The Wednesday Wars: The Hidden Doors In The Wars

Saivishnu Tulugu

2/17

Mrs.Wallace, 1

The Hidden Doors in the Wars

Everyone needs to know how to solve problems and progress through them. In The Wednesday Wars, a realistic fiction book that takes place in the 60’s by Gary Schmidt, is in a time when America is in 2 big conflicts, The Vietnam War and the Cold War. The protagonist, Holling Hoodhood, faces problems getting along with his teacher. Others are mourning their relatives , soldiers, who died serving the country and taking care of themselves and their family. Everyone hopes the wars will be over soon. However, the protagonist is caught up in his local problems and is negligent throughout the story. Schmidt uses his special craft and uses techniques including tone, symbolism. and descriptive

The author uses many symbols in this novel to bring a strong feel and deep meaning to the novel. For example, when the ceiling falls in Holling’s house he states, “ But I didn’t have to flush my carnation down the toilet, because right then a series of low chords sounded from the piano in the Perfect Living Room below us, followed by a roar and crash as the entire newly plastered ceiling fell, smashing down the top of the baby grand piano, ripping the plastic cushion seats, flattening the fake tropical flowers, tearing the gleaming mirror from the wall, and spreading its glittering shards onto the floor, where they mixed with the dank, wet plaster that immediately began to settle onto the carpet to stain it forever. All four of us stood in the hall, the sickly smell of mold in our nostrils.” (131). The ceiling in the perfect house represents exposure. As all the nasty defects are happening over time, Holling is able to find the true nature of his father. It causes his father to show everyone his true nature of being malicious and not being an honest architect. Though a bit late, it exposes the false context of what the readers predict as Holling’s father and introduces his real characteristics/personality. Inferences can be made that he was in the business for money and not quality. Furthermore, after the event, Holling’s dad threatens to fire half of his office if the defect wasn’t fixed quickly. Additionally, the collapse of