Big Nate: In a Class by Himself

“She could have called on anybody. There were twenty-two other kids in the classroom, and they all had their hands in the air. Francis did. Teddy did. Gina did, of course. Even Nick Blonsky, who usually sits in the back row with his pencil up his nose, had his hand raised. She could have called on one of them, right?

Guess who she calls on.”

The opening line of the story is an excellent example of foreshadowing. Even in his dreams, Nate is picked on by teachers for things that are, at least partially, his fault. This example sets the tone for the rest of the day, where Nate will not take any responsibility for his part in his suffering. While it is unfair that Mrs. Godfrey calls on Nate when he clearly does not know the answer, why does everyone know the answer except Nate? Nate does not see any fault of his own, he only sees Mrs. Godfrey picking on him.

“The point is, I want to use my talents for more than just memorizing useless facts. I’m meant for bigger things. I am…destined for greatness! I’m still not 100 percent sure what KIND of greatness I’m destined for, but I’ll figure it out.”

Few quotes in the story characterize Nate’s hubris quite as well as this one. First, Nate insults the skill he struggles with—memorization. Then, he claims that he is destined for greatness with complete certainty. Nate has no idea how to attain this greatness, but he is completely sure he will. Nate’s confidence is unmatched, particularly considering his lack of skills.

“Here’s the thing about Francis: He knows just about everything. He’s always got his nose buried in the ‘Book of Facts’ and he takes school pretty seriously. The truth is, he’s kind of a geek. But I’m allowed to call him that because we’re tight.”

Nate is very honest in his characterization of Francis, both the good and the bad. Nate sees Francis as a geek who is too serious about school, but Nate is also impressed at Francis’ knowledge.