Frindle

“About a year later, Nick made the great blackbird discovery. One night he learned on a TV show that red-wing blackbirds give this high-pitched chirp when a hawk or some other danger comes near. Because of the way sound travels, the hunter birds can’t tell where the high-pitched chirp is coming from. The next day during silent reading, Nick glanced at his teacher, and he noticed that Mrs. Avery’s nose was curved—kind of like the beak of a hawk. So Nick let out a high, squeaky, blackbird ‘peep!’”

Nick’s idea from fourth grade demonstrates how he pairs intelligence with creativity to try new ideas. This example also foreshadows the future conflict between adults and students, as Nick likens the teacher to a predatory hawk.

“Hey Janet—I’m sorry you got yelled at during reading. It was my fault. I was the one who made that sound.”

Even though Nick is characterized as a near-troublemaker, he sets a positive example by being both relatable and honest. Stereotypical troublemakers tend to disregard rules altogether, but Nick admits his mistake and sincerely apologizes for the ways his actions negatively affect Janet.

“Fifth grade was different. That was the year to get ready for middle school. Fifth grade meant passing classes. It meant no morning recess. It meant real letter grades on your report cards. But most of all, it meant Mrs. Granger.”

Nick and his class anticipate an environmental change of transitioning from fourth to fifth grade, which provides prime circumstances for character development. New expectations require students to accept more responsibility, creating natural tension as characters explore their new roles.

“Mrs. Granger lived alone in a tidy little house in the older part of town. She drove an old, pale blue car to school every morning, rain or shine, snow or sleet, hail or wind. She had a perfect attendance record that stretched back farther than anyone could remember.”

The novel introduces Mrs. Granger with this passage, highlighting her structured routine to portray her as the epitome of unshakable order and authority. The novel’s tone implies that Mrs. Granger is rather a force of nature, and nothing can hinder her from this perfected routine.

“Everyone was sure that Mrs. Granger had X-ray vision. Don’t even think about chewing a piece of gum within fifty feet of her. If you did, Mrs. Granger would see you and catch you and make you stick the gum onto a bright yellow index card. Then she would safety-pin the card to the front of your shirt, and you’d have to wear it for the rest of the school day. After that, you had to take it home and have your mom or dad sign the card, and bring it back to Mrs. Granger the next day. And it didn’t matter to Mrs. Granger if you weren’t in fifth grade, because the way she saw it, sooner or later, you would be.”

After decades of teaching, Mrs. Granger has perfected discipline to a science: Students suffer the social embarrassment of wearing their chewing gum on their shirts all day, parents witness the proof of chewing gum when their child comes home, and to add another accountability level, parents must sign the index card (conveniently provided by the teacher and unlikely to get lost). This passage also portrays Mrs. Granger as indiscriminatory in her punishments, establishing a clear and consistent expectation for all students in the school.

“But her pride and joy was one of those huge dictionaries with every word in the universe in it, the kind of book it takes two kids to carry. It sat on its own little table at the front of the classroom, sort of like the altar at the front of a church.”

Simile is used to depict Mrs. Granger’s love for the dictionary like one clings to a religious belief. Both the comparison to an altar and the dictionary’s sheer size imply that the book and its contents are the centerpiece of her language arts classroom.

“Nick was an expert at asking the delaying question—also known as the teacher-stopper, or the guaranteed-time-waster. At three minutes before the bell, in that split second between the end of today’s class work and the announcement of tomorrow’s homework, Nick could launch a question guaranteed to sidetrack the teacher long enough to delay or even wipe out the homework assignment.”

Just like Mrs. Granger refines discipline to a science, Nick perfects the timing and quality of his infamous “teacher-stoppers.” This passage, juxtaposed against Mrs. Granger’s characterization, confirms that they are well-matched just before Mrs. Granger’s structure clashes with Nick’s chaotic creativity.

“Nick could feel a homework assignment coming the way a farmer can feel a rainstorm.”

This analogy demonstrates Nick’s intuition, especially in a context whose patterns he has studied and mastered. He allows these instincts to guide his ideas, leading to both ingenuity and, occasionally, impetuousness.

“‘Why, what an interesting question, Nicholas. I could talk about that for hours, I bet.’ She glanced around the classroom. ‘Do the rest of you want to know, too?’ Everyone nodded yes. ‘Very well then. Nicholas, will you do some research on that subject and give a little oral report to the class? If you find out the answer yourself, it will mean so much more than if I just told you. Please have your report ready for our next class.’”

Mrs. Granger focuses on using class time effectively and answering each meticulous and distracting question that students ask is not one of her priorities. She expertly deflects Nick’s ulteriorly motivated question back on himself. Her response implies that if he is as curious as he claims, he will research the question on his own; she strategically twists the punishment into a fair solution that both answers his question and keeps her in control.

“Without question this modern American dictionary is one of the most surprisingly complex and profound documents ever to be created, for it embodies unparalleled etymological detail, reflecting not only superb lexicographic scholarship, but also the dreams and speech and imaginative talents of millions of people over thousands of years—for every person who has ever spoken or written in English has had a hand in its making. […] It was sort of like trying to read the ingredients on a shampoo bottle.”

Though Nick claims he doesn’t really need a dictionary for real life, he finds that he only understands half of the words he reads in the dictionary’s introduction. The passage itself reveals a profound love for words and their history, applauding it fittingly through complex phrases. Though Nick doesn’t know it yet, the passage also gives conceptual support for his new idea, giving importance to every person who has ever spoken a language as a contributor to its profound meaning.

“What is it with the clocks in school? When you’re planning to go to the carnival after school, the clocks in every class practically run backward, and the rest of the school day lasts for about three weeks. But if you have to go to the barber or go shopping for clothes after school, zzzzip—the whole day is over before you can blink. And today? After lunch, periods five and six went by in two ticks.”

Relatable details are included that younger readers can connect with, while evoking nostalgia for older readers. The quote also expresses Nick’s anxiety through this short, approachable anecdote rather than simply saying that he feels nervous about his oral report.

“A lot of people think that the first English dictionary was put together in the 1700s by a man named Samuel Johnson. He lived in London, England. He was real smart, and he wrote a lot of books, and he wanted all the other smart people to have a good dictionary to use, so he made one. But there were other dictionaries before his. The thing that was different about Johnson’s dictionary was its size, first of all. He had over forty-three thousand words in it. […] The other thing that Samuel Johnson did that was special was to choose the words he thought were most important, and then give lots of examples showing how the words got used by people. For example, he showed how the word take could be used in one hundred thirteen different ways…”

A section of comprehensible historical context for dictionaries is provided early in the novel. Nick’s research shows how the dictionary reveals intricacies of language that native speakers might take for granted.

“But of course, that dictionary was worked on by hundreds of very smart people for many years, so as far as we are concerned, that dictionary is the law. Laws can change, of course, but only if they need to. There may be new words that need to be made, but the ones in that book have been put there for good reasons.”

Mrs. Granger’s rationale describes her initial opinions about the dictionary and how language should evolve, which develop as the story progresses. She is clearly positioned to represent law and order, believing that traditions such as language should only change for important and/or logical reasons. Nick frustrates Mrs. Granger’s principles when he makes up a silly word for a common object.

“And for three years, whenever [Nick] said ‘gwagala,’ his family knew that he wanted to hear those pretty sounds made with voices and instruments. Then when Nick went to preschool, he learned that if he wanted his teacher and the other kids to understand him, he had to use the word music. But gwagala meant that nice sound to Nick, because Nick said so. Who says gwagala means music? ‘You do, Nicholas.’”

This is a small-scale example of language’s inherently communal nature. Within his own family, the word “gwagala” became more commonly used than “music,” and so Nick’s fabricated word became more intrinsically tied to the concept of music than the English word itself.

“‘It’s a funny idea, Nicholas, but I will not have my class disrupted again. Is that clear?’ Her eyes were lit up, but it was mostly light, not much heat. […] ‘But I really didn’t have a frindle with me,’ said Nick, amazed at his own bravery. And hiding behind his glasses, Nick kept his eyes wide and blank.”

During this first one-on-one confrontation between Nick and Mrs. Granger, both their beliefs and body language oppose one another. Naturally, they disagree about Nick’s new vocabulary, and Mrs. Granger’s notoriously dynamic eyes are juxtaposed to Nick’s innocent, “wide and blank” gaze. In their respective ways, neither one will willingly back down.

“Walking to school the next day, Pete had a great idea. ‘How ’bout we see if we can get every kid in the whole fifth grade to go up and ask Mrs. Granger, “Can I borrow a frindle?”’ […] ‘Sounds good to me,’ said Nick. ‘She can’t keep everyone after school, can she?’ Almost eighty kids stayed after school with Mrs. Granger that day.”

This scene shows an example of how the students’ use of frindle isn’t solely for fun. Here, their intentions are impertinent, betraying a desire to make their teacher angry by pointedly using the word and testing her patience with frivolous questions.

“You know that big dictionary in Mrs. Granger’s room? The word ain’t is right there in the book. I looked it up, and there it was. I don’t see why I can’t use a word if it’s in the dictionary. Mrs. Granger even said that her dictionary was the law.”

Not only is this quote an example of Nick’s thought-grenade, but it also subtly foreshadows frindle’s later dictionary appearance. If a slang term such as “ain’t” can achieve dictionary-status, then Nick doesn’t see a reason why he can’t use his own funny word.

“Judy noticed Mrs. Granger’s eyes right away—gray, maybe flecked with a little gold, and very sharp, but not hard or mean. Just bright, and strong.”

At this point in the story, Mrs. Granger is perceived as an antagonist and it is expected of her act grumpy and frustrated by the discord. However, this description of her eyes foreshadows her true intentions. From the beginning, her eyes are depicted as expressive, giving reason to reevaluate her true motives, even as she speaks out against her students’ new word.

“It was quite an article. Not that Judy Morgan didn’t tell the truth—every statement in the article was completely true. It was the particular way she told the truth that got things hopping around town. For example, take this sentence about Mrs. Granger: ‘Mrs. Granger, champion of the forces of order and authority, is battling hundreds of young frindle-fighters. Neither side is giving in.’”

As the passage indicates, reporter Judy Morgan writes the truth; however, her rhetoric sensationalizes the story and sways the audience. By using words such as “champion,” “forces,” and “battling,” the reporter paints vivid connotations in readers’ minds. The term “freedom-fighters” elicits memories of social justice movements, implying that Nick’s cause is more noble than the adults’ cause.

“Everyone in fifth grade got at least one word wrong on his or her spelling test each week. Every week, the first word at the top of Mrs. Granger’s list was pen. And each Friday during the spelling test, every kid spelled it f-r-i-n-d-l-e.”

Including “pen” on each week’s spelling test ensures that, even as the frindle trend diminishes, students are continually reminded that they choose to call a pen a “frindle.” By consistently weaving the word into her class, Mrs. Granger helps the word transition from a short-term fad to a mundane part of students’ everyday vocabulary.

“I’ve noticed that you’ve been very quiet for the past few months. You know, Nicholas, you didn’t do anything wrong this year. I know a lot of things happened, and a lot of things were said, and you must have had some difficult days here and there. But your idea was a good idea, and I have been very proud of the way you behaved—most of the time. […] And, Nicholas, you have great things to do in this life. I’m absolutely sure you do, and you mustn’t let a few hard days trick you into clamming up.”

Mrs. Granger gives Nick this encouraging speech at the end of the school year. She is trying to prepare him for the challenges that inevitably accompany world-changing ideas. She assures him that he does have the strength and perseverance to change the world, and a few bad days don’t negate the importance of his role in the world.

“Nick wanted to give his parents some of the money, which they said they did not need and would not accept. But Nick reminded them that they had always wanted to travel, and they should just think of this as a big birthday present or something. So they accepted. And Nick also wanted to give some money to his big brother, James—who said he did not need it and would not accept it. But Nick reminded James that his two-year-old daughter would grow up and go to college someday—and besides, hadn’t James once given Nick his whole baseball card collection? So James accepted the gift.”

Parallelism is used to demonstrate Nick’s generosity, which he appears to inherit from his family. Now that Nick has achieved his own dream, he wants to help his loved one receive theirs.

“A person can watch the sunrise, but he cannot slow it down or stop it or make it go backward. And that is what I was trying to do with your word. At first I was angry. I admit that. I was not happy to see the word pen pushed aside as if it did not matter. But I guess that if the Latin word for feather had been frindilus instead of pinna, then you probably would have invented the word pen instead. Like the sunrise, some things just have to happen‑and all you can really do is watch. […] I am mostly here to watch it happen.”

Mrs. Granger uses a sunrise analogy to portray how language’s evolution is outside any one person’s control. No matter how tightly she clings to tradition, some changes are simply outside her power, so she learns to take the backseat and enjoy watching extraordinary events unfold.