Wonder by R.J. Palacio
On pages 151 and 152, Jack realizes why August has been avoiding him: "I'd been talking to Julian about August. Oh man. Now I understood! I was so mean. I don't even know why. I'm not even sure what I said, but it was bad. It was only a minute or two. It's just that I knew Julian and everybody thought I was so weird for hanging out with August all the time, and I felt stupid. And I don't know why I said that stuff. I just was going along. I was stupid. I am stupid. Oh God. He was supposed to come as Boba Fett! I would never have said that stuff in front of Boba Fett. But that was him, that Bleeding Scream sitting at the desk looking over at us. The long white mask with the fake squirting blood. The mouth open wide. Like the ghoul was crying. That was him." (pg 152)
Does it make it better that Jack wouldn't have said these things in front of August? Why or why not? What is the author asking us to stop and think about here?
ReplyDeleteI think Jack Will is an okay friend because when August first started school, he started being his friend and hanging out with August. But the reason he isn’t the best of friends is because he said to Julian that he didn’t like August. I don’t think Jack really meant it, but real friends don’t talk about their friends behind there backs. Those are my thoughts about Jack and August’s friendship in the book Wonder.
I think that Jack will feel better if he didn't say that stuff in front of August because August is his best friend. The author is making us stop and think to see if Jack was a good friend.
ReplyDeleteDo we have evidence that August is his "best friend?" Or, is he a good friend, or an acquaintance?
DeleteHe is asking us to stop because he wants us to think about what Jack is doing. It does not make it better because if august finds out he will never be friends with Jack and now that August knows he might be friends with Jack.
ReplyDeleteI think Jack Will is not such a good friend because in the beginning of the year he was nice and stuff, but the rest of the year he was mean because of what he said in front of Julian when August wasn’t around.Good friends do not say mean things when there friend is not there or even if they are there.
ReplyDeleteI think jack is a good friend because he made a mistake and he didn’t mean to say it.
ReplyDeleteHe also didn’t know that august was in the room when he said the thing and I think he was afraid that if he gave his true thought to julian he will punch him or august.
I think jack is kind of a popular kid and he wants to stay popular.
Tyler, your response made me stop and think. You stated that Jack "made a mistake." That made me think that, indeed, we do all make mistake. Part of being a good friend and a good person is forgiving the mistakes of other people and helping them make better decisions in the future. So, perhaps August should forgive Jack.
DeleteI think that if Jack Will said those things even if Augest was not there, someone ( specifically Julian) Would tell him.I think this because in the book so far, Julian acts like a bully so I think Julian would probably do something like that.
ReplyDeleteI think R.J Palacio wanted the reader to think what a good friend is and how to be one.
From my perspective I think that it would make it better that if Jack wouldn’t have said these things in front of August, he probably wouldn’t be mad at him because August wouldn’t know that Jack said those things and they would still be like, best friends. But from Jack’s perspective he was just trying to be cool and sometimes be cool isn’t always good, but either way Jack shouldn’t have said those things anyway!
ReplyDeleteI like your blog response, Payton it makes a lot of sence.
Delete- Coleman
It would have been better if Jack would not have said that stuff in front of August because August wouldn't have had his feelings hurt and Jack wouldn't have punched Julian in the mouth or have been expelled from a week of school and Julian would not have lost his tooth
ReplyDeleteI disagree with you, Dylan because just because Jack thought that August didn't hear him does not mean that it was not rude to say that.
Delete- Coleman
“From My perspective of the book Wonder in Jack’s section I’m thinking most everyone is saying: “ Jack is August friend.” I think if Jack was a real friend to August he would of “took the fall.” By“took the fall” I mean he wouldn’t care if he was being teased by hanging out with August. He would have said to Julian : “I hang out with
ReplyDeleteAugust because he is nice and kind” like Summer said to Savannah at recess. To me if Jack was a real friend he wouldn’t have said anything behind August’s back.
How I see it Jack is not the perfect person for August.
R.J Palacio is a professional writer. I believe R.J Palacio did the right thing by putting in the part where Jack talked to Julian about August because by putting in that part it changed the whole meaning of the book.”
I like how you are comparing what Jack said to what Summer said, since they were both in a conversation about August with other popular kids. It shows that they made different choices.
DeleteYes, it does make it better because Jack was just trying to go along with the cool people and he didn't know why he said that, so he now feels really sorry about it and he wishes he could apologize, but he thinks August doesn't want to talk to him.
ReplyDeleteThe author is making us stop and think here because, I believe she wants us to really understand what Jack is thinking and probably want us to see that Jack didn't really mean what he said.
I disagree with you, Madison because how could Jack talking about August behind his back make him a better person??
DeleteI agree with Madison.But I think that when Jack Will said that,he was just trying to fit in.Because if Julian tried,he could turn the entire grade against Jack Will.So Jack Will had to say it to keep his reputation straight.But Jack should not have punched Julian.No matter how bad a person is,no one deserves that.Here I'll quote Ms. Mckone's quote:"If you have a choice between being right and being kind,choose kind."
DeleteNo,it doesn’t make it better,because what he said can’t be excused .But what the author was telling us to think about was if Jack Will was really a true friend.
ReplyDeleteWhy do you believe that it "can't be excused?"
DeleteI suppose it could be excused,but it is a very serious offense.Can you imagine being August and hearing your best friend say: "I've been thinking about it,and I seriously think I would kill myself if I were him." I for one would become his instant enemy,but August took it very calmly...okay,he didn't take it calmly but he stayed on speaking terms with Jack Will.
DeleteWill, I like how you have expanded your thinking, and I also appreciate that you went back and included a quote from the text. You make a good point, that different people might react to a similar incident in very different ways.
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ReplyDeleteI think Jack did not mean what he said about August, but that does and mean that Jack is a good friend to August. I know that Jack was just trying to be cool to Julian, but it is still rude to talk about your friend when you think he can not hear you and I do not think that August and Jack are going to be best friends with each other anymore.
ReplyDeleteYes, because these things are very very hurtful. How would you feel like if you were Jack and August.
ReplyDeleteIt doesn’t make it better that Jack wouldn’t have said these mean things in front of August, because that if he didn’t say them in front of August then he would have probably said them behind his back. The author is asking us to stop and think about this…. Is Jack really August’s friend?
ReplyDeleteBrenna, I agree that the author is asking us to stop and think, "Is Jack really August's friend?"
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