Awkward

Fiction | Graphic Novel/Book | Middle Grade | Published in 2015

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Summary

Background

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Character Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Symbols & Motifs

Planetarium

The DIY planetarium symbolizes the unification of art and science. Throughout the graphic novel, the art and science clubs are feuding over a table at the school fair. Miss Tobins encourages Peppi’s participation in science class by pointing out the ways that art and science complement one another. She calls Peppi a “Renaissance girl,” and explains that a Renaissance person is someone who “is accomplished in several different fields” (189). Miss Tobins compares her to Leonardo da Vinci, a celebrated artist and acclaimed scientist.

Miss Tobins’ encouragement shows Peppi that science and art “really aren’t that different” (190). If the clubs cooperate, they can accomplish greater things together than either can alone. As Peppi proposes the idea of the planetarium, she finds that cooperation is not always easy. Even after she convinces both clubs to work together, “there was still fighting” (203). The groups must work through their conflicts and move past them in a productive way. Finally, when the clubs’ strengths are applied toward their common goal, even if there are some bumps along the way, “the result…was so worth it” (204). By pooling their unique talents, the art and science clubs combine their disciplines and make a spectacular contribution to their school.

Geocache

The geocache Peppi and Jaime find is a symbol of teamwork. A geocache is a small container, usually containing a few items and a sign-in log, that has been hidden and its coordinates logged. Often there are hints and riddles associated with finding the cache at a given location.

Miss Tobins organizes a set of geocache hunts for her students at the Discovery Center. She stresses that the groups should “use teamwork to solve the puzzles” (64). The nature of geocaching is that having multiple people with different strengths work together makes the entire group more likely to succeed. Therefore, the geocache represents the teamwork necessary to retrieve it.

The first development in Peppi and Jaime’s relationship comes from working together to deduce that the cache is hidden in an empty planter. They use “process of elimination” (71) to rule out where the cache isn’t to find out where it is. Peppi and Jaime smile and laugh together for the first time as they reflect on their experience.

Later, when they are trying to convince the science and art clubs to unite, Jaime and Peppi invoke their memories of geocaching as an example of collaboration. Peppi says that they “worked together then” and as a result “got first place” (197). Summoning the symbolism that the geocache carries is essential to getting the teams to cohere.

“Nerder Girlfriend”

The phrase “nerder girlfriend” is a verbal motif related to the theme of Apologizing for Our Mistakes. When Peppi is called “nerder girlfriend” for the first time on page 6, she pushes Jaime, which is the mistake that launches the events of the graphic novel. Much of the first four chapters revolve around Peppi’s internal struggles as she tries to own up to her mistake and apologize for it.

By the end of the graphic novel, Peppi’s perspective on this bullying taunt and the type of people who say it has changed. Instead of seeing her position in school as vulnerable and therefore her connection to Jaime as a weakness—an outlook that caused her to lash out without thinking—she now sees her friendship with Jaime as a strength. She doesn’t panic at being associated with him, but she does realize that the phrase is meant to insult both her and Jaime at the same time. She stands up for both of them and calls out the mean kids’ behavior, telling them to “stop bullying us!” (207) Not only has Peppi owned up to the mistake she made the first time she was called “nerder girlfriend,” but she has also become a stronger and more confident character who can defend herself and her friend.