Wonder

Auggie receives an astronaut helmet as a gift from Miranda when he’s younger, and he wears it everywhere. Auggie loves that no one can see his face with the helmet on, meaning that no one can judge him due to how differently his face looks. The helmet is symbolic of Auggie wanting to hide himself away from the world so that he doesn’t get hurt by people’s looks or words. He later discovers that his father threw the helmet away (they all thought it had been lost) because he didn’t like Auggie hiding who he was. After confessing, his father adds, “I love this face of yours, Auggie, completely and passionately. And it kind of broke my heart that you were always covering it up” (291).

Auggie’s favorite holiday is Halloween because he gets to wear a costume and mask. Early in the novel, Auggie says, “I get to go around like every other kid with a mask and nobody thinks I look weird. Nobody takes a second look. Nobody notices me. Nobody knows me” (73). Though only 10 years old, Auggie astutely reasons that humankind would benefit by getting to know each other without judging based on looks.