Popcorn

Andrew Yaeger is the novel’s protagonist. The 12-year-old wears glasses and assesses his appearance as a “bit gangly and skinny, but not terrible” (1). He is particularly conscious of how he looks because the narrative takes place on school picture day. Compared to many of his peers in his seventh grade class, Andrew is mature for his age. His experiences dealing with challenges like his mental health conditions and his parents’ divorce contribute to his mature perspective on life, such as his understanding that it’s “better” that his parents are separated because his father was unkind to him and his mother (100). Due to his anxiety, Andrew tends to shy away from social situations and be reserved around most people. This makes his private sketchbook an even more important outlet for his thoughts and emotions. Andrew possesses high ethical standards for himself, including “strong feelings about fairness” (51). For example, he refuses to let Gene cheat off of his test even though he accurately predicts that this will incur the bully’s wrath. Sometimes, Andrew’s high standards lead him to be overly critical of himself or his emotions, such as when he tells himself that he shouldn’t feel annoyed about G moving into his room.