62 pages • 2 hours read
R. J. PalacioAuggie & Me
Fiction | Short Story Collection | Middle Grade | Published in 2014A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Part 2, Chapters 40-49Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Part 2: “Pluto”
Chapter 40 Summary: “FaceChat”
When Christopher’s family moves from New York City to Bridgeport, they try to keep Auggie and Christopher in touch. Their play dates become less frequent but they FaceChat each other. In third grade, they decide to grow Padawan braids. When they are in fourth grade, Christopher becomes busier with after-school activities. The two of them schedule chats for a while, but the calls dwindle. At the end of the year, Christopher cuts off his Padawan braid which he thinks hurts Auggie’s feelings. When they talk that September, Christopher sees that Auggie cut off his braid too. During winter break, Auggie FaceChats while Christopher is hanging out with his friends, Jake, and Tyler. Christopher tries to listen to Auggie but is distracted by Jake and Tyler, who are clearly gawking at Auggie. Christopher tries to keep his friends out of view from the camera because he knows Auggie will notice them smirking. After Christopher hangs up, the boys ask him what happened to Auggie. Christopher tries to explain “He can’t help the way he looks” (151). Tyler is shocked that Christopher is friends with Auggie which makes Christopher realize how Zack and Alex aren’t friends with Auggie anymore.
Chapter 41 Summary: “8:22 p.m.”
Christopher’s family has just arrived home from the hospital. When Lisa expresses how overwhelmed she is, Christopher’s father, Angus, says he will be taking care of her, and carries her from her wheelchair to her room. Seeing his parents happy together makes Christopher feel at ease. Christopher gets a text from Elijah, one of the older boys in the after-school band. The older boys are going to start their own band and want Christopher to join but not John. They want to play “Seven Nation Army'' for the spring concert. Christopher’s father says he will be staying in the guest room until Lisa can get around on her own.
Chapter 42 Summary: “North River Heights”
Christopher misses the way that things used to be when his family lived in North River Heights. Christopher misses their little apartment, the trees, and his old nanny, Lourdes. His mother quit her job at a floral shop when they moved to Bridgeport, so Christopher didn’t need a babysitter anymore. After they moved, Christopher’s father never transferred offices. This caused tension between Christopher’s parents. Now that Christopher’s parents are divorcing, they split custody. Christopher does not get much homework done with his father over the weekend, so he always feels behind at the start of a new week. Although Christopher knew his parents fought, he was shocked when they separated. Christopher remembers telling his mom that “good friendships are worth a little extra effort” (156), just like she told him.
Chapter 43 Summary: “9:56 p.m.”
As Christopher does his homework, he struggles with his decision to leave the after-school rock band. He thinks that him and John performing alone would make them look like “The biggest dweebs” (157). While Christopher wouldn’t want to play alone, he knows that John would do it anyway. Horrified, Chris realizes his math test is tomorrow. His father struggles to help him with the word problems and asks if he can ask a friend for help. Chris doesn’t want to call anyone, not even Auggie. He rebuffs his father’s offer for more help and tries to concentrate on his own.
Chapter 44 Summary: “Pluto”
Three years before, Christopher’s family were preparing to move to Bridgeport. As the Pullman parents helped them pack, Christopher and Auggie had a nerf war. Auggie’s older sister, Via, was irritated, and commented that they are “geeks” for playing Star Wars. When Auggie told her that they were playing Pluto, she commented that Pluto isn’t a real planet. Auggie had a breakdown. No one understood why Auggie was so upset to find out that Pluto wasn’t a planet anymore.
Chapter 45 Summary: “10:28 p.m.”
Christopher receives a text from Auggie saying he’s sorry about his mom being in the hospital. They exchange texts remembering Daisy and what a special dog she was. Although Christopher considers asking Auggie to help with his math problem, he doesn’t want to be “lame.” Auggie’s Mom, Isabel, wants them to FaceChat, so they talk for a little while. She asks him if he’s okay after his mother’s accident, and they share memories of Daisy. When Isabel can tell that Christopher is about to cry, she asks to talk to his father and reassures him that his mom is going to be fine. Before he can stop himself, Christopher blurts out that his mother’s accident was his fault.
Chapter 46 Summary: “10:52 p.m.”
Christopher’s father reassures him that his mother’s accident was not his fault. Chris confesses that he had been grumpy all morning and called her “Lisa.” When his father says that these moments are good wake up calls to remember what is important, Christopher feels like his father is talking to himself.
Chapter 47 Summary: “10:59 p.m.”
After Christopher’s dad calls Isabel Pullman to reassure her that Christopher is okay, Christopher and Auggie chat. Auggie helps Christopher with his math homework until he can solve all the problems himself.
Chapter 48 Summary: “11:46 p.m.”
Christopher thanks Auggie for helping him and gets ready for bed. When he goes to tell his dad goodnight, Christopher sees that he fell asleep in a chair next to his mom. Seeing his mother sleeping makes Christopher remember how she would fall asleep reading to him and thinks that she looks small all of the sudden.
Chapter 49 Summary: “11:59 p.m.”
When Christopher finally gets ready for bed, he feels like it’s been ages since his mom woke him up that morning. He texts Elijah that he will be sticking with John for the spring concert, knowing that “sometimes friendships are hard” (175). He sees the star that fell from the ceiling that moment and sticks it on his forehead. As he falls asleep, he thinks of the lyrics to “The Final Countdown.”
Part 2, Chapters 40-49 Analysis
In the second half of Christopher’s story, it is demonstrated how significant a moment of connection can be in a child’s life. The timeline for Christopher’s story is incredibly short. Chapters shift back to moments in his friendship with Auggie and the rest of his story takes place in a single day. When Christopher finally connects with Auggie and then his father, he goes from anxious and avoidant to open and peaceful in a matter of minutes.
This section shows how Christopher feels overlooked. In this section, Christopher remembers moments when his mom prioritized caring for the Pullmans over him. He’s also frustrated with his parents' request that he give relationship with Auggie effort when they seem to be giving up on theirs. While he misses their old home and living close to his friends, Christopher misses “that [his] parents seemed together then” (156). Christopher’s parents try to shield him from the weight of their separation, but his narrative shows how impactful separation can be on a child, no matter how amiable the parents are.
These chapters also show how his father fails to see the anxiety that Christopher has about his mother’s accident. Preoccupied with caring for Lisa, his father brushes it off when Christopher repeatedly asks what time in the day she had the accident. Christopher tries to determine whether her driving to bring his forgotten items is what prompted the accident. Christopher’s father doesn’t see his need for comfort. When Auggie reaches out to Christopher by calling him on FaceChat, Isabel Pullman can immediately tell that Christopher feels guilty. When she reaches out to him, he can no longer keep his emotions at bay: “This all came pouring out of me in a string of messy crying bursts” (168).
Connecting with Auggie and his father completely changes the course of Christopher’s day. He feels more confident in himself after working with Auggie on math. Before Auggie calls, Christopher wants to ask for help with math, but doesn’t ask because “It would just be too lame” (166). Auggie’s help makes Christopher feel confident, like he finally solved a puzzle. He remembers that, while friendship with Auggie might be difficult, it’s incredibly rewarding. Auggie is fun, kind, and helpful. This gives Christopher the confidence to tell the older boys at school that he will be sticking with John in the after-school band, even if they look “lame” performing by themselves. He is at peace with this as he realizes that “sometimes friendships are hard” (175).
Christopher is also able to find peace at home. He realizes that his father and mother have their own struggles. When Christopher’s father embraces him, he doesn’t say anything. Christopher wonders if this is because he would cry if he said anything. When Christopher kisses his mother goodnight, he is struck by how vulnerable she seems: “As I looked at her now, she seemed kid of little to me” (174). Christopher can feel peace, even though things aren’t fully resolved. Christopher doesn’t know for sure if his parents will reconnect, but he is still able to fall asleep with the lyrics of “The Final Countdown” in his mind: “And maybe we’ll come back to earth, who can tell. I guess there is no one to blame” (176). These lyrics suggest that, while there’s no telling what will happen to Christopher’s family, he is able to face the future. All that changed in Christopher’s life was a small car accident and a phone call. The difference this makes in his life shows how children usually want to do the right thing. Sometimes anxieties make this difficult, and they just need connection with adults and friends to help them.
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By R. J. Palacio
