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Meryl Lee Kowalski
Danny Hupfer is one of Holling's classmates and friends. He's excitable and prone to exaggeration: he's one of the most ardent believers that Mr. Guareschi wants to be a dictator of a small country. At the beginning of the school year, Danny is one of the students who bullies Holling into buying the class cream puffs, and he makes a number of death threats towards Holling if he doesn't comply. However, Danny does turn out to be a good, loyal friend. When Danny witnesses Mickey Mantle refuse to sign Holling's baseball because of Holling’s tights from the play, Danny gives Mantle back his freshly signed ball and leaves the room with Holling. Danny and his parents also drive Holling around town when Holling's parents won't on a fairly regular basis. Both Holling and Danny are on the cross-country team (though on the Varsity and Junior Varsity teams, respectively), and Danny and his family cheer loudly for Holling at his races. Danny has a crush on Mai Thi, and he takes her to an expensive restaurant for Valentine's Day. Near the end of the school year, as Danny prepares for his bar mitzvah, Holling, Mai Thi, and Meryl Lee listen to him recite his Hebrew readings to help him prepare. As Holling watches Danny speak at his bar mitzvah, he feels as though he's watching Danny truly become a man.
Danny Hupfer Quotes in The Wednesday Wars
The The Wednesday Wars quotes below are all either spoken by Danny Hupfer or refer to Danny Hupfer. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
December
Quotes
I guess it didn't matter to them that the Bing Crosby Christmas Special was on television tonight, the way it mattered to my parents, who would never, ever miss it. I guess the Hupfers thought that a Shakespeare debut was a whole lot more important than hearing "I'm dreaming of a white Christmas" one more time—even though Mr. Hupfer was loosening his tie and holding his hand over a yawn.
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When gods die, they die hard. It's not like they fade away, or grow old, or fall asleep. They die in fire and pain, and when they come out of you, they leave your guts burned. It hurts more than anything you can talk about. And maybe worst of all is, you're not sure if there will ever be another god to fill their place. Or if you'd want another god to fill their place. You don't want fire to go out inside you twice.
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But Doug went on in, and he came back out carrying the cardboard box for Number 166 from the Coat Room. He looked at us, shrugged, and hauled it away down the hall, staggering under its clumsy weight.
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June
Quotes
"You think that's how you become a man, by chanting a few prayers?"
"You think you become a man by getting a job as an architect?"
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Get the entire The Wednesday Wars LitChart as a printable PDF.
Danny Hupfer Quotes in The Wednesday Wars
The The Wednesday Wars quotes below are all either spoken by Danny Hupfer or refer to Danny Hupfer. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
December
Quotes
I guess it didn't matter to them that the Bing Crosby Christmas Special was on television tonight, the way it mattered to my parents, who would never, ever miss it. I guess the Hupfers thought that a Shakespeare debut was a whole lot more important than hearing "I'm dreaming of a white Christmas" one more time—even though Mr. Hupfer was loosening his tie and holding his hand over a yawn.
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
When gods die, they die hard. It's not like they fade away, or grow old, or fall asleep. They die in fire and pain, and when they come out of you, they leave your guts burned. It hurts more than anything you can talk about. And maybe worst of all is, you're not sure if there will ever be another god to fill their place. Or if you'd want another god to fill their place. You don't want fire to go out inside you twice.
Related Characters:
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Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
But Doug went on in, and he came back out carrying the cardboard box for Number 166 from the Coat Room. He looked at us, shrugged, and hauled it away down the hall, staggering under its clumsy weight.
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Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
June
Quotes
"You think that's how you become a man, by chanting a few prayers?"
"You think you become a man by getting a job as an architect?"
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