The Key to Extraordinary

Although Emma, the protagonist and narrator, struggles with grief and being bullied, she is kind and prioritizes her loved ones. One morning, Topher perceives Emma’s sadness, and she responds, “It’s the Big Empty […] I woke up thinking that I wanted to talk to Mama. And then I realized I couldn’t talk to her […] It aches, is all. Missing her is a terrible ache” (7). After her mother’s death, Emma feels an emptiness so significant that she names it the “Big Empty.” The ache is immense grief at no longer having a mother to talk to, and although time has passed, this feeling persists. Additionally, Emma struggles with being bullied. Born with a cleft lip, she has undergone multiple surgeries, but that has not stopped mean girls, like Beretta Simpson, from mocking her. Even though Emma’s scar is barely noticeable, she admits, “You’d think it wouldn’t hurt anymore, but it hurts just as much. And it hurts because I know she’ll never stop” (159-60). Just like her grief, no matter how much time passes and no matter how many corrective surgeries she has, Emma still feels the pain of being targeted by bullies. Despite this, Emma is compassionate toward others.