Big Nate: In a Class by Himself

Nate’s notebook is a motif that pervades the story. It illustrates Nate’s personality by displaying his hopes, fears, dreams, and inner thoughts—generally his most ridiculous ones. The notebook contains Nate’s comics, his teachers’ nicknames, and anything else he does not want to share with others. While Nate is generally optimistic, the notebook shows his frustrations. For example, the first drawing from Nate’s notebook is a picture of a dog, with Mrs. Godfrey’s face, growling at him. The notebook illustrates Nate’s bitterness and frustration toward his “perfect” sister as he details the five most annoying things about her. One of his longer comics details his frustration about how his life has changed since Artur joined the school.

The notebook also details Nate’s fears and predictions. When Nate contemplates forging a note to get out of social studies, he draws a comic of himself being dragged out by a police officer. He lists what will happen if he sits with various groups at the lunch table. He illustrates his prediction about what will happen if he comes out of the locker room with wet pants. The comics in Nate’s notebook also illustrate events like a frustrating fortune cookie incident, Nate’s lecture from the principal, and Nate’s top four worst days. It also serves as a liability, as Nate’s list of nicknames for Mrs. Godfrey is what earns him his first detention. In short, Nate’s notebook is a window into the insecure boy hidden behind layers of bravado. Nate’s notebook illustrates the reasons behind some of Nate’s more ridiculous actions.