Skip to main content

How is Danny Hupfer's background similar to Mai Thi Huong's background in Gary Schmidt's The Wednesday Wars?

In Gary Schmidt's The Wednesday Wars, the greatest similarity in background Danny Hupfer and Mai Thi Huong share is that they both come from ethnic minority groups that are persecuted. Danny is Jewish, whereas Mai Thi is a Vietnamese refugee. Despite their background of persecution, or perhaps in part because of it, both prove to be very brave characters.

Danny demonstrates bravery by devotedly practicing for and following through with his bar mitzvah. He is terrified of his bar mitzvah because he knows that if he makes a mistake, he'll bring shame to his whole family. Yet, because he knows it is such an important tradition in his heritage and because his friends are encouraging him, he follows through with devotedly practicing. By June, Holling reports that Danny sang at his bar mitzvah brilliantly, as if "God himself [was] leading the music" ("June"). In addition, Danny demonstrates bravery by standing up for Holling when Mickey Mantle insults him, refusing to autograph Holling's baseball because he is still wearing his fairy costume after having performed in The Tempest; Danny stands up for Holling by handing his own signed ball back to Mickey Mantle. Best of all, Danny stands up for Mai Thi by punching and dumping his entire lunch tray on the head of an eighth grader who insults Mai Thi by insisting she eats rats and saying, "Why don't you go back home where you can find some [Rat Surprise]" ("March").

Similarly, Mai Thi demonstrates bravery by trying to assimilate into her new American culture while having to face racial prejudice. Mrs. Bigio is particularly guilty of racial discrimination because she blames the Vietnamese for her husband's recent death, as seen when she says the following to Mai Thi just before the holidays:


You shouldn't even be here, sitting like a queen in a refugee home while American boys are sitting in swamps on Christmas Day. They're the ones who should be here. Not you. ("December")



Yet, in the face of such discrimination, Mai Thi behaves bravely by holding in her tears until she can no longer take it. Mai Thi even demonstrates bravery when the two escaped rats, Sycorax and Caliban, terrorize the classroom. Mai Thi is the only one, aside from Mrs. Sidman, who stands ready to conquer the rats. Yet, her bravery leads to even more discrimination until Danny stands up for her. Soon, even Mrs. Bigio apologizes and invites Mai Thi to live with her.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

What is the meaning of "juggling fiends" in Macbeth?

Macbeth is beginning to realize that the three witches have been deceiving him since he first encountered them. Like jugglers, they have kept changing their forecasts in order create confusion. This is particularly apparent when the Second Apparition they raise in Act IV,   Scene 1 tells him that no man of woman born can overcome him in hand-to-hand battle--and then Macbeth finds himself confronted by the one man he has been avoiding out of a... Macbeth is beginning to realize that the three witches have been deceiving him since he first encountered them. Like jugglers, they have kept changing their forecasts in order create confusion. This is particularly apparent when the Second Apparition they raise in Act IV,   Scene 1 tells him that no man of woman born can overcome him in hand-to-hand battle--and then Macbeth finds himself confronted by the one man he has been avoiding out of a sense of guilt, and that man tells him: Despair thy charm. And let the angel whom thou still hast serve...
Post a Comment
Read more

In Martel's Life of Pi, how does writing a diary help Pi Patel build on his leadership skills?

At the end of chapter 73, Pi first divulges the fact that he had started a diary after about a week alone at sea. Pi claims that he wrote about "practical stuff" (208) such as what he caught for food, foreseeable problems and solutions, Richard Parker, and reflections about specific events that occurred. In a sense, Pi is the captain of his ship; therefore, he must take responsibility for himself and his crew. He can... At the end of chapter 73, Pi first divulges the fact that he had started a diary after about a week alone at sea. Pi claims that he wrote about "practical stuff" (208) such as what he caught for food, foreseeable problems and solutions, Richard Parker, and reflections about specific events that occurred. In a sense, Pi is the captain of his ship; therefore, he must take responsibility for himself and his crew. He can do this by writing down events, problems and solutions, and reflections to look back on when confronted with repeated problems. It can ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Follow the relationship between Pi and Richard Parker. They endure over two hundred days of hardship together, but in the end Richard Parker leaves...

When Pi and Richard Parker are at the beginning of their journey, after Pi's family is killed in the shipwreck, Pi fears Richard Parker, but he is forced to find a way to co-exist with him in order to survive.  Over time the two develop a somewhat co-dependent relationship.  Richard Parker depends on Pi to feed him by catching fish, while Pi's will to live is bolstered by Richard Parker's presence.  Richard Parker recognizes that... When Pi and Richard Parker are at the beginning of their journey, after Pi's family is killed in the shipwreck, Pi fears Richard Parker, but he is forced to find a way to co-exist with him in order to survive.  Over time the two develop a somewhat co-dependent relationship.  Richard Parker depends on Pi to feed him by catching fish, while Pi's will to live is bolstered by Richard Parker's presence.  Richard Parker recognizes that he also needs Pi to survive.  At one point in the book, Pi's starvation and thirst reduce him to a st...
Post a Comment
Read more