49 pages • 1 hour read
James Patterson, Chris GrabensteinI Funny: A Middle School Story
Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 2012A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Character Analysis
Jamie Grimm
Content Warning: This section of the guide contains brief descriptions of bullying, ableism, and derogatory attitudes toward people with disabilities.
Jamie Grimm is the protagonist and narrator of I Funny. He is a middle school student who originally grew up in Cornwall, New York, but moved to Long Island after a fatal car accident killed his parents and younger sister and left him paralyzed from the waist down. Despite losing his whole family, Jamie feels extremely lucky and grateful to have survived, and doesn’t allow the fact that he no longer has use of his legs to deter him from enjoying life or bringing joy to others. Jamie sees humor in everything and searches the world for reasons to be sarcastic and self-deprecating. Jamie uses humor as a mask for his true feelings, but humor is also his greatest strength and the main source of inspiration for his recovery. Jamie demonstrates deep compassion and care for others, and this is shown his desire to make them smile. Illustrations of Jamie are profoundly emotive, with his eyes and mouth being the primary modes of expression. On his wheelchair, a careful observer can often spot motivational and philosophical statements that relate to his struggles and shed light on the underlying messages of his story.
Jamie is a budding comedian who develops his natural talent through hard work, study, observation, and practice. Along the way, Overcoming Hardship and Fear becomes part of Jamie’s journey to the status of a comedic legend. Before he can succeed, he must overcome his fear of public speaking and his fear of failure, and he must also learn to ignore the many naysayers who try to claim that he is only successful because of his disability. Writing jokes is a retreat for Jamie and a way for him to process and analyze the world around him through a lens that is both light and honest. He idolizes the great masters of comedy and studies their art to perfect his own craft. Jamie also makes jokes to distract his bullies and deescalate their hostility, thereby Using Humor as a Survival Tool and as a mask to hide his true feelings. While this is a useful skill, Suzy and Uncle Frankie both help Jamie learn to be serious and to discover that showing his true feelings is not as scary as it seems. Jamie also learns that comedy is an effective medium for expressing his true thoughts, and he never shies away from making fun of himself, saying, “I’m Jamie Grimm. Maybe you saw my picture on the men’s room door?” (238).
After losing his family in the car accident, Jamie spent a year in recovery. He needed time to heal both physically and emotionally, and some people thought he would not survive at all. Jamie used comedy to get through this time and found that laughter helped him to heal and find something new to live for when he had lost everything. He now wants to share that source of joy and hope with the world. Jamie also has a strong desire to be seen as ordinary in his day-to-day life, and he actively works toward Challenging the Social Stigma of Disability. With comedy as his tool, Jamie proves that he is just another person trying to get through life. Jamie wins both contests and is celebrated by his friends and family, who have all believed in him from the start.
Uncle Frankie
Uncle Frankie—not to be confused with the uncle who is part of the Smiley family—is Jamie’s uncle and the brother of Jamie’s father. He is Jamie’s favorite person, and Jamie often seeks him out for advice, support, and comfort. Uncle Frankie is always at Jamie’s shows and hosts parties and celebrations for Jamie. He also lets Jamie help at the diner and practice his jokes on the customers. Uncle Frankie is an important figure in Jamie’s life because he establishes the importance of being persistent and perfecting a craft. He is a yo-yo champion and a well-loved chef, and these traits stand out as inspiration for Jamie to improve his own comedy skills. Uncle Frankie is the one who plants the idea of the comedy contest in Jamie’s mind, and he is also the first person to tell Jamie that he has a genuine talent for making people laugh. Uncle Frankie helps Jamie whenever he is feeling sad or being bullied, and he points his nephew in the right direction, helping Jamie to find his confidence and overcome his fear of public speaking. Jamie loves his uncle dearly and wishes he was adopted by him instead of the Smileys. He is the closest thing to a father that Jamie has left.
Stevie and the Smiley Family
The Smiley family is Jamie’s adoptive family. It is composed of Jamie’s maternal aunt, her husband—Jamie’s uncle-in-law, and three cousins. Stevie, the eldest child, bullies and harasses Jamie constantly, sometimes even going so far as to put his life in danger. Jamie theorizes that Stevie is jealous of him and is not very bright, which is why he chooses to bully Jamie. On one occasion, Stevie steals Jamie’s wheelchair and has his friends throw Jamie onto the beach. On another, he spreads rumors about Jamie, and on a third occasion, he locks Jamie out of the house. With each hostile encounter, Stevie acts as a true challenge and test of Jamie’s endurance and strength. Jamie never tells anyone about Stevie’s bullying until he is on stage. There, Jamie feels confident and supported enough to tell the world what he really thinks of Stevie.
The rest of the Smiley family represents Jamie’s toughest audience because they ironically never smile or laugh. Jamie considers it his greatest challenge to make them laugh. When he finally succeeds, it is a true victory. The Smileys turn out to be dynamic characters, and at the end of the novel, they surprise Jamie by supporting him and finally warming up to him and his comedy.
Suzy
Suzy or “Cool Girl” is a girl whom Jamie meets in school. Over the course of his journey into comedy, he develops a close bond with her. Jamie knows little about Suzy at first, but he can tell that she is suave, and he admires her long hair and her casual attitude. Suzy is a round character because she transcends her “cool kid” persona and proves herself to be a kind and honest friend: the perfect person for Jamie to confide in. Suzy reveals that she voted for Jamie in the student council election. She also likes his comedy, and her sheer honesty helps the friendship along. She tries to help Jamie find his serious side and release some of the tension that he covers up with humor. Suzy is not afraid to point out that Jamie uses humor to hide his feelings and to avoid serious topics, and she helps him to become more genuine and honest. Suzy boldly asks Jamie if he’s still able to pee or not, and she is always there to encourage him and remind him that he is meant for comedy. Suzy gives Jamie his first kiss and winks at him from the audience at the contest; her support inspires Jamie and gives him the strength to succeed. Suzy also helps Jamie with Overcoming Hardship and Fear by giving him a safe place to tell the story of losing his family and the use of his legs.
Gilda, Pierce, and Gaynor
Gilda, Pierce, and Gaynor are Jamie’s friend group at school. Initially, only Pierce and Gaynor are his friends, but Gilda soon joins the group and is always depicted with them in the following scenes. Pierce and Gaynor are Jamie’s closest friends and allies because they treat him like a normal person. Jamie spends much of his time working to ensure that his disability does not define him, and his friends are some of the few people who never pity or talk down to him. Pierce is an academically oriented person who is always learning new things and sharing his knowledge. Gaynor is an eclectic person with tattoos and piercings and a strong sense of humor. Gilda is Jamie’s first crush; he notices her frizzy hair in class but cannot work up the nerve to talk to her. Pierce and Gaynor eventually introduce the two to one another, and Jamie quickly learns that Gilda is skilled at fending off bullies. They also share an interest in comedy, and Gilda becomes an essential part of Jamie’s support system.
Mr. Burdzecki
Mr. Burdzecki is a regular customer at Uncle Frankie’s diner. He is a Russian immigrant who is always jolly and is depicted as a stereotyped Russian man, complete with Russian ushanka hat, thick beard, and winter coat. Mr. Burdzecki also has a thick Russian accent, and when he finds one of Jamie’s jokes funny, he tells him, “You funny boy” (61). Mr. Burdzecki’s inspiration is instrumental in helping Jamie to see that people beyond his friends and family consider him funny. His comment also inspires Jamie to describe himself by saying, “I funny.” This explains the book’s title and serves as an affirmation of Jamie’s confidence in himself. Mr. Burdzecki comes to watch the contest and attends the celebrations to support Jamie.
Related Titles
By these authors
