parvana also wanted to buy trays to sell stuff around the market. She was told that digging up bones could make a lot of money. Though that sounded like a really horrible, disrespectful job, Parvana went there at last to make money to buy trays and did what she wanted. Although it was tough, she earned enough money to buy a tray and succeeded at last. The book said, “Getting left behind did not sound so terrible to Parvana but she obediently fell in behind Shauzia as they ran to catch up with group.” (106). It says that Parvana did not really care about being left behind, but she still went to dig up bones. This shows that there was not other factors that made her go, but she went to dig up bones because she thought that risk might be worth it. She was a risk-taker, we can see Parvana was a risk-taker, and it always turned out good for her, she succeeded and reached her target. We should be a risk-taker like how we learnt from Parvana because it can turn out good.


Moreover, Parvana teaches us we should never give up our hopes and dreams but take action to see them come true. Half a year after her father was arrested, she was called to leave Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, for her elder sister's wedding. She strongly refused because she believed that her father would come back. When she was told she had to go, she exclaimed "We can't leave Kabul! What about Father? What will happen if he gets out of prison and we're not here? He won't know where to look for us!” (138-139). She believed her father would come home. She waited and she refused to leave because her hope that her father was going to come back home. This showed that she was keen that her hope would come true. This proves Parvana never gives up hope. Another time, Parvana brought home a girl who told Parvana Mazar- the place where the rest of Parvana’s family were going- was under the Taliban’s control- it was not before- and the Taliban were killing everyone they saw. Some days afterwards she brought the girl home, when Parvana's father finally came back, Parvana was very excited. She did not worry anymore, she was filled with hope and was looking forward to reuniting her family. Parvana said "I feel like I'm working for something now. I'm working to get my family back” (159-160). Parvana was working for her family, she was working to get her family back. What she hoped after knowing that the rest of her family was in danger, was to have her family back, to help their family, to save them, to reunite them. This shows she was working for it. This shows that she was taking action for her hope and never stopped and never gave up. So remember, Parvana teaches us we should never give up our hopes and dreams but take action for them.


Last but not least, Parvana teaches us to be brave and face our problems and not to run away from them. Once, her family had a plan to turn her into a boy so she could go out and earn money and get the needs home. Parvana could refuse and stay at home all day long expecting the rest of her family to do the job, but she faced the problem. She achieved this challenge and went with that plan. The story said, “They could hold her down and cut off her hair, but for anything more, they needed her cooperation. In the end, it really was her decision" "All right, I'll do it." (68). After hesitating for a while. She said she would go along with the plan. She agreed to accept the challenge herself instead of being forced. This is a really good example of facing a problem and accepting a challenge. There’s another example of Parvana facing her problems bravely. After the first day of digging up bones, her mother asked her where she was. Parvana said, “I was digging up graves.” (116). She told the truth, she faced the problem that she did something bad. She did not hide from it and tell a lie. This is a good example of facing a problem, bravely, instead of hiding and telling lies. Afterwards, her mother got mad and scolded her angrily. Parvana could be ashamed and never dig up bones and stop talking about it again. However, she really wanted to buy a tray and she knew that the family couldn’t make enough money for a good living. She shouted back and fought for herself. "I don't want to quit yet. I want to buy trays, and things to sell from the trays. I can follow the crowd the way, instead of waiting for crowd to come to me. I can make more money” (118). This was how she shouted back at Mother and stood up for herself, and for her family. At last, Parvana got what she wanted. Therefore, this is a good example to face a problem the way you believe it’s right, too. So, be brave and face the problem the way you think is correct. Learn this from Parvana.


Parvana teaches us to take risks. She teaches us to face our problems and not to away from them. She teaches us to never give up our hopes and dreams. These things that Parvana teaches us are very important as they are some basics of our life principles. What we learnt from Parvana can affect our attitudes and even our lives. Therefore, what we learnt from Parvana is enormously important. Therefore, always keep in mind of what parvana teaches us!