Contents
Ordinary
Overview
August introduces himself as a ten-year-old who feels ordinary but is treated as different because of his face. He longs for anonymity and has adapted to others’ reactions, while his sister Via grows defensive and his parents see him as extraordinary. The chapter frames August’s inner-normalcy versus public perception.
Summary
August opens by contrasting his ordinary interests with how others react to his face. He notes that while he feels normal inside, other children sometimes run away and strangers stare, which makes him feel different.
He admits he would wish for a normal, unnoticeable face so he could move through the world without the “look-away” reactions. Over time, August and his parents have learned to ignore rude responses, but August explains that his sister Via struggles to let things slide.
Recalling a playground incident where older kids mocked him, August explains that Via confronted them, reflecting her protective nature. He believes Via and his parents don’t truly see him as ordinary—she feels the need to defend him and they see him as extraordinary—while only he recognizes his own ordinariness. He ends by withholding a description of his face, suggesting it is worse than readers might imagine.
Who Appears
- August (Auggie) PullmanTen-year-old narrator; feels ordinary inside but is treated as different for his face.
- Via (Olivia) PullmanAugust’s sister; protective and confrontational when others are rude.
- MomAugust’s mother; helps the family ignore stares, sees August as extraordinary.
- DadAugust’s father; part of the family’s practiced response to public reactions.
- Older kids at the playgroundMocked August; their rudeness triggers Via’s protective outburst.