The Thing About Georgie

“Look at that list again. Would Georgie have to stand on his tiptoes to see out your bedroom window? How easy would it be for him to brush his teeth at your bathroom sink? Would he need to pull over a chair if he wanted to get some ice cream out of your freezer?

I think you should keep all that in mind.”

In this quote, the unnamed narrator asks the reader to consider how architectural elements of the average house are not built with accommodations for little people in mind. This quote helps frame some of the conflicts that Georgie encounters throughout the novel and helps the reader connect to Georgie’s unique point of view.

“The thing about Georgie’s parents was that they were musicians, real professional musicians, in a symphony orchestra. They had been since before Georgie was born, so he’d been surrounded by music his whole life.”

This quote uses the titular motif to explain that one of the most important aspects of Georgie’s parents is their passion for music. This is an important detail that contributes to Georgie’s feelings about his new sibling as the chapters progress.

“If his parents wanted to have another kid, a perfectly normal-looking, nice and healthy one, great. He didn’t care.”

After Georgie’s parents reveal to him that they are having another baby, they add that the baby is “nice and healthy,” which Georgie takes to mean that this baby will not have dwarfism as he does. This quote shows how Georgie is self-conscious about his new sibling and the ways that this sibling will be different from him.

“But then he had another thought, one that was even more horrible: One day he WOULD be the littlest again.

Why hadn’t Georgie ever realized that? One day this kid, the one who wasn’t even born yet, was going to be bigger than he was. It wouldn’t take very long either; there were five-year-olds the same height as Georgie.”

Shortly after Georgie realizes that he won’t be the littlest in his family for next year’s tree-topper tradition, he comes to the more disturbing realization that his new sibling will one day outgrow him, leaving him as the littlest again. This quote highlights Georgie’s self-consciousness tied to his dwarfism and the rising anxiety he has about having a tall sibling.

“Georgie decided that if his parents were going to do something stupid like have another kid, a kid who would probably end up as huge as Godzilla, he definitely was not going to spend his hard-earned dog-walking money to buy them a Christmas present.”

Here, Georgie’s feelings of resentment about his future sibling are on full display as he ponders his parents’ Christmas present. This quote is the first mention of the “Baby Godzilla” image that symbolizes Georgie’s insecurities about having a sibling without a disability.

“Me and Russ. Georgie didn’t like the sound of that. He didn’t like the idea of Andy and Russ on the phone, talking about all the things they could do together, saying Georgie couldn’t walk any of the big dogs because he was so small, he might get trampled.”

Georgie’s anger about Andy’s budding friendship with Russ continues to grow in this quote as he imagines Andy and Russ talking about accommodating him with only small dogs when Russ joins the business. This quote relates to the theme of prevailing through the hardships of friendship as Georgie experiences continued hardship in the form of jealousy about his best friend hanging out with a new friend.

“Suddenly, lying there on Andy’s floor, his sleeping bag tangled in a heap around his feet, Georgie had a terrible thought. For just one second he hoped that the baby wasn’t okay, that while his parents were at the hospital, the doctor told them, ‘I’m so, so sorry,’ in a very sad voice, and the baby would never be anything more than a pencil mark six and a half inches up Georgie’s wall.

Georgie squeezed his eyes shut tight and tried not to think such horrible thoughts.”

After Georgie’s parents’ emergency hospital trip to check on the baby ruins his Christmas Eve, Georgie has an intrusive thought about the baby not being okay. Although he acknowledges that this is a terrible thought he does not want to have, this moment signifies the dark stage that Georgie is going through as he comes to terms with the new baby.

“‘Well, fine,’ he said. ‘Then I won’t be your friend anymore. And by the way, we’re moving this summer, and I hope it’s really far away so I never have to see you again!’”

This is a quote from Andy that takes place after Georgie gives him an ultimatum about not being friends with Russ if he’s friends with Georgie. Andy’s announcement that his family is moving helps develop Andy’s room as a motif for the theme of prevailing through the hardships of friendship, as Andy’s room goes from divided to potentially gone for good.

“Most of all, though, Georgie missed having someone to talk to. He needed to tell someone about Baby Godzilla, that stupid baby who was ruining his life. He certainly couldn’t tell his parents about it.”

This quote illustrates Georgie’s loneliness after his friendship with Andy falls apart. This quote also features the Baby Godzilla nickname that serves as a symbol of Georgie’s negative feelings toward the baby and all its potential.

“Little in a Big World.

Someone had checked it out! Georgie glanced to the left, then to the right, and as quick as he could, he snagged the book off the cart, turned to the inside cover, and pulled out the catalog card to look at the name.

‘Jeanette Ann Wallace.’”

After Georgie spots the library book about little people on the return cart, he is curious to know who checked it out. He’d previously checked and never seen any names on the catalog card. The revelation that “Jeanie the Meanie” had checked out the book to learn about people like Georgie contrasts the way that Jeanie bullies Georgie, creating depth to Jeanie’s character and suggesting that she is more empathetic than she seems.

“Before Georgie was born, had everyone in the orchestra taken bets on what instrument he would play? And how disappointed had they been when they discovered they were wrong? Had his parents been upset too? Georgie couldn’t blame them for wanting a second kid—a normal-looking, violin-playing musical genius—but it still hurt, being permanently replaced.”

After talking to a member of his parents’ orchestra, who reveals that the orchestra is taking bets on the new baby’s instrument, Georgie becomes self-conscious about his inability to play an instrument. Georgie’s dwarfism comes with unique challenges that prevent him from holding a violin bow or reaching all the piano keys. He worries that perhaps he is a disappointment to his musical parents because of these limitations.

“‘You know what?’ she told him. She was mad. Fuming. ‘I used to feel sorry for you. But it turns out you’re just mean!’ And she let go of him with a shove.”

After Georgie refuses to say that he’s Jeanie’s friend in front of her menacing older brothers, Jeanie retaliates by lashing out at Georgie and shoving him. This moment hints that Jeanie’s perception of her dynamic with Georgie is much different than Georgie’s and helps develop complexity in Jeanie’s character.

“I just thought you should know that, that Georgie can do a bunch of stuff, same as you. Even dumb stuff like grabbing his tongue. He doesn’t do it a lot, but he could if he wanted to. He wouldn’t even think twice about it.”

After spending the first half of the book guiding the reader in exercises to illustrate Georgie’s physical limitations, here, the narrator subverts the reader’s expectations by telling them to grab their tongue and then revealing that Georgie can also do this. This marks a shift in focus from what Georgie cannot do to what he can do throughout the rest of the novel.

“The truth was, no matter how positive his attitude, once he stepped onto the stage in the gym and announced ‘Hello, my name is Abraham Lincoln,’ everyone was going to laugh. Everyone. Even the adults would laugh. A dwarf playing Abraham Lincoln? They were going to explode with laughter.”

Here, Georgie explores his concerns about having to play Abraham Lincoln in the school play as a little person. Georgie’s feelings illustrate his insecurities related to his size. This quote also helps develop Lincoln as a motif for the theme of Going Outside One’s Comfort Zone.

“‘I’ve been trying to be friends with him forever and a half, and he just hates me.’

‘What?’ Georgie hollered. ‘You were not trying to be friends with me. You were throwing—’

‘And when I try to talk to him, he calls me names. He calls me Jeanie the Meanie, even though I hate that.’”

This quote illustrates the differences in how Jeanie and Georgie interpret their dynamic. The revelation that Jeanie has been trying to befriend Georgie despite the way she’s treated him is backed up by the evidence of her reading the book on little people and the way she reacts angrily when Georgie doesn’t stick up for her in front of her brothers. This quote helps develop the theme of The Complex Nature of Individuals.

“There was something he wanted to ask his mom, something he’d been wanting to ask for a long time. About Baby Godzilla, and violins, and…well, he wasn’t sure what exactly. But before he was able to figure it out, they were home.”

Here, Georgie ponders his feelings about Baby Godzilla and music, but he can’t form the words to ask what he needs to ask. This quote shows that Georgie still has conflicting feelings to work out about the new baby and foreshadows his conversation with his parents in Chapter 24.

“It was funny, Georgie realized. Even though he’d thought of a million reasons why he missed Andy, he’d never once wondered what Andy might miss about him.”

In this quote, Georgie realizes that there are unique things about him that Andy values. This moment is important to Georgie overcoming the idea that Andy has replaced him, helping Georgie mend his friendship with Andy. This quote also relates to the theme of prevailing through the hardships of friendship.

“‘She is going to start taking English lessons. My mother. At sixty-five.’ Mrs. Moretti beamed. ‘She said if you could fight your battles, she could too.’”

Here, Andy’s mother explains that Nonna Rosa is going to take English lessons, inspired by watching Georgie adapt to his disability to save the day. This quote develops the theme of stepping outside one’s comfort zone.

“You probably think it’s too hard. I bet you think it’s impossible even, that no one can do it.

Well, Georgie can.

Just thought you should know.”

After instructing the reader to play “Ode to Joy” with water glasses, the narrator reveals that this is one of Georgie’s talents. The emphasis on Georgie’s abilities helps develop the theme of the complex nature of individuals by showing that Georgie has many talents that one might overlook in the face of his limitations.

“You were just sitting there, you know, with that pencil…and I could tell you wanted to write stuff down, but you didn’t. And I figured you wanted to be Abraham Lincoln, ’cause, well, who else would you want to be? You said he was the best president we ever had.”

Here, Jeanie explains to Georgie why she signed him up to perform as Lincoln. This quote shows that Jeanie has good intentions by illustrating her attention to detail—Jeanie remembers that Georgie said Lincoln was “the best” during their project and wanted to do something to help George step outside his comfort zone.

“Jeanie smacked him on the shoulder. It was as high as she could reach. ‘You goon!’ she hollered at him. ‘You already are George Washington! Now go out there and be Abraham Lincoln!’”

After Jeanie gets Georgie into her homemade costume to help him be taller for his Lincoln part, Georgie expresses that he wanted to be George Washington. Jeanie’s tough-love encouragement here shows that she cares about Georgie and understands how to motivate him. This quote relates to the theme of going outside one’s comfort zone and develops Lincoln as a motif.

“He took one step in Allison’s direction and then thought better of it. Allison Housman might have been the prettiest girl Georgie knew, but Jeanie the Meanie was way nicer.”

Here, Georgie acknowledges that Allison is not as good of a person as Jeanie is, recalling their interaction earlier when Jeanie stuck up for Georgie while Allison looked away. This quote shows Georgie’s growth as he recognizes that people have depth beyond just their “thing” of being pretty or mean, as he describes at the beginning of the book. This quote relates to the theme of the complex nature of individuals.

“Georgie, you are happy. At least most of the time. You’re a remarkable person, and who knows if playing the violin would have made you any happier? It certainly couldn’t have made you any more remarkable. Maybe you’d be the world’s best violin virtuoso and you’d hate it. So yes, that’s what your father and I hoped for you before you were born. But now we hope bigger things: that you’ll grow into the kind of person that you want to be.”

After Georgie finally finds the words to ask his parents if they are disappointed that he can’t play the violin, Georgie’s mother delivers this response outlining that, although they had hoped that Georgie would find joy in music, they are just happy that Georgie is happy. This quote develops the theme of the complex nature of individuals by showing how Georgie has taught his parents to broaden their expectations to account for his unique abilities.