Wayside School is Falling Down

“Maybe on my way back I’ll stop by Miss Mush’s room and get some mushrooms, he thought. He didn’t want to miss Miss Mush’s mushrooms.”

The alliteration, repetition, and diction that Sachar employs make the passage resemble a tongue-twister, and the author uses this approach to enhance the absurdity of the experience, especially if the story is being read aloud. This key example of Sachar’s habitual wordplay adds to the passage’s comic effect. The character’s eagerness also contradicts the fact that Miss Mush’s food is widely disliked.

“‘How come Dameon always gets to do everything?’ griped Kathy.

‘I’m sorry, Kathy,’ said Mrs. Jewls. ‘Would you like to pass back the homework?’

‘No!’ grumped Kathy. ‘I’m not your slave.’”

Kathy’s quick contradiction of her own point is part of a series of jokes in which characters immediately reverse their own stated expectations. This pattern underscores The Importance of Embracing Life’s Absurdities and adds to the text’s humorous tone. This particular incident also serves to establish Kathy’s reputation as a student with a particularly negative attitude, and this trait becomes more comically exaggerated as the stories progress.

“‘Man, it’s unfair,’ said Mac. ‘Mrs. Jewls assigns more homework than any other teacher in Wayside School.’”

Mac’s complaint is ironic because he is the main reason that Mrs. Jewls’s students have so much homework, for he often interrupts the daily lessons with tangential stories and distractions. His inability to see that his own behavior is the cause of his increased homework assignments contributes to the text’s portrayal of life’s absurdities.