Student Question

What are three similes used to describe Auggie's face in Wonder?

Quick answer:

Three similes used to describe Auggie's face in Wonder are: "The top eyelids are always halfway closed, like he's on the verge of sleeping," "his features look like they've been melted, like the drippings on the side of a candle," and "his head is pinched in on the sides where the ears should be, like someone used giant pliers and crushed the middle part of his face."

Expert Answers

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In the book Wonder R. J. Palacio, you can find more descriptions of Auggie's face in the chapters that are not told in his perspective. It's important to remember that Auggie doesn't necessarily see himself the way others do. He feels like a normal boy and, cognitively, he is no different than anybody else his age. His reaction to himself is merely a reflection of the way others look at him.

It's important to note that the people that look at him differently aren't just his peers at school, but his parents, sister, and educators. That doesn't mean that they looked down on his for his condition, but they definitely let themselves treat him differently than they would any other little boy, despite the fact that his only differences were his face and not his brain or other functions as a human.

Three similes that can be used to describe his face are used in a chapter told by Via:

The top eyelids are always halfway closed, like he's on the verge of sleeping. (88).
Sometimes people assume he's been burned in a fire: his features look like they've been melted, like the drippings on the side of a candle. (88)
His head is pinched in on the sides where the ears should be, like someone used giant pliers and crushed the middle part of his face. (88)

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