Discussion Topic

Auggie's Astronaut Helmet: Origin and Disposal

Summary:

In R.J. Palacio's novel, Auggie's astronaut helmet, a gift from Miranda, symbolizes his struggle with self-consciousness due to his facial deformities. Miranda, once close to Auggie's family, gave it to him as a gesture of love. Auggie wore it for a year to hide his face, but after growing more confident at Beecher Prep, he no longer needed it. His father later admitted to discarding the helmet because he missed seeing Auggie's face and wanted him to embrace his identity.

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Who gave Auggie his astronaut helmet?

August's astronaut helmet was given to him by Miranda long before the start of the story told in R. J. Palacio's novel. The gift had been given as a gesture of love in response to Auggie's natural self-consciousness about the way he looked. It became a symbol of his hiding from the world, and after he had started attending Beecher Prep and become more confident in who he was, August realizes that he can get by just fine without the helmet. It is partly due to the gift of this helmet that August feels so close to Miranda, and is saddened that he gets to see her less these days.

Miranda is a complicated character in the story. She used to be August's sister, Via's, best friend, but things had gotten complicated when the girls started high school, which resulted in August seeing much less of Miranda. Although...

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Miranda has withdrawn from her friendship with Via in her typical teenage quest to figure out who she is and find her space within the high school pecking order, she is still portrayed as a character with a good heart. It is only later in the story that the reader really gets to know Miranda, and it is heartwarming to see at the end of the book that she returns to the Pullman family fold.

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Why did Auggie's dad throw out his astronaut helmet?

August Pullman is the protagonist of the story and was born with severe birth defects that significantly disfigured his face. August is extremely self-conscience about his severely deformed face and aware that random strangers are often startled by his unsettling appearance. When August was a child, Via's former best friend Miranda gave him an astronaut helmet as a gift. August was thankful for the gift and wore the helmet every day for an entire year when he was six years old. The astronaut helmet disguised August's appearance, and he felt liberated with it on. Whenever August would wear the helmet, the other children would play with him, and he could enjoy being around people without feeling embarrassed or ashamed.
When August turned seven, he underwent serious eye surgery and could not find his helmet when he returned home from the hospital. August's mother frantically searched throughout the house but could not find it and he eventually got used to not wearing the helmet. Towards the end of the story, August undergoes a significant transformation during his first year at Beecher Prep, and his parents are extremely proud of his courage and maturation.

After August's graduation ceremony, his father admits that he hated his old astronaut helmet and says that he threw it away. August is shocked by his father's confession and asks him why he got rid of the helmet. August's father responds by telling August that he missed seeing his face. He also tells August that it broke his heart whenever he would cover his face and wanted August to feel comfortable in his own skin.

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