39 pages • 1 hour read
The Best of Iggy
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The Challenges of Growing Up
Through the character of Iggy and his escapades, The Best of Iggy delves into the challenges of growing up. At nine years old, Iggy is encountering many difficulties typical of childhood, and his rebellious nature drives him into all sorts of trouble.
During the first episode, Iggy becomes jealous of Jeremy Greerson, whom everyone perceives as “the most wonderful boy in the world” (18). When his younger sister, Molly, asks Jeremy to read to her, an activity that Molly and Iggy usually do together, Iggy feels as if Jeremy is replacing him, and this feeling is compounded by the suspicion that his parents wish he were more like Jeremy. Iggy’s sense of self is still developing, and Jeremy’s seeming perfection feels like a threat, which causes Iggy to lie about having jumped off the roof before: “Iggy intended to make Jeremy feel bad that he wasn’t as brave as Iggy” (32). Iggy merely intends to impress Jeremy, but this lie has an unintended consequence: Jeremy wants to jump off the roof himself, which the adults blame on Iggy. This incident illustrates how jealousy can create challenges for young people.
In the second incident, Iggy struggles with authority, another part of growing up. When his older sister, Maribel, and her friend Haley are tasked with supervising him after school, he becomes upset: “Did it mean they were going to tell him what to do? They’d better not!” (41). As Maribel is only two years older than him, Iggy doesn’t believe she has the right to boss him around. However, when Maribel and Haley are more interested in chatting than in watching him, Iggy feels neglected. In response, Iggy acts out by locking himself in the bathroom and making a mess. Iggy struggles with authority, but he also craves attention and validation.
In the third incident, Iggy succumbs to peer pressure. Despite his affection for his teacher, Ms. Schulberger, he makes fun of her to appear cool in front of his friends: “Iggy loved Ms. Schulberger. He never would have said it out loud, but he did. […] If he was with Arch or Owen or Skyler, he said ‘Puttzi’s a nutzi’” (51). He then suggests having a desk race and picking Ms. Schulberger as the finish line simply because he thinks it will be fun. Iggy still lacks the maturity to make well-thought-out choices and prioritizes fun over considering the consequences.
The Importance of Learning From Mistakes
Through the telling of these three incidents and their consequences, the novel conveys the importance of recognizing mistakes and learning from them. Iggy’s parents often deal out punishments to help him learn from his errors. After the incident with Jeremy, Iggy is confined to his room until dinnertime, can’t have dessert for a week, loses his allowance for a month, and must write an apology letter. Following the bathroom incident, Iggy has to buy his mom a new lipstick with his own money after ruining hers. These punishments serve as tools for reflection and growth. While in his room, Iggy thinks, “If I could do it over […] I wouldn’t chase Jeremy up the ladder” (40). After realizing how expensive lipstick is, Iggy regrets his actions: “That was when Iggy wished a lot that he hadn’t gone too far” (49). These experiences teach Iggy a valuable lesson about the consequences of his actions and the importance of making better choices.
However, Iggy doesn’t fully grasp the impact of his mistakes until the final incident, when he hits Ms. Schulberger with his desk and injures her. Unlike the previous episodes, where Iggy’s mischief resulted in minor consequences, this time the repercussions are more severe, and Iggy is suspended from school. Although his parents’ reaction isn’t shown, Chapter 17 implies they are extremely upset, and it takes them a year to get over the incident. This demonstrates that misbehavior can have serious and long-lasting consequences.
Whereas Iggy regretted the first and second incidents because they got into trouble, when he hits Ms. Schulberger, Iggy truly feels remorse for his actions. An illustration on Page 64 shows Iggy with his hands on his face and his mouth open in an expression of shock and regret for what he has done. This is a pivotal moment for his character development. To apologize to Ms. Schulberger, Iggy brings her some gifts that symbolize the depth of his regret and serve as proof of his changed behavior. The narrator notes that Iggy’s deep regret can be considered an extenuating circumstance for his actions: “He felt so bad about what he had done that he actually made it better” (70). Even years later, Iggy still feels bad when he thinks about the incident, especially about the way Ms. Schulberger screamed and fell. This lasting regret shows that Iggy has learned from his mistake and grown as a person.
Conflict in Friendship and Family Relationships
The Best of Iggy explores both the dynamics of family relationships and friendships, portraying the struggles that come with navigating these relationships during childhood. In this way the theme connects to The Challenges of Growing Up, and the two themes are often explored together.
Iggy’s relationship with his parents is complicated, as they are strict figures who enforce rules and discipline. An illustration on Page 39 depicts Iggy’s parents as stern judges looking down at him from a bench as he stands before them. They limit his screen time, not allowing him to have a computer or TV in his room and only permitting him to play computer games for one hour a day. This strictness leads to embarrassment for Iggy when Jeremy asks where his computer is and then looks at him with pity when Iggy explains he isn’t allowed to have a computer in his room. Iggy’s behavior also causes conflict between him and his parents. When Iggy misbehaves, his parents impose punishments, which he views as harsh. An illustration on Page 39 depicts Iggy’s parents as stern judges looking down at him from a bench as he stands before them. Iggy also fears that his frequent misbehavior makes his parents wish they had a son like Jeremy.
When it comes to his sister Maribel, Iggy has a different type of relationship. Since she is only two years older than him, he dislikes it when she is tasked with watching him after school. An illustration on Page 42 shows Iggy standing against two large, evil-looking eyes, representing Maribel’s authoritative gaze and Iggy’s resentment of it. He doesn’t see her as an authority figure, so he doesn’t believe she should have control over him. However, when Maribel is more interested in talking to her friend than looking after her little brother, he feels ignored. As a nine-year-old, Iggy craves undivided attention from his family and is upset when he doesn’t receive it.
Iggy’s friendships showcase camaraderie but also challenging group dynamics. Iggy, Arch, Skyler, Diego, and Owen are “famous for getting in trouble” (59), and under their influence, Iggy suggests the idea of a desk race. Although seemingly harmless and fun, the idea spirals out of control when Ms. Schulberger, is injured, leading to Iggy and his friends being suspended. This incident illustrates how peer influence in friendships can lead to unintended consequences. Iggy’s desire to fit in with his friends causes him to hurt his favorite teacher.
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