Synopsis
This paper will examine the family structure in the movie Wonder. The film narrates a story of a ten-year-old boy named August, or Auggie, Pullman, a child with a genetic disorder that causes him to have visible facial deformities. As he starts school for the first time, he struggles with making friends and bullying. The film focuses on the reality of living with a disability and the role of family.
Family Description
The Pullman family consists of a mother, father, older sister called Olivia (Via), and the youngest son, August. Both parents provide support and care for their children, perhaps with more attention to the younger offspring. August is a boy with a genetic condition that, nonetheless, does not stop him from being genuine, kind, and courageous. His sister, Via, is an older sibling who feels alienated from the rest of the family.
Family Roles
August bears the hero’s role, which can be considered untraditional, given his visible condition. As a hero, he overcompensates his disability with academic achievements, such as being the smartest pupil in a science class (Wonder). Additionally, he projects the family image on himself, claiming that his sister does not want the classmates to see him, implying that it is his responsibility to represent the family and appear presentable.
In her turn, the mother can be considered a dominant rescuer, which is untraditional in a patriarchal society. Her role is prominent in how she treats August as her priority – she abandons her passion for becoming an illustrator to homeschool him (Wonder). In addition, the mother always acts as the peacemaker: during the dinner on the first day of school, she is the one to start the conversation to comfort others.
The father acts as the mediator, which appears to be a traditional yet non-dominative role in the structure. For example, he secretly hides the helmet that Auggie has been using as a shield from the real world, thus urging the son for a necessary transition towards social integration (Wonder). He also mediates the conflict by reaching out to Via, the forgotten child. When the mother is comforting Auggie, the father is the only one who checks up on the older daughter.
It can be argued that Via is the lost child since she is the most isolated and distant family member, which can be considered non-traditional for a relatively functional family. For example, she separates her family and school personality, claiming that she is a “single child” when speaking with new acquaintances (Wonder 29:40-29:49). Furthermore, even when Via tries to get close to her mother by talking about a lost friend, the attention is quickly shifted to her brother.
Central Challenge
The main challenge that affects and, ultimately, shapes the family dynamics is the protagonist’s facial deformity. It moves the focus of the family’s attention from the collective efforts to grow and develop as personalities to sustaining August’s quality of life. It makes the parents overprotective of the son; for example, the dad claims that allowing August to go to school is “leading the sheep to the slaughter” (Wonder 3:25-3:30). The mother also gives up her dissertation and dedicates all of her life to her son.
Changes in Roles
The course of the movie changed the roles of all the characters. August remains the hero but adopts the needed attitude and skills to navigate the hostile social landscape. Because the parental attention was diverted from Via to August, the older sister distances herself from the family and becomes the lost child to lessen her parents’ burden. However, as the movie unfolds, Via transforms into the nurturer and provides the brother with much-needed advice. Although the dad was originally the clown or mascot of the family due to his constant humor, he transitions into the mediator as he provides gentle parental nudges to help August grow. Lastly, the mother adopts the nurturing role to substitute her rescuing tendencies – instead of overprotecting August, she learns to let him explore.
Parenting Blueprint
The parents display some characteristics of authoritative parenting by aiming for a balance between rules and freedom. One example is how the mother approaches the conflict with August on the first day of school. When the boy abruptly leaves the dinner table in the heat of the argument, she gently reminds him that “it is no way to leave the dinner table” (Wonder 23:36-23:39). Instead of punishing him for not conforming, the mother seeks the source of such behavior and tries to resolve it. Another example would be Via’s lateness from school: although the parent expected her to be home earlier, she accepts the excuse since the mother understands the need to reconnect with the passed grandmother.
Another factor of the parenting blueprint is the free-range style, which allows children to explore their talents and skills in a free environment with little supervision. Firstly, it can be seen in the fact that the parents encourage August to attend school. Instead of continuous involvement to aid Auggie’s integration, the parents let their child connect to peers independently. Secondly, through free-range parenting, they allowed Via to navigate her romantic life. The mother and father abstain from controlling her connections and allow an uninterrupted exploration of the relationship.
Reflection
The movie profoundly changed my understanding of the family systems theory. When thinking about dysfunctional families, one tends to picture a drinking mother or a sibling with an addiction problem. However, the movie has shown that some unhealthy family structures can be adopted even in a seemingly perfect family. For example, the central conflict is a son’s condition that makes him socially unaccepted. This biological factor did not only influence his psyche but also determined the way family dynamics operated, which provided me with evidence of the complex nature of the family conflict. However, another aspect that changed my understanding of the theory was the roles’ fluidity, which indicates a healthy development. More specifically, Via adopted duties such as supporting August with advice and relating to the family more. This showed me that even when faced with challenges, family structures can unconsciously resolve the issue by assigning roles.
I believe that the cultural depiction of the family system was accurate. Firstly, the fact that the family leader is the mother reinforces the common notion of women being more family-oriented. For example, children always seek their parental advice and support. Secondly, giving up a career for the family is also a common cultural peculiarity that the movie managed to depict, making it a genuine portrayal of disability in a family setting.
While watching the movie, I was able to relate to some of the characters’ experiences. To elaborate, I have a younger sister who is not as academically gifted and socially adapted as I was at her age. As a result, parents focused all of their attention on her, leaving me with the role of the lost child. Like Via, I distanced myself from the family by not letting them know about my problems to free them of additional concerns. However, I have also experienced the positive influence of free-range parenting since my father allowed me to choose any extracurriculars I liked, enabling me to find passions in a safe environment. Similar to August, I struggled while trying different sports, which eventually led me to find a hobby of art that makes me feel welcomed and gifted.
Work Cited
Wonder. Directed by Stephen Chbosky, performance by Jacob Tremblay, Lionsgate, 2017.