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Wonder By R. J Palacio Character Analysis

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In the novel Wonder by R.J Palacio, a number of symbols help to show Auggie's journey as he goes through the struggles of school. The different symbols and how they represent Auggie's journey are referred to throughout the novel. Auggie's masks, his Padawan braid and the universe are all used to symbolise his journey. Along the story line, Auggie wears a range of different masks. Auggie wears masks so that he can hide his face from people. Masks mean a lot to Auggie and help with his confidence"Halloween is the best holiday in the world. I get to wear a mask. I get to go around like every other kid with a mask and nobody thinks I look weird. Nobody takes a second look. Nobody notices me." Wearing masks shows the reader that Auggie wants to hide. Another example of a mask Auggie wore was his astronaut helmet. "When I was little, I used to wear an astronaut helmet everywhere we went. To the Playground. To the supermarket." Auggie remembers that he felt better when he wore the helmet. In another section in the book he says:. "Where I usually walked with my head down, trying to avoid being seen, today I walked with my head up, looking around. I wanted to be seen." This shows how much he struggles with his identity. …show more content…

After the first day of school Auggie cuts it off. Auggie's family all have mixed reactions to his choice as it took years to grow. The tight Padawan braid symbolises how close he was with his family and how he much he loved them. When Auggie cuts it off after school, it is as if he is cutting free from his family who have home schooled him all his life. Auggie cutting the braid off symbolises starting over again, which he did when he went to school for the first time. Auggie cut the braid off in the first place because of the other students at school. This shows how much Auggie wanted to fit in although he knew he never really

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