Dear Mr. Henshaw Identity Quotes

Generally, the way people act identifies them: a girl who swims all the time and wins medals gets known as a champion swimmer; the boy who drop kicks random lunches down the hall will be identified as a bully or a troublemaker. Mr. Fridley has been at the school a long time and understands kids and human nature. He knows Leigh is smart and capable, so when he sees him starting down the wrong path, he stops him. He doesn't want him to get a reputation as a bad kid.

Leigh goes from zero to hero and figures out he's not so bad after all. The thing is, he doesn't make the jump all at once and the change doesn't happen because he goes searching for it. Instead, he's on a mission to protect his lunch, and in the process of solving one problem (being robbed), he ends up changing how he feels about himself. You can't just think your way into feeling good about yourself. When you succeed at something, understand something, or when when people treat you well—that's what gives you confidence.

This says a lot about Leigh's character. Imagine what it'd be like if he knew—maybe he'd be angry and that would turn to a giant lump of bitterness sitting in the pit of his stomach. Maybe he'd want revenge and it would consume him and he'd be on his way to becoming a super villain. He doesn't want to be that guy. This helps him let go and continue being the nice kid we know he is.