Four Eyes

“Are you poor or something? Hah!”

Rex Ogle’s award-winning memoir, Free Lunch, chronicles his experiences of having to go on the free lunch program at school and the shame he felt until he adjusted his perception and felt grateful instead. This small inclusion of that experience refers to that memoir. It’s also an instance of foreshadowing, because Rex is soon bullied for weeks because of his cheap-looking glasses. All of this is part of Rex learning to let go of what others think, which thematically exemplifies Rising Above Negative Judgment.

“I saw the solar eclipse! I didn’t have special glasses or anything, so I just looked straight at it. It was pretty cool.”

On the first day of school, Rex announces that he stared directly at the sun over the summer. Ironically, this is not the source of his vision issues, but it nevertheless acts as a form of foreshadowing because Rex is about to discover that he needs glasses. He spends days worrying that this mistake was the cause but then finds out that vision loss just runs in his family.

“Oh my God. Superheroes and sci-fi are for nerds. I bet you like Back to the Future, too.”

Victor is constantly stereotyping and shaming others. When he sees a person with glasses, he calls them a nerd, and anyone who happens to like comics or sci-fi (one of the memoir’s motifs) is worthy of mockery. This is a key moment in Rex’s life because Drew betrays him and Rex demonstrates that, unlike Drew, he can reject negative people, which thematically supports rising above negative judgment.

“I was watching! But I couldn’t see what he was doing, okay? I couldn’t see!!”

Bolded words signify emphasis in a person’s speech, and in this instance convey how upset Rex is and how loud he’s speaking when his brother picks up a knife. The experience is alarming both because of the immediate danger it presents and because it leads Rex to the realization that he needs glasses.

“Question: Is it bad to look directly at the sun?”

Rex asks the optometrist this question because it has been weighing on his mind ever since the kids at school told him it was a bad idea, and he coincidentally noticed his vision loss the same day. Because of the close association of the two events, Rex assumes they must be related. Rex’s question is humorous too, because to many this is common sense, but Rex somehow never learned about it.

“Too nerdy. Too rectangle-y. Too wild! Too grandpa.”

Trying on different pairs of glasses is like trying on different personalities and speaks to the importance of finding glasses that suits the person wearing them. Rex seems to know this intuitively, and the montage in which he poses with each new pair helps emphasize the devastation he feels when he must settle for a cheap pair that don’t suit his face. Although physical appearance isn’t the most important thing, it can have a major effect on a young person’s experience of middle school, because others will likely judge that person based on how they look.

“How can I be spoiled when I don’t have anything?!”

After his mother buys him the brown glasses, Rex goes home angry and feeling deprived. He blames his mother for this and accuses her of not giving him anything. This behavior and attitude contrasts sharply with Rex’s attitude in the memoir’s conclusion, after he learns to appreciate his family and what they have rather than thinking in terms of what he lacks, which thematically illustrates Learning to Be Grateful.

“Stop worrying about how other people see you.”

Rex is in middle school, so rising above negative judgment is an important theme, and ignoring or standing up to bullies is a present and formidable challenge in his life. His mother long since overcame this issue and tries to encourage her son to do the same. Rex places a lot of weight on how he looks in his glasses, and he finds it difficult to defend himself when he’s harassed or teased.

“How cute is that? Your little brother wants to be just like you.”

Rex and Ford have opposite perceptions of who Rex is and what his glasses represent. Rex sees his glasses as a one-way ticket to being alone and bullied for the rest of his life. Ford, on the other hand, sees Rex as someone worth admiring and imitating. Rex sees it as foolishness at first, because he looks at himself and fails to see anything worth admiring. Although Ford is still quite young, his high opinion of his brother helps Rex see that his family gives him much to be thankful for.

“I thought people who wear glasses are supposed to be smart. Thanks for nothing!”

In this humorous remark by a student who tries to cheat off Rex, the undying stereotype about smart people wearing glasses creates a moment of irony. Rex doesn’t do well on his test, so the boy who copied his work doesn’t do well, either. Rex is constantly stereotyped in this way, and it isn’t always humorous, but moments of levity help ease tension and add to the memoir’s relatability.

“In the real world, if you wear glasses you’re a loser, and you definitely don’t get the girl.”

Not only do others stereotype Rex, but Rex also stereotypes himself. He falls into the trap of believing that the bullies must somehow be right, and that anyone who wears glasses is doomed to be alone and rejected. This attitude is harmful to Rex because it prevents him from reaching a point where he can stand up for himself and rise above the negativity of others.

“Whatever you say, say it with authority so it sounds true. We may be the smallest kids in school, but we don’t have to act like it.”

Scott knows how to stand up to Victor and, despite being afraid, to let Victor know that his negative judgment only harms him and not others. He shows Rex that standing up to others doesn’t mean having no fear but fighting through that fear to give the impression of confidence. When Scott uses this technique, Victor is taken aback and leaves the boys alone.

“A bright white light? Oh no! OH NO! Am I dead?

No. You’re staring at the sun.”

Rex runs into a parked car while chasing Ford through the parking lot. He can’t see because his face was stung by a wasp. Rex’s tone is panicked, and the hyperbolic nature of his question adds humor to the scene. At this point in the year, Rex is exhausted after months of enduring bullying, and the wasp sting is making matters worse.

“If you want to be my father, then start acting like it!”

One of Rex’s bullies is his father, who often insults Rex’s mother or Rex himself. He implies that Rex is too short and feels the need to tell him he’s the only Ogle who needs glasses. In this empowering moment, Rex stands up to his father and tells him how he feels. Rex thematically exemplifies rising above negative judgment by telling his father what he really thinks, thereby demonstrating that he’s maturing and finding his inner strength.

“I h-h-hate b-being on her b-bad side.”

Sam’s stutter is part of who he is, and the memoir depicts it with sensitivity and without turning it into something more than it is. Whenever Sam talks, he stutters, which characterizes him and in a way makes him seem kinder and more approachable. He isn’t the outspoken, abrasive person that Rex’s biological father is, and Rex comes to appreciate this distinction, which thematically highlights accepting one’s family.

“Good thing the safety goggles are so big they fit over your glasses, huh?”

Even when people aren’t directly insulting Rex about his glasses, they’re still asking questions and making ignorant remarks that he finds irritating and offensive. One of Rex’s peers seems to mean well but is always pointing out the presence of Rex’s glasses, as if they somehow define who he is.

“Bad week, bad month, bad life.”

Rex has had several bad experiences both at school and at home, and he becomes frustrated and overwhelmed. He’s still unable to find a way to be grateful for what he has rather than always focusing on what he lacks. This short, repetitive phrase fully conveys the extent of Rex’s dissatisfaction, and it becomes clear that Rex’s attitude is at least part of the problem.

“My life is hard, but it isn’t that hard. Not compared to some. My abuela helped me figure that out. It’s funny. I always thought she could barely see ‘cause her glasses are so thick. Turns out she can see the whole world a lot better than most.”

After speaking with his abuela and hearing about her life growing up, Rex’s attitude toward his own life circumstances changes. She helps Rex learn to be grateful for his life by offering him perspective and a source of comparison that brings him back down to reality. Here, Rex uses his abuela’s glasses as a metaphor for her wisdom. This is the first time Rex makes a positive association with glasses.

“You and me—we’re not friends. We were never friends. So all your opinions and thoughts and jerk remarks? You can shove ‘em.”

In a moment that thematically exemplifies rising above negative judgment, Rex finally finds the courage to stand up to Victor by dismissing his bullying remarks as invalid and unimportant. After months of being antagonized, and after receiving his abuela’s advice, Rex feels ready to confront the person who most goes out of his way to make Rex’s life miserable. In doing so, Rex mirrors the negativity of Victor’s remarks, letting him know that his bullying can’t touch Rex and thus turning the effects back on Victor.

“Thanks, Mom. Not just for the glasses, but for everything.”

In his thematic journey toward learning to be grateful, Rex experiences a transformation in his perception of his life and his family. While he previously felt embarrassed by his mother’s work as well as financially neglected, he now recognizes those were not his thoughts but the thoughts of bullies and appreciates how much his family does for him. He sees that while he may not have much, he has more than many.

“Oh, and hey…thanks for not being a jerk of a dad.”

In a moment that thematically highlights accepting one’s family, Rex makes a conscious effort to be kinder to Sam and start seeing him as the father figure that he is. Sam works hard to be there for Rex by supporting and encouraging him. He’s also a kind and gentle person—the opposite of Rex’s father. Rex learns to appreciate this and to appreciate Sam, rather than seeing him as some sort of invader or replacement for his father.

“When you’re popular, you have to act a certain way. There are rules. It’s…complicated.”

Drew tries to make up with Rex, but reality sets in, and it becomes clear that Drew prioritizes being popular over his longtime friendship with Rex. The realization is painful for them both, but it allows them to mutually let go and to move on with their lives in a direction that makes sense for each of them.

“Let him wear them. Those glasses are his favorite thing in the world.”

Ford’s opinion of glasses is the exact opposite of how Rex sees them. For Ford, glasses represent the person he admires most, and thus glasses are an amazing thing. He proudly wears the coat hanger glasses Rex made him for weeks, including to his karate test. Ford may be small, but he helps change Rex’s perspective in a big way.