The Wednesday Wars

Schmidt’s use of natural imagery continues as he articulates the changing seasons with detailed descriptions of the shifting landscape outside The Perfect House. Holling explains that the azaleas lost their blossoms and leaves and looked, “half-naked and embarrassed” (49). True to his perspective as a seventh-grade boy, he also describes cutting the grass for the last time before winter and his father repeating the task to “get it right” (49). The “gray and damp” (49) weather Holling describes at the month’s beginning foreshadows the sorrowful nature of this chapter’s end, as Mrs. Bigio receives word that her husband died in the line of duty in Vietnam.

Schmidt develops Mrs. Baker’s character in this section, giving the reader glimpses of her true nature behind the strict teacher Holling thinks is out to get him. Although she has a matter-of-fact teaching style and high expectations for her students, she is also caring. When Sycorax and Caliban destroy the cream puffs Holling brings, Mrs. Baker spends her own money on more cream puffs but gives Holling the credit for bringing them. Furthermore, she desires to see her students develop into good people. Her discussions with Holling about Shakespeare reveal her passion for literature and her desire to impart significant truths and life lessons from the plays to Holling. Although she no doubt worries constantly about her husband in Vietnam, Mrs. Baker does not let her anxiety keep her from positively impacting her students. 

The motif of Shakespearean plays continues as Holling enjoys the surprisingly exciting elements of The Tempest: witches, curses, drunkenness, and an angry monster. The curses and insults from The Tempest become a repeated device in the novel to convey humor when Holling feels the need to curse without using a traditional cuss word. He quietly practices the insults on classmates and teachers, but “Not so that they could hear it” (56). His use of the curses soon becomes contagious as Mrs. Baker uses one when Sycorax and Caliban make an appearance, and Doug Swieteck’s brother gets sent to the principal for the use of “pied ninny” (69). The many insults, along with the sensational action of The Tempest, suggest to young readers that even old-fashioned literature like Shakespeare has something for everyone. Just because The Bard’s plays have a reputation for difficult language and were written several centuries ago, they are still relevant enough to entertain the youth of today. Schmidt’s portrayal of Shakespeare’s plays through Holling’s eyes shows young readers the joy and entertainment to be found in reading.

Schmidt provides subtle reminders of the book’s setting—1967, during the Vietnam War—to educate the reader on historic events and the zeitgeist of the era. While current events are not major plot elements, they fringe the novel’s action to provide a sense of time and place for Holling’s world. For instance, Mrs. Baker goes to light a candle at the church during lunch recess, which reminds the reader that her husband serves overseas. Also, Mrs. Baker mentions space exploration, stating that the Saturn V lunar rocket is being developed. Other current events Schmidt mentions serve to highlight the Vietnam War and America’s attitude toward it. For example, the Catholic Relief Agency home where Mai Thi is housed suffers an act of vandalism with the words “GO HOME VIET CONG” painted across the building’s façade (72). Finally, and most significantly, Holling sees the grief from the war firsthand as Mrs. Bigio mourns the death of her husband overseas. These details about the state of affairs in 1967 America provide a realistic backdrop for the plot and educate the reader about a recent era of American history.