No one thinks about something the exact same way. For example, you might think that your teacher is really nice while another student may think that the teacher is strict. In Miss Awful by Arthur Cavanaugh, a 3rd-grade class had a substitute teacher. At the beginning of the story, we see from the perspective of the students, thinking that the teacher, Ms. Orville(Awful), is really mean to them while we see more from her point of view towards the end of the story. The main theme of this story is to not judge a book by its cover, or that you should understand other’s perspectives before making assumptions.
When the main character, Roger, first saw the teacher, she was described as “tall and straight as a ruler … [her] rimless spectacles glinted on her bony nose. Her hair was gray, like a witch’s, skewered in a bun, and there was no question that she had witch’s eyes.” (Cavanaugh) Even before they properly met her, the students thought of her very negatively. This is an example of where you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. However, she began to be extremely strict to the students unlike their normal teacher, and even insulted them on their homework. By just reading the first part, we assume that Ms. Orville really is a bad person and mean to the students.
However, we find out from one of the parents that Ms. Orville was kicked out of the place she lived in and was basically forced to be homeless. From this, it shows that her real personality isn’t that awful. It also shows that she is being strict with the students because she wants to improve their behavior and stop them from being as violent.
Understanding what others are thinking before taking action is something that can prevent conflicts from happening. Your perspective doesn’t always include all the details. If the students knew Ms. Orville’s background, they would acknowledge that she isn’t actually a mean person and this would’ve stopped them wanting to take revenge, in this case, killing her plant that she cared about.
Miss Awful shows its reader not judge a book by its cover, and that understanding the other side’s perspective is very important. Next time you are about to interfere with a situation, be sure to recognize what others feel first.