Coming of Age

The primary theme of The Wednesday Wars is the coming of age of young Holling Hoodhood. A Presbyterian boy surrounded by a town of Catholics and Jewish people, Holling knows he is different but doesn't understand the larger picture of the world around him. At the beginning of the novel, Holling's primary concerns are behaving in class to further his father's business, dealing with the perceived hatred of a teacher, and combating the older brother of a classmate. His older sister is beginning to rebel at home against the Vietnam war and the discrimination in the United States, but Holling cares only for what happens in his own small world.

When his teacher begins sharing Shakespeare with Holling, however, he begins to realize there is more to the world than meets the eye. Through his readings, and his learned and caring teacher, Holling begins to understand...