49 pages • 1 hour read
Lincoln PeirceBig Nate: In a Class by Himself
Fiction | Graphic Novel/Book | Middle Grade | Published in 2010A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Literary Devices
Setting
Big Nate: In a Class by Himself takes place over one day in an American middle school. While most school stories can feasibly occur in multiple grades, Nate’s story is specific to this placement. Middle schools allow students to walk to different classes, unlike elementary schools, where most learning occurs in the same room. Nate requires this time between classes to plot and plan with his friends. Similarly, if this story had occurred in elementary school, most of Nate’s classes would have been taught by the same teacher. That teacher probably would have sent Nate to the principal’s office after the second period. Likewise, if Nate had recess, which is required for elementary school, he probably would have planned to “surpass all others” there before anywhere else.
While the story does not work in an elementary school setting, high school is just as problematic. While Nate would be free to roam the halls, the probability of his having all his classes and lunch with his friends in high school is almost nonexistent. Without the support of his friends, Nate would not have gotten very far in his quest to “surpass all others.” Similarly, Nate’s immaturity is very specific to middle school. His behaviors, while understandable for a sixth grader, would be entirely unacceptable for a high school student. Thus, the specific middle school setting is critical for the flow of the story.
Point of View
Big Nate: In a Class by Himself is written in the first-person limited point of view. As such, the reader “sees” the story through Nate’s eyes only. Though some of his teachers’ and friends’ feelings are apparent through their words and actions, even these are filtered through Nate’s eyes. This point of view becomes problematic because Nate is often an unreliable narrator. For example, Nate is only an average soccer player, though he believes that is one of his paths to greatness. He believes that his art is superior to all others when it lacks a bit compared to his classmates. Similarly, Nate’s narration frequently devolves into flights of fancy where Nate imagines the worst or the best that could happen. This pressures the reader to evaluate Nate’s narration to find the truth.
One of the more exciting parts of Nate’s narration is how he frequently breaks the fourth wall and addresses the reader directly. He asks the reader questions, says “you know” countless times, and even gives the reader advice like, “That’s Teddy. Just ignore his lame jokes” (55). This unique stylistic choice makes the narrative feel more like a very long conversation than a book. It makes the reader feel like they are a part of the story and makes them feel more invested in Nate’s problems.
Flashback
As part of Nate’s conversation with the reader, he frequently flashes back to previous events. Some of these flashbacks are relayed via comics, such as when Nate’s dad gave out rice cakes for Halloween or his “bizarre” fortune cookie. In other cases, the flashbacks are more extended and comprise comics and prose. For example, when Nate relates how he and Teddy became friends or when Nate relates how he got his last round of detentions. Throughout the story, though, Nate only uses external analepsis. Instead of flashing back to a point within the story, Nate only uses flashbacks to relay events that happened before the story’s start, which fits with the conversational style of the work. The work uses a combination of flashbacks. Extended flashbacks give the reader critical information about Nate’s past experiences. Short comic-strip-based flashbacks are generally used for comedic effect—for example, Nate’s interactions with substitute teachers or the time Mr. Galvin’s teeth fell out.
