Skip to main content

In The Wednesday Wars by Gary Schmidt, what is wrong with Holling Hoodhood's perfect house?

Physically, almost nothing is wrong with Holling Hoodhood's perfect house.  It's right in the middle of town, it has a perfectly manicured lawn, and everything is painted to perfection.  The furniture is neat and orderly as well.  Everything is set to look and feel like a powerful architect is in control of every aspect of his house.  And that's exactly how it is.  Mr. Hoodhood is obsessed with having his house reflect him and his...

Physically, almost nothing is wrong with Holling Hoodhood's perfect house.  It's right in the middle of town, it has a perfectly manicured lawn, and everything is painted to perfection.  The furniture is neat and orderly as well.  Everything is set to look and feel like a powerful architect is in control of every aspect of his house.  And that's exactly how it is.  Mr. Hoodhood is obsessed with having his house reflect him and his business.  The only thing that is physically wrong with the house is mentioned about halfway through the book.  In February, the entire newly plastered ceiling fell down and smashed all of the furniture underneath it.  


Emotionally though, Holling Hoodhood's perfect house is a mess.  It's a mess because it is a house, not a home. People live there, but the family doesn't act supportive or loving to each other.  Mr. Hoodhood doesn't care about Holling unless Holling might be able to help him get another contract.  Heather Hoodhood rebels against just about everything, and Mrs. Hoodhood is nothing more than a body taking up space.  The perfect house presents a false perfect image.  The house is emotionally cold and empty.  



The carpet looked like it had never been walked on. Which it almost hadn't. And the baby grand by the window looked like it had never been played. Which it hadn't, since none of us could.  But if anyone had ever walked in and plinked a key or sniffed the artificial tropical flowers or straightened a tie in the gleaming mirror, they sure would have been impressed at the perfect life an an architect from Hoodhood and Associates.  


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Can you analyze the poem "Absolution" by Siegfried Sassoon?

Sure! Siegfried Sassoon fought in World War I and was wounded in battle; he spent much of his life speaking out against war, and these pacifist feelings are easy to see in his poems. This one, "Absolution," was published in 1917, the same year that Sassoon was hospitalized for what we know today as post-traumatic stress disorder. "Absolution" is a short poem that contains three stanzas of four lines each. The word "absolution" means "forgiveness," and... Sure! Siegfried Sassoon fought in World War I and was wounded in battle; he spent much of his life speaking out against war, and these pacifist feelings are easy to see in his poems. This one, "Absolution," was published in 1917, the same year that Sassoon was hospitalized for what we know today as post-traumatic stress disorder. "Absolution" is a short poem that contains three stanzas of four lines each. The word "absolution" means "forgiveness," and the v...
Post a Comment
Read more

How and why does James Gatz become Jay Gatsby? Describe the young Gatsby/Gatz.

James Gatz, a poor Midwestern boy of probable Jewish lineage, becomes Jay Gatsby, a presumed WASP and wealthy socialite, when he moves to New York City and acquires his fortune. It is wealth that has allowed Gatz to transform himself into Gatsby. However, those who know his background (e.g., Daisy and Tom Buchanan) never allow him to forget that he is nouveau riche -- that is, an upstart who has just recently made his fortune,... James Gatz, a poor Midwestern boy of probable Jewish lineage, becomes Jay Gatsby, a presumed WASP and wealthy socialite, when he moves to New York City and acquires his fortune. It is wealth that has allowed Gatz to transform himself into Gatsby. However, those who know his background (e.g., Daisy and Tom Buchanan) never allow him to forget that he is nouveau riche -- that is, an upstart who has just recently made his fortune, whereas they arose from well-to-do families. Gatz became Gatsby through determination and discipline. At the end of the novel, the narr...
Post a Comment
Read more

In chapter one of The Great Gatsby, what advice does Nick's father give him? How does this make him a good person to tell this story?

Nick says that his father advised him that, before "criticizing anyone," he "remember that all the people in this world haven't had the same advantages" as Nick.  As a result, Nick claims that he is "inclined to reserve all judgments," presenting himself to the reader as a fair and dispassionate arbiter of character, and thus, a reliable narrator.   The problem is that Nick immediately reveals himself as anything but reliable, as he then launches... Nick says that his father advised him that, before "criticizing anyone," he "remember that all the people in this world haven't had the same advantages" as Nick.  As a result, Nick claims that he is "inclined to reserve all judgments," presenting himself to the reader as a fair and dispassionate arbiter of character, and thus, a reliable narrator.   The problem is that Nick immediately reveals himself as anything but reliable, as he then launches into a discussion of how pe...
Post a Comment
Read more