Big Nate: In a Class by Himself

Nate is the narrator and protagonist of Big Nate: In a Class by Himself. Nate is a lively and playful sixth grader at P.S. 38. He is also excessively self-confident and self-absorbed. Nate’s self-centeredness blinds him to the feelings of those around him and makes him feel like he is constantly victimized. He balances this out by being incredibly resilient and optimistic. While Nate may constantly feel he is the victim of others’ unfairness, he never lets those feelings get him down for long.

Nate’s hubris is so overwhelming that it is almost a character in itself. Nate is confident that he is destined for greatness. Therefore, he believes the things he struggles with are insignificant: “I want to use my talents for more than just memorizing useless facts. I’m meant for bigger things” (7). Nate’s self-confidence blinds him to most of his flaws and reality itself, which is why he struggles to accept Jenny and Artur’s relationship. Nate cannot fathom a world where the object of his affection does not reciprocate his feelings.

Similarly, Nate truly cannot grasp the difference in quality between his artwork and Artur’s, which is why he feels so aggrieved when Mr. Rosa refuses to show his artwork.