The Thing About Georgie

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of bullying and ableism.

Dwarfism is a medical condition that results in short stature, typically defined as four feet, 10 inches or shorter. Dwarfism has many medical causes, but the most common form is achondroplasia. People with achondroplasia have specific physical traits like a large head; short arms, legs, and fingers; weak muscle tone; and a curved spine. Although the novel does not specifically mention an achondroplasia diagnosis for Georgie, his physical features, the challenges he faces, and the accommodations he requires align with those of a person with achondroplasia.

Georgie’s dwarfism affects him in many ways throughout the novel, and with the help of the unnamed narrator, the novel communicates how Georgie must adapt to a world not made for him. The narrator’s exercises include many ordinary things that are hard or impossible for Georgie, like reaching over his head to touch his left ear with his right hand or resting his head on his knees. Through these exercises, the narrator makes it clear that Georgie has physical limitations that impact his ability to do everyday activities like reaching the counter to brush his teeth, opening the refrigerator, holding a pencil, and tying his shoes.

Aside from the narrator, many instances in the novel highlight the accommodations that Georgie needs. Early chapters of the novel describe the stool “that [i]s always at the front of the [class] room, just for him” (4), the lever on his light switch so that he can reach it by himself, and his desk from a special catalog “so his feet c[an] touch the floor while he wr[ites]” (45). When Georgie is at school, away from his specially made desk, “he ha[s] to sit with a pillow behind him, to support his back, and a crate under his feet” (81). The descriptions of Georgie’s accommodations highlight how his everyday life differs from individuals without dwarfism.

Georgie’s dwarfism is a factor in two of the conflicts he faces in the novel. First, his parents are having a new baby who will not have dwarfism, and Georgie worries about watching his little sibling outgrow him. Georgie also worries that his sibling will be successful in ways he isn’t, like at playing the violin. Georgie cannot properly hold a bow because of his short fingers, and many other instruments are too large, heavy, or unwieldy for him. The novel follows Georgie’s journey as he comes to terms with all the potential his younger sibling carries. His other conflict starts when his bully, Jeanie, signs him up to be Abraham Lincoln in the school play. Georgie is terrified that a little person playing the tallest president will bring unnecessary attention to his condition, resulting in unwanted laughter from the audience. Georgie must learn to be confident in his role, despite the physical differences between himself and Lincoln.