Wonder

Wonder

by

R. J. Palacio

Jack Will Character Analysis

Jack is August’s best friend for much of the novel. He is one of the three kids that Mr. Tushman asks to lead August on a tour of Beecher Prep before the school year starts. Jack initially refuses, though he changes his mind when he observes his younger brother, Jamie, speaking cruelly about August. At the meeting, Jack stands up to Julian when Julian tries to intimidate August, and he also offers August some advice as to how to survive at school. Though Jack initially is only friends with August because Mr. Tushman asked him to be, he soon discovers that August is smart, funny, and very nice. Jack is caught between being popular and being unpopular solely because he's friends with August, which poses a number of problems for him. He participates in a cruel conversation with Julian about August with the hope of impressing Julian, unaware that August is listening in. When August is understandably cold and distant to him after this (though Jack is unaware of why), Jack marvels that he suddenly has what he always wanted—popularity—but he finds that he values his friendship with August far more than he actually wants to be popular. August forgives Jack after Jack punches Julian and gets suspended, which teaches Jack that though kindness and standing up for friends are always the right choices, they're not always easy. Jack is a good and admirable friend to August for the remainder of the novel and stands up for him against both bullies at Beecher Prep and the seventh-grade bullies at the class nature retreat. At their graduation ceremony, Jack expresses romantic interest in their friend Summer, suggesting that he's truly entering puberty by the end of the novel.

Jack Will Quotes in Wonder

The Wonder quotes below are all either spoken by Jack Will or refer to Jack Will. 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:
The Difficulty of Kindness Theme Icon
).
August: Jack Will, Julian, and Charlotte Quotes

What's cool about really little kids is that they don't say stuff to try to hurt your feelings, even though sometimes they do say stuff that hurts your feelings. But they don't actually know what they're saying. Big kids, though: they know what they're saying.

Related Characters: August Pullman (speaker), Jack Will, Julian Albans, Charlotte
Page Number: 20
Explanation and Analysis:
August: Wake Me Up When September Ends Quotes

Hey, the truth is, if a Wookiee started going to the school all of a sudden, I'd be curious, I'd probably stare a bit! And if I was walking with Jack or Summer, I'd probably whisper to them: Hey, there's the Wookiee. And if the Wookiee caught me saying that, he'd know I wasn't trying to be mean.

Related Characters: August Pullman (speaker), Jack Will, Summer
Page Number: 62
Explanation and Analysis:
Via: Time to Think Quotes

"Okay, that's fair," I said. "But it's not a contest about whose days suck the most, Auggie. The point is we all have to put up with the bad days. Now, unless you want to be treated like a baby the rest of your life, or like a kid with special needs, you just have to suck it up and go."

Related Characters: Via Pullman  (speaker), August Pullman, Jack Will
Page Number: 115
Explanation and Analysis:
Jack: Carvel Quotes

"Jack, sometimes you don't have to mean to hurt someone to hurt someone. You understand?"

Related Characters: Veronica (speaker), August Pullman, Jack Will, Jamie
Page Number: 137
Explanation and Analysis:
Jack: Ex-Friends Quotes

And the truth is, though nobody's that obvious about it: nobody wants to hang out with him. Everyone's way too hung up on being in the popular group, and he's just as far from the popular group as you can get. But now I can hang out with anyone I want. If I wanted to be in the popular group, I could totally be in the popular group.

Related Characters: Jack Will (speaker), August Pullman, Julian Albans
Related Symbols: The Plague
Page Number: 145
Explanation and Analysis:
Jack: The War Quotes

Before she went out, she looked left and right outside the door to make sure no one saw her leaving. I guess even though she was neutral, she didn't want to be seen with me.

Related Characters: Jack Will (speaker), August Pullman, Julian Albans, Charlotte
Related Symbols: The Plague
Page Number: 173
Explanation and Analysis:
Justin: The Bus Stop Quotes

he seems too small to be walking around by himself, somehow. then i think how i was that young when i was taking the subway by myself. way too young. i'm going to be an overprotective dad someday, i know it. my kids are going to know i care.

Related Characters: Justin (speaker), Jack Will
Page Number: 197
Explanation and Analysis:
August: A Simple Thing Quotes

"Kinder than is necessary," he repeated. "What a marvelous line, isn't it? Kinder than is necessary. Because it's not enough to be kind. One should be kinder than needed. Why I love that line, that concept, is that it reminds me that we carry with us, as human beings, not just the capacity to be kind, but the very choice of kindness."

Related Characters: Mr. Tushman (speaker), August Pullman, Jack Will
Page Number: 300
Explanation and Analysis:
August: Home (2) Quotes

"There are always going to be jerks in the world, Auggie," she said, looking at me. "But I really believe, and Daddy really believes, that there are more good people on this earth than bad people, and the good people watch out for each other and take care of each other. Just like Jack was there for you. And Amos. And those other kids."

Related Characters: Mom (speaker), Dad, Jack Will, Amos, Eddie
Page Number: 279
Explanation and Analysis:
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Jack Will Quotes in Wonder

The Wonder quotes below are all either spoken by Jack Will or refer to Jack Will. 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:
The Difficulty of Kindness Theme Icon
).
August: Jack Will, Julian, and Charlotte Quotes

What's cool about really little kids is that they don't say stuff to try to hurt your feelings, even though sometimes they do say stuff that hurts your feelings. But they don't actually know what they're saying. Big kids, though: they know what they're saying.

Related Characters: August Pullman (speaker), Jack Will, Julian Albans, Charlotte
Page Number: 20
Explanation and Analysis:
August: Wake Me Up When September Ends Quotes

Hey, the truth is, if a Wookiee started going to the school all of a sudden, I'd be curious, I'd probably stare a bit! And if I was walking with Jack or Summer, I'd probably whisper to them: Hey, there's the Wookiee. And if the Wookiee caught me saying that, he'd know I wasn't trying to be mean.

Related Characters: August Pullman (speaker), Jack Will, Summer
Page Number: 62
Explanation and Analysis:
Via: Time to Think Quotes

"Okay, that's fair," I said. "But it's not a contest about whose days suck the most, Auggie. The point is we all have to put up with the bad days. Now, unless you want to be treated like a baby the rest of your life, or like a kid with special needs, you just have to suck it up and go."

Related Characters: Via Pullman  (speaker), August Pullman, Jack Will
Page Number: 115
Explanation and Analysis:
Jack: Carvel Quotes

"Jack, sometimes you don't have to mean to hurt someone to hurt someone. You understand?"

Related Characters: Veronica (speaker), August Pullman, Jack Will, Jamie
Page Number: 137
Explanation and Analysis:
Jack: Ex-Friends Quotes

And the truth is, though nobody's that obvious about it: nobody wants to hang out with him. Everyone's way too hung up on being in the popular group, and he's just as far from the popular group as you can get. But now I can hang out with anyone I want. If I wanted to be in the popular group, I could totally be in the popular group.

Related Characters: Jack Will (speaker), August Pullman, Julian Albans
Related Symbols: The Plague
Page Number: 145
Explanation and Analysis:
Jack: The War Quotes

Before she went out, she looked left and right outside the door to make sure no one saw her leaving. I guess even though she was neutral, she didn't want to be seen with me.

Related Characters: Jack Will (speaker), August Pullman, Julian Albans, Charlotte
Related Symbols: The Plague
Page Number: 173
Explanation and Analysis:
Justin: The Bus Stop Quotes

he seems too small to be walking around by himself, somehow. then i think how i was that young when i was taking the subway by myself. way too young. i'm going to be an overprotective dad someday, i know it. my kids are going to know i care.

Related Characters: Justin (speaker), Jack Will
Page Number: 197
Explanation and Analysis:
August: A Simple Thing Quotes

"Kinder than is necessary," he repeated. "What a marvelous line, isn't it? Kinder than is necessary. Because it's not enough to be kind. One should be kinder than needed. Why I love that line, that concept, is that it reminds me that we carry with us, as human beings, not just the capacity to be kind, but the very choice of kindness."

Related Characters: Mr. Tushman (speaker), August Pullman, Jack Will
Page Number: 300
Explanation and Analysis:
August: Home (2) Quotes

"There are always going to be jerks in the world, Auggie," she said, looking at me. "But I really believe, and Daddy really believes, that there are more good people on this earth than bad people, and the good people watch out for each other and take care of each other. Just like Jack was there for you. And Amos. And those other kids."

Related Characters: Mom (speaker), Dad, Jack Will, Amos, Eddie
Page Number: 279
Explanation and Analysis: