Skip to main content

Why do you think the book is called The Wednesday Wars? What wars are happening in this book?

It is an interesting question that you are asking.  Is the title The Wednesday Wars, plural, because there are multiple wars happening on Wednesdays?  Or is it The Wednesday Wars because each new Wednesday is a new war between Holling and Mrs. Baker?  


I'm inclined to think that the plural is in the title because in the beginning of the book Holling thinks that each Wednesday with Mrs. Baker is a new war...

It is an interesting question that you are asking.  Is the title The Wednesday Wars, plural, because there are multiple wars happening on Wednesdays?  Or is it The Wednesday Wars because each new Wednesday is a new war between Holling and Mrs. Baker?  


I'm inclined to think that the plural is in the title because in the beginning of the book Holling thinks that each Wednesday with Mrs. Baker is a new war to be fought.  Mrs. Baker first attempted to have Holling repeat a math class during their study time.  When that failed, Mrs. Baker forced Holling to do menial labor like cleaning chalk erasers.  The entire time Holling believes that Mrs. Baker hates his guts.  Once October hits, Holling believes that Mrs. Baker has brought an entirely new level of warfare to him when she announces that they will be reading Shakespeare together.  



Reading Shakespeare.  Of all the strategies Mrs. Baker could come up with, this must be the worst.  Teachers bring up Shakespeare only to bore students to death.  And I was going to be bored to death for eight months.  No human being could stand it.  



The second part of your question asks about what wars were happening in the book.  There is the "war" happening between Mrs. Baker and Holling, which turns out to not be a war by the end of the book.  There is a war between Heather Hoodhood and her parents.  There is a war between two architectural firms.  Those are Hoodhood and Associates and Kowalski and Associates.  Lastly there is a very real war happening in the world during this time too.  That is the Vietnam War.  

Comments

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...

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 ...

Why did Tybalt attack and kill Mercutio instead of Romeo, who he had originally been targeting?

Though Tybalt's quarrel is with Romeo, he begins the momentous duel in Act 3 by fighting with and killing Mercutio instead. Tybalt ultimately attacks Mercutio because the garrulous and hot-headed character insults Tybalt and goads him into a duel to protect Romeo's honor. From the beginning of the encounter in Act 3, Scene 1, it's clear that Mercutio is itching for a fight. For instance, when Tybalt signals that he wants to talk to Mercutio... Though Tybalt's quarrel is with Romeo, he begins the momentous duel in Act 3 by fighting with and killing Mercutio instead. Tybalt ultimately attacks Mercutio because the garrulous and hot-headed character insults Tybalt and goads him into a duel to protect Romeo's honor. From the beginning of the encounter in Act 3, Scene 1, it's clear that Mercutio is itching for a fight. For instance, when Tybalt signals that he wants to talk to Mercutio and Benvolio, Mercutio responds "And but one word with one of us?/ Couple it w...