Wonder Characters Traits: Auggie Pullman and Every Character Analysis

Understanding the Wonder characters will help you deal with the characters in your life.

Learn how to live with real friends, fake friends, teachers, bullies, and those different from you from R.J. Palacio’s book Wonder.

The book Wonder is about a boy named August Pullman, who was born with facial deformities. He has undergone many surgeries to correct the problem but still looks different from other kids.

As he enters fifth grade, his parents decide to send him to public school for the first time.

August is an extraordinary boy with many admirable character traits. This blog post discusses some of these traits and how they are displayed in the book.

We will also analyze how these traits have helped August overcome challenges.

50 Wonder Quotes With Page Numbers

Table of Contents

Wonder Summary (Book by R.J. Palacio)

The book Wonder by R.J. Palacio is a middle-grade novel that explores the themes of self-acceptance, kindness, and going against the grain.

It follows 10-year-old August “Auggie” Pullman, born with facial differences, as he starts attending a real school for the first time. Along the way, he learns to deal with a bully, make friends, and understand himself better.

R.J. Palacio was inspired to write this story due to her experience of being embarrassed by her son’s reaction to seeing a child with a facial difference.

Ultimately, this story sends a powerful message to readers of all ages about the importance of loving yourself and being kind to others.

Wonder Characters Analysis Main Characters

Auggie (August) Pullman

Auggie Pullman is the ten-year-old protagonist of the novel Wonder. He is brave and kind, having faced over twenty surgeries due to his rare facial anomalies.

Auggie loves Xbox, his dog Daisy, and his favorite character, Jango Fett, from Star Wars. He wore a space helmet for two years until he lost it. He wore the helmet to protect himself from the stares of strangers. He loves Halloween, and his birthday is October 10th.

Despite the struggles that come with his condition, Auggie perseveres and finds friends at a new school. His courage, kindness, and resilience are inspiring, and he exemplifies that there is more to someone than meets the eye.

Via (Olivia) Pullman

Olivia Pullman is a fifteen-year-old sister of Auggie Pullman in the novel Wonder by R.J. Palacio. She attends Faulkner High School, where she meets Justin, who becomes one of her closest friends.

Even though she loves Auggie, Via sometimes feels forgotten due to her parents’ attention toward Auggie and his medical needs.

She is a supportive figure for Auggie and is determined to show him that she and her friends accept him.

Ultimately, Via is an important character in Wonder, as she is a caring and loyal companion to Auggie.

Jack Will

Jack Will attends Beecher Prep, where he is one of Auggie’s best friends. Mr. Tushman asks Jack to be one of August’s welcoming buddies at the beginning of the school year.

Although he betrays Auggie behind his back, Jack stands up for August against bullies and values his friendship more than his popularity.

By the novel’s end, Jack expresses romantic interest in their friend Summer, suggesting he has grown up a lot.

Justin

Justin, Via’s boyfriend, is shy, quiet, and wears round glasses. Justin plays the fiddle in a Zydeco band and is an overwhelmingly kind individual.

Justin had a tough family background due to his parent’s divorce when he was four years old, yet he still loves the closeness of the Pullman family. He is also a strong protector of Jack from Julian, Miles, and Henry’s bullying.

Despite his shyness, Justin comes into himself after he’s cast as the lead in their school production of Our Town.

He often ponders why the universe wasn’t kind to Auggie Pullman.

Miranda Navas

Miranda Navas has been friends with Via and Auggie Pullman since first grade. And she loves her little brother-like relationship with Auggie. She calls August her little brother.

Miranda gives Auggie his spaceman helmet and calls him “Major Tom.” from David Bowie’s “Space Oddity.”

Miranda is kind, caring, and compassionate, and she often shows those qualities when it comes to Auggie and Via.

Her parents divorced the summer before high school, causing her to drift away from Via.

Miranda’s precept, “I forgot that I might see so many beautiful things I forgot that I might need to find out what life could bring,” reflects the novel’s themes–finding hope and beauty in life despite the bad.

Summer Dawson

Summer Dawson is a loyal friend to Auggie. She is biracial, and her father has passed away, adding to her struggles.

Summer is kind, as she demonstrated when she willingly sat with Auggie on his first day of school, even though no one else wanted to.

Summer’s precept is, “If you can get through middle school without hurting anyone’s feelings, that’s really cool beans.”

Her positive outlook and determination to be a good friend reflect the core message of the novel of being true to yourself and showing kindness to others.

Julian Albans

Julian Albans is the antagonist of the book Wonder. He is August’s bully and is known for his bad behavior among the student body. He is also responsible for August’s social isolation, constantly bullying him for his differences.

However, Julian’s perspective is revealed in the companion story Auggie & Me, and readers can understand why he acts the way he does.

Julian is an example of how initial judgments can negatively impact relationships and people’s attitudes toward one another.

Charlotte Cody

Charlotte Cody is a student at Beecher Prep. She is close friends with Summer and Ximena and loves theater and dancing.

Charlotte is intelligent and friendly and might have a crush on Jack Will. She also has two sisters and a puppy named Suki, whom her family adopted from an animal shelter.

Christopher Blake

Christopher Angus “Chris” Blake is one of August Pullman’s oldest friends. He is also the son of Angus and Lisa Blake, who live in Bridgeport, Connecticut.

He is a student at Beecher Prep and the protagonist of the companion story Pluto: A Wonder Story, which is told from Chris’ point of view.

Chris is a loyal friend and stands up for August when the other students at school bully him. He is kind compassionate, and loves Star Wars and video games, just like August.

Minor Characters From Wonder

Isabel Pullman

Isabel Pullman is the loving wife of Nate Pullman and a caring mother to their two children, Olivia and August, in R.J. Palacio’s novel Wonder. She was a children’s book illustrator but stopped when she began homeschooling Auggie.

Nate Pullman

Nate Pullman is the husband of Isabel Pullman and the father of August and Olivia in the book Wonder by R.J. Palacio. He is a very rich businessman and head of the school board and is a supportive parent to his children despite their difficulties.

Mr. Tushman

Mr. Tushman is the principal of Beecher Prep in upper Manhattan and is an older man with gray hair. He is kind, understanding, and has a good sense of humor despite being made fun of because his last name has a synonym for butt.

Ella

Ella is a student at Faulkner High School. She is friends with Via Pullman and Miranda Navas and is described as less difficult to talk to than Via from Miranda’s perspective.

Zachary

Zachary is a student in both Wonder and Pluto: A Wonder Story. He was close friends with Alex, Christopher, and August when they were young, though they eventually grew apart.

Alex

Alex is a loyal friend, staying close to Zachary and Christopher even when the other boys drift apart. He also shows a strong bond with his mother, indicating a loving and family-oriented personality.

Mrs. Garcia

Mrs. Garcia is a faculty member at Beecher Prep Middle School in the book Wonder. She is described as a kind and compassionate person dedicated to helping her students succeed.

Mr. Browne

Mr. Browne is a kind and inspirational English teacher, setting a good role model for his students. He challenges their thinking through the monthly precepts and encourages them to be kind and considerate.

Ms. Petosa

Ms. Petosa is a homeroom teacher for August, Jack, Julian, and Charlotte at Beecher Prep. She also teaches math to Summer.

Grans

Grans is a caring and supportive character in Wonder. She was a devoted mother to her daughters, mother-in-law to her sons-in-law, and a dedicated grandmother to her grandchildren Olivia and August.

Grans were especially close to Via and were looking out for her since she lacked parental support. Tragically, she passed away the day before Halloween, making it a difficult holiday for Mom and Via.

Savanna

Savanna is a popular student at Beecher Prep, surrounded by a tight-knit group of friends. She is known as a trendsetter, as she was the first student to have a boyfriend, Henry Joplin, and to host a Halloween party.

Henry

Henry Joplin is a student at Beecher Prep in Wonder who is good friends with Julian Albans, Miles Noury, and Amos Conti and is the boyfriend of Savanna Wittenberg.

He is initially rude to Auggie Pullman, who has come to Beecher Prep and supports Julian’s decision to be mean to Jack and Auggie. However, Amos convinces Henry to help go against the threatening 7th graders, and his personality shifts to become good friends with Jack and Auggie.

Miles

Miles is a hulking boy who begins the school year as one of Julian’s sidekicks and is complicit in bullying August. However, he can change and accept August as a friend after the class camping trip and assists Henry and Amos in rescuing August from seventh-grade bullies.

Amos

Amos is one of the bigger boys in August’s grade, and he initially aligns himself with Julian and bullies August. However, he is also one of the first boys to stand up to Julian actively, and he shows a kind and sensitive side when he comforts Auggie after a difficult situation.

Ellie

Ellie is a friendly and outgoing student who is strong in her friendships with Savanna, Ximena, and Gretchen. In addition, she is in a committed relationship with Amos.

Ximena Chin

Ximena Chin is a student at Beecher Prep and is known to be extremely smart. She has a little brother with Down Syndrome, which helps her be more compassionate toward Auggie. She is dating Miles Noury, although she has a crush on Amos.

Ms. Dawson

Ms. Dawson is a supportive and loving parent, devoted to her daughter Summer. She is also a widow, having lost her husband, Sergeant Dawson.

Jamie Will

Jamie Will is the younger brother of Jack Will and the son of John and Amanda Will. He attends Beecher Prep.

Melissa Albans

Melissa Albans is Richard Albans’s wife and Julian Albans’s mother. She is described as vengeful, whiny, overly sensitive, and selfish but also intelligent and caring.

Mr. Davenport

Mr. Davenport is a teacher at Faulkner High School, the founder of Mr. Davenport’s Drama Club, and the director of Faulkner High School’s performance of “Our Town.” He is described as an inspirational figure that encourages students to follow their dreams and express themselves.

Zack

Zach is a classmate of August Pullman. He is a loyal friend to August and stands by him in his toughest moments.

Eddie

Eddie is a seventh-grade student and one of the main antagonists in R.J. Palacio’s Wonder. He is one of the kids who bully August for his facial differences and tries to intimidate him, even going so far as to rip his sweatshirt and take his hearing aid and headband.

Maya

Maya Markowitz is a student at Beecher Prep. She is friends with many of her classmates, including Summer Dawson and Charlotte Cody, but has a strained relationship with her classmate Ximena until they make up near the novel’s end.

Eleanor

Eleanor is a smart and friendly kid whom Via befriends in her second week of high school. Through Eleanor, Via gains confidence and a strong sense of self, and eventually, the two become close friends.

Veronica

Veronica is a caring and wise babysitter who teaches Jack and Jamie important lessons about empathy. She is patient and understanding, always looking out for their best interests.

20 character traits for Auggie Pullman

Different from other kids
Brave
Strong
Patient
Kind
Inspirational
Nice
Courageous
Intelligent
Caring
Humble
Selfless
Resilient
Confident
Accepting
Empathetic
Perseverant
Courageous
Compassionate
Optimistic

Jack will wonder character traits

Jack Will from Wonder is brave and friendly, willing to take risks to support his friend Auggie. He is admirable for showing kindness and understanding when nobody else wants to associate with Auggie.

He is also friendly and polite, demonstrated when he sits next to Auggie in class and defends him when Julian insults Auggie. Jack is an example of selflessness, as he is determined to be an ally for Auggie throughout the story.

Auggie character traits with evidence

Auggie Pullman is an inspirational, brave, friendly, self-conscious, and smart character. He is different from other kids, as evidenced by his statement, “I know ordinary kids don’t make other kids run away screaming in playgrounds. I know ordinary kids don’t get stared at wherever they go.” (Page 3).

Auggie is patient, saying, “Everyone in the world should get a standing ovation because they all overcometh the world.” (Page 231). He is also kind, as demonstrated by his wish for everyone to have a standing ovation.

Auggie is strong, as seen when he confidently gets through middle school and never backs down. He is also wise, as shown in his correcting Charlotte when she says “supposably” instead of “supposedly.” (Page 63).

Who was Auggie’s best friend in Wonder?

Auggie’s best friend in Wonder was Jack Will, a laid-back fifth grader who saw past Auggie’s looks and was always there for him. Jack encouraged Auggie to stand up for himself and was the one who helped Auggie make friends when he arrived at school.

After a class retreat, Jack stood up for Auggie when some older kids picked on him, further cementing their close friendship.

Why does Julian bully Auggie?

Julian bullies Auggie out of insecurity and a lack of understanding. He bullies him because he fears what Auggie represents and doesn’t understand how someone can look different and be accepted by others.

Julian also bullies Auggie out of jealousy, as Auggie is surrounded by people who love and accept him, something that he does not have.

Who betrayed Auggie?

Jack betrays Auggie by talking to Julian and others about him behind his back. He didn’t recognize Auggie because of his Halloween costume. Despite his betrayal, he remained loyal to Auggie.

Why did Auggie cut his braid off?

Auggie cut his braid off to symbolically shed his old self and present himself more confidently. He wanted to show that he was no longer the shy, introverted boy who had been secluded from his peers.

By cutting off his braid, he embraced a new identity and his newfound courage and determination to face the world.

Who was bullying Auggie?

Julian was the main antagonist who was bullying Auggie, and he consistently said cruel things to him and tried to turn the whole school against Jack when Jack decided to stay Auggie’s friend. Additionally, during a class retreat, some older kids picked on Auggie.

What was Auggie’s disability?

Auggie had a genetic abnormality that caused facial deformities, requiring 27 surgeries to correct. This resulted in a deformed face and head, which made him stand out from the other kids in his school, leading to bullying and hurtful comments.

Sources Cited:

Conclusion

The book Wonder by R. J. Palacio is about a fifth-grade boy, Auggie Pullman, who has a facial deformity and is entering school for the first time.

The book is told from multiple points of view, including Auggie’s, Via’s, Mr. Davenport’s, Ms. Petosa’s, Jamie’s, and various classmates. Each character has unique traits that contribute to the story.