Dear Mr. Henshaw Identity Quotes

How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)

Quote #1

I am just a plain boy. […] I am sort of medium. […] I guess you could call me the mediumest boy in the class. (10.3-4)

Leigh starts out being a boy who doesn't stand out, even in his own mind, as the best or worst at anything. He describes himself as not anything special, not the smartest but not "stupid." It's important that the reader know this at the beginning because the story is about growing up and developing an identity. In the end, Leigh realizes he's got some special qualities after all.

Quote #2

Mom says maybe I'm a loner, but I don't know. […] Maybe I'm just a boy nobody pays much attention to. (15.3)

Who am I? It's a big question in most kids' minds. Leigh is not sure whether he is or isn't a loner by nature, but he's fairly confident that he's invisible. He doesn't know why.

Quote #3

I wish someday Dad and Bandit would pull up in front in the rig. […] Then I'd climb in. […] I guess I wouldn't seem so medium then, sitting up there in the cab in front of a forty-foot reefer. (16.6)

Leigh desperately wants to feel better about himself. As a "medium" kid, he feels overlooked and alone. If the kids at school saw him riding high with Dad, he might stand out a little, maybe even find a friend.