Tom is basically always proud of himself and his great brain, so that's a given. What's more surprising is how often J.D. is proud of himself in The Great Brain—and for some really strange things, too, like getting the mumps first and telling all to Mom and Dad. He shares Tom's great ego without having the great brain to go along with it. We've heard it said that pride goeth before a fall, but the kind of pride we're looking at here is relatively harmless. It's pride in the small achievements of childhood and in family members and other things like that.
Questions About Pride
- Why do you think Mamma and Papa are often proud of Tom, even when he's scamming them?
- What achievement is Tom most proud of? How do you know?
- Is pride a force for good or bad in the book? Or is it neutral?
- How do prideful moments affect the course of the story?
Chew on This
Try on an opinion or two, start a debate, or play the devil’s advocate.
Anyone who nicknames himself "the Great Brain" clearly struggles with pride.
Pride is presented as neither good nor bad—it's just part of being human in this book.