49 pages • 1 hour read
Lincoln PeirceBig Nate: In a Class by Himself
Fiction | Graphic Novel/Book | Middle Grade | Published in 2010A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Themes
Fate Versus Self-Determination
Generally, when prophecies appear in a text, the characters spend the story trying to avoid fulfilling the prophecy. Instead, Peirce plays with reader expectations by having Nate deliberately and meticulously attempt to achieve his fortune. What should be a prophecy Nate turns into a quest. He ruthlessly pursues his fortune, eventually achieving it, though unexpectedly. However, was it destiny that the prophecy was fulfilled, or was it entirely Nate’s determination that achieved this goal? This question runs throughout the story.
Nate doubts the fortune cookie as a prophetic tool. He spends almost two pages explaining how fortune cookies rarely speak about the future, let alone predict it. However, the minute he gets a fortune that suits his belief that he is “destined for greatness,” he latches on to it. Nate spends the entire day trying desperately to “surpass all others.” Even Nate’s friends point out the ridiculousness of Nate trying to force his fortune into coming true. Teddy tells Nate, “You’re FORCING it! Just let it happen” (164). However, Nate refuses to believe he can surpass others by letting it happen. As such, Nate refuses to accept that destiny is unavoidable. He feels he has to work for it.
At the same time, none of Nate’s efforts successfully achieve his goal of surpassing all others. Instead, it is his failures that fulfill the prophecy. Therefore, did Nate’s efforts or an inevitable destiny earn him seven detentions? The fortune cookie prophesizes that Nate will surpass all others, though it does not clarify how. It is Nate who determines multiple ways that he can achieve this goal. He creates detailed plans on how to fulfill his prophecy. However, none of them are successful. Another classmate thwarts his attempt to write a love poem. A locked door keeps Nate from placing his art in the display case. The principal prevents Nate from eating 148 servings of green beans, though this is probably for the best. His inattention to detail keeps him from completing his math test, and Mr. Galvin’s lack of humor means he does not laugh at any of Nate’s antics. Nate was not trying to surpass all others by attaining the most detentions. Nevertheless, this does not change the fact that Nate’s actions ultimately lead him to surpass all others.
The ultimate ambiguity in this theme is whether Nate would have surpassed all others if he had opened the cookie at the end of the day. Does Nate’s reading of the prophecy cause it to be accurate, or was it always Nate’s fate to get seven detentions on this day? Did Nate’s actions bring the prophecy to fruition, or was it always meant to be? The story never resolves this ambiguity, but this idea runs subtly throughout the story.
The Reality of Friendship
The relationship between Nate, Francis, and Teddy is a relatively realistic portrayal of middle school friendship. That is to say, it consists mainly of the boys making fun of each other. Typically, when friendship is a theme, the friends portrayed are loyal, supportive, and understanding. Francis and Teddy are certainly all of these. However, they are also more than willing to give Nate a hard time. Nate’s friends assist him in his antics but are also brutally honest with him. Though this kind of friendship may not be the idealized version usually portrayed in fiction, this friendship is crucial to the narrative.
Nate and his friends work to keep each other in check. For example, the first time Nate and Francis meet up in the story, Nate hits him with a book for “acting like the mayor of geek city” (52). Theirs is not precisely the supportive, accepting relationship shown in much of teen fiction. However, while Nate understands Francis and his love of learning, Nate tries to keep him from going too far. However, Francis gets his revenge by throwing a book at Nate’s head, which knocks him to the ground. At this point, Teddy appears. He shows no concern for Nate and asks if he is attempting a push-up. While these interactions are neither kind nor considerate, they show what friendship often is, not what it should be.
This is not to say that Nate’s friends are not on his side. Teddy immediately offers Nate some of his lunch when he realizes Nate left him at home. Francis has no problem creating a distraction so Nate can attempt to place his art in the display case. Teddy and Francis ask everyone in the cafeteria for their uneaten green beans to help Nate beat a speed eating record. Teddy advises Nate to relax and let his fortune happen instead of forcing it. Francis keeps the other two from being late to class. Francis and Teddy are incredibly supportive friends of Nate.
Their support, however, often comes with much teasing. At one point, Nate says, “This stupid fortune […] has been nothing but trouble” (177). Teddy replies, “But for the REST of us, it’s been nonstop entertainment” (177). These statements summarize the relationship between Nate and his friends. They are there for him but will not hesitate to laugh at his expense. When a teacher calls Nate a “kid with weird hair” (150), they agree and start patting his head, commenting on its texture. When Nate gets detention from Mr. Rosa, Teddy quickly points out that it is the first one the teacher handed out that year.
Nate, Francis, and Teddy are close friends, which means honesty is more important than kindness. Francis and Teddy try to make Nate feel better when he gets down, but they do not lie to him. They help Nate when he needs it but don’t hesitate to laugh at him when he is being ridiculous. They help Nate when he is in trouble but also contribute to his getting into trouble. Though this may not be what people generally consider friendship, these interactions portray a far more realistic view of pre-teen friendship than most stories.
Expectations Versus Reality
The story elevates the theme of expectation versus reality, paying particular attention to hubris-based expectations and their outcomes. Nate is an excellent example of hubris. His self-confidence is massive to the point of absurdity, which leads Nate to have exaggerated expectations for almost everything, both positive and negative. This disconnect between Nate’s expectations and reality is a constant struggle for Nate. He is frequently disappointed that his expectations were not met or terrified that they will be.
Nate is confident that he is “destined for greatness” despite only being able to list four talents. One is table football, but even Nate admits it would be “tough to make a living” with it (8). When Nate receives his fortune cookie, he discusses how fortune cookies bother him because they rarely tell the future. However, when the fortune aligns with Nate’s belief that he is destined for greatness, Nate is confident that the fortune must be true. However, the way that he surpasses all others does not indicate greatness at all. If anything, earning seven detentions in one day shows a massive failure on Nate’s part. Nate’s self-confidence refuses to let him see it as such. Instead, he focuses only on the fact that he has a school record.
Nate’s hubris makes him feel like the world’s most important person. This belief causes him to imagine extreme positives and negatives in every situation. When Nate brainstorms ways to avoid the social studies test, his imagined consequences take a drastic turn: “I’d probably get suspended. Or expelled. Maybe shipped to some military academy where they slap a uniform on you, give you a buzz cut, and make you say ‘sir’ at the end of every sentence” (43). Nate even pictures his head being shaved. This would be Nate’s first time skipping school, so his punishment would likely be fairly light. Also, very few schools suspend or expel students for skipping. Both suspension and expulsion punish students by having them miss school, which is the goal of skipping in the first place. Military school is definitely over the top for a first offense. In Nate’s mind, he is so important that these extreme punishments are the most likely.
This trend follows with Nate trying to forge his father’s signature. When he gets to that part, he remembers that forgery is a crime. Nate pictures himself being walked out of P.S. 38 in handcuffs, with someone commenting, “There goes the notorious NATE WRIGHT” (47). Nate’s tendency for hyperbole creates a comedic effect, but it is important to note that Nate is not that important. Most likely, his father would be called, and Nate would receive a punishment from his school and his father. Nate is not old or important enough to warrant a call to the police.
Nate’s positive expectations are just as unrealistic as his negative ones. When he plans to surpass all others by writing Jenny, his unrequited crush, a love poem, he imagines an almost impossible scenario. In Nate’s mind, the minute Jenny reads the poem, she will fall madly in love with Nate. Nate has not even written the poem yet, but there is no doubt in his mind that it will be amazing enough to make Jenny love him—even though she has shown no interest in Nate for the past five years. Nate’s expectations are impossible to meet and not remotely based on his past experiences. In his mind, his confidence always trumps reality.
Peirce also plays with the reader’s expectations. He spends the first two chapters framing the story so that the reader believes the central conflict is the social studies test and summer school. However, there is no social studies test. The readers’ expectations are dashed in a very anti-climactic way. Also, typically when there is a prophecy in literature, the characters are trying to prevent it from happening. However, Nate actively attempts to achieve his. Nate’s attempts to achieve his prophecy imply to the reader that he will fail to be successful. However, Nate fulfills his prophecy. When Nate finally achieves his fortune, the reader would expect that he would be disappointed to do so in such a ridiculous way. However, Nate defies expectations. He is simply thrilled to be a record holder. Nate’s hubris defies all logic, yet it works for him. Despite his expectations never being met, he always looks on the bright side. The disparity between Nate’s expectations and reality is the source of much of the tension in the story. Likewise, the author adds tension by playing with the reader’s expectations.
