Dear Mr. Henshaw Isolation Quotes

This is another one of those strong, blunt statements that lets us know that Cleary isn't about to sugarcoat anything. It's the loneliness in the mornings that propels Leigh to leave early. And being early to school results in a close relationship with Mr. Fridley, which turns out to be a very important thing for Leigh. That's a careful piece of plot construction by Beverly Cleary. Everything's in there for a reason.

It's interesting how close Leigh feels to Mr. Henshaw when they've never met face to face. The letter-writing connects Leigh to someone besides Mom. You can see that Leigh uses writing to deal with his loneliness. It fills up the time and lets him think about things and communicate with his role model.

One of the downsides to moving and starting a new school is not knowing anyone, especially for someone who's reserved like Leigh. When someone actually sees him and pays attention, it feels really good. If you've ever been that new kid, you know how much difference it can make if even one person shows some interest in you. Be that person, Shmoopers.