August hasn't had hordes of friends over the course of his life, but he's well-liked by the friends he does have, and warmly loved by his family. So he's not lonely, per se, but he is pretty socially isolated. What isolates August?
- His busy surgery schedule and general medical fragility when he was little created the necessity of not being exposed to the germ-o-rama of regular school.
- His appearance.
- The astronaut helmet that he wears for a couple years. Even though he's still on planet earth, he might as well be in outer space.
- Did we mention his appearance?
August likes the idea of going to school and having friends, but not at the cost of being the lightning rod for every stare ever. But the thing is that he doesn't have that many people to interact with otherwise.
Ironically, it is when August is surrounded by kids his own age that he becomes most isolated. Kids are so freaked out by his face that they cannot bring themselves to overlook it. They pack up together, formalizing their aversion with a "game" in which anybody that touches August risks The Plague.
But even though Auggie is socially isolated at school, he's wholly loved and supported at home—unlike Justin and Miranda, who both describe painful emotional isolation within their families. In Wonder, isolation doesn't always lurk where you expect it to.
Questions About Isolation
- Are there ways in which August tries to preserve his isolation? Why would he do that?
- Why do the fifth grade kids go out of their way to avoid any contact, even accidental, with Auggie?
- Which do you think is more difficult: being socially isolated like Auggie is, or being emotionally isolated from people in your family like Miranda and Justin are?
- Is Auggie more isolated before he starts school, or once he's actually part of a community?
Chew on This
To protect himself from rejection, August has developed a lot of coping strategies that protect him, but also contribute to his isolation.
Misunderstanding is the root of isolation in Wonder.