Wonder By R. J. Palacio: Summary

The character August Pullman from Wonder by R.J. Palacio, has a facial birth defect which is "mandibulofacial dysostosis" and his identity drives the plot of the story.
In the beginning of the story, due to the numerous surgeries, August had been homeschooled by his mother. His mindset was introverted that he had been hated, despised, and scared by people who walked by him. “” ()But his parents decided to enroll him in Beecher Prep, a private school, for the start of middle school in fall.
With facial defects, on the first day of school, when he reached his homeroom, his classmates started sitting at different desks. (p. 37) The only people who sat next to him was Jack Will, his new buddy who was introduced by Mr. Tushman, the principal of

Beecher Prep. August made friends, Jack, and Summer. Summer is a girl who sat next to him during lunch time.
The classmates often organized to drive August away from the school because of his facial defects. “Tristan didn’t even care about the spilled powder on the floor or that he ruined the experiment…That’s when I knew for sure that there was this thing about touching me at Beecher Prep. (p. 72) August, therefore, had adopted a smaller group and preferred to become friend with few people. August was proud of his skill in Science and liked to chat with Jack and Summer, however, and these were the only way for him to be positive.
August seems exciting about Halloween that he could hide his face under the mask, however, his world began to fall apart when Jack, his best friend, said “and I really think…if I looked like him, seriously, I think that I’d kill myself.” (p.77) August’s attitude toward Jack is one of anger and shock.

“I was sweating under my costume. And I started crying. I couldn’t keep it from happening.”(p.77-p.78) August thought Jack his best friend, but Jack didn’t. August told him he is going to wear Boba Fett costume but for some reason, he wore Bleeding Scream costume so that Jack didn’t notice if August in Bleeding Scream

costume.
August’s attitude toward these people is one of anger and shock.

“Rat boy. Freak. Monster. Freddy Krueger. E.T Gross-out. Lizard face. Mutant. I know the names they call me.” (p.79) “I got out of going to school the next day, too, which was Friday. So I had the whole weekend to think about everything. I was pretty sure I would never go back to school again.” (p.80) August was shocked and he stayed at home and didn’t tell anybody about everything which happened at school, however, he told Via, his older sister. Shortly after, Jack noticed that something was different to August and then he realized why. Jack apologized August about what he had said and they become a friend again.
Throughout the rest of the school year, Julian, one of August’s classmate, bullied him by putting the letter with mean notes in August and Jack’s locker; they write back in defense. However, things begin to change during a class overnight Nature Reserve camping trip when August and Jack are attacked by seventh-grade students from another school who insult August. But then, the person who were on Julian’s side become either neutral or August’s side and several other classmates come to his defense and befriend him. He becomes braver and feels happy about his friends fighting for

him.
In the end, August was able to make new friends and accept himself for who he is. August’s belief has developed through the story that he now believes, not all the people will dislike and judge by how he looks. “All I knew for sure is that we were all laughing and squeezing in tight against each other, and no one seemed to care if it was my face that was next to theirs or not. In fact, and I don’t mean to brag here, but it kind of felt like everyone wanted to get close to me.” (p.308)