28 pages • 56 minutes read
Stephen ManesBe a Perfect Person in Just Three Days!
Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 1982A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Summary
Background
Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Character Analysis
Themes
Symbols & Motifs
Important Quotes
Essay Topics
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BetaThemes
The Myth of Perfection and Its Impact on Self-Esteem
The myth of true perfection is debunked by Dr. Silverfish’s logic that doing anything is likely to result in some transgression. True perfection, therefore, involves doing nothing at all, other than closely monitoring yourself doing nothing indefinitely. Trying to reach perfection is isolating and insular, but the lure of being perfect is strong. This is especially true for those with low self-esteem who imagine that everyone else is “perfect” in comparison to them and that life would be easy if they were not “themselves.”
Milo lacks confidence at the beginning of his journey, but after following steps one and two—which build resilience and willpower, respectively—Milo’s self-confidence blossoms. Milo stands up to his classmates and a bully, letting them know that he does not need to change or explain himself to them. He also accepts parts of himself that he previously wanted to change. For example, Milo knows he is not good at baseball, and he focused on this “failing.” Once he stops worrying about his imperfect skills and focuses on how much he enjoys the game, his playing improves, and he enjoys the game even more. When Milo reminds himself that “No-body’s perfect” (57), he is able to accept his shortcomings; he appreciates that even the “best pitcher in the world” (46) —something he dreamt about becoming, —will still make mistakes. Dr. Silverfish draws attention to this concept when he humorously reassures his readers that even “perfect” people are “not really one-hundred-percent perfect anyway. You should see them when they get the hiccups!” (55). Dr. Silverfish is clear to differentiate between good and perfect people. Truly good people are rare, and they are not perfect—they do all the things in life that are fun, such as “silly dances and sing stupid songs and wear funny hats” (55), while also being good people. Perfect people, by Dr. Silverfish’s criteria, must be completely self-centered, which rules out being a truly “good” person.
Milo’s relationship with his family is healthy and strong, but Milo focuses negatively on how annoying his sister is and imagines how nice it would be to never get scolded by his parents—until he experiences the boredom of “perfection.” Milo realizes that he would miss playing his music too loudly or eating stinky sandwiches, thereby getting “hollered” at by his parents. He would also miss teasing his sister and being able to kick her under the table in response to her banter. Milo’s perspective shifts as he realizes that the daily “annoyances” are what make a family a family. Being perfect would mean not being fully part of any “family” at home or at school. Milo’s father supports Milo with his quest to achieve perfection by bringing him tea and making a sign for his door, highlighting their loving relationship. When Milo “fails,” as his father knew he would, Milo’s father smiles and says, “‘Maybe it’s just as well […] I don’t know if I could stand living with a perfect person’” (56). This highlights that most adults understand that perfection is not something to strive for in daily life. Through Dr. Silverfish’s book, Milo not only learns to accept and embrace his own imperfections but also those of people around him.
Societal Pressures and Expectations
Societal expectations are addressed in the opening chapter when Milo sees the author’s photograph in Dr. Silverfish’s book. Like the rest of society, Milo has an expectation of what a doctor should look like, and Dr. Silverfish—with his unusual, haphazard clothing, clown nose, and mustard dribbling down his chin—does not meet those expectations, so Milo questions whether this author could really be a doctor. Dr. Silverfish addresses this preconception in his opening paragraph: “‘You're thinking, ‘How can a funny looking guy like this Dr. K. Pinkerton Silverfish teach me how to become perfect? Right? […] Things are not always what they seem’” (7).
By the end of Milo’s journey with Dr. Silverfish, Milo is described eating a stinky sandwich with mustard dribbling down his chin, mirroring the author photo. This symbolizes an acceptance of himself. He knows that first impressions can be misleading, so he no longer judges people by them and hopes that others will not judge him either. Milo is embracing the joy of eating without worrying about how it looks—he is comfortable with himself. However, to get to that point, Milo has to confront his own anxieties about not fitting in or performing as well as he should—or more accurately, as well as society expects he should. For example, Milo loves baseball, but he worries that he is not good enough and will let the team down. This takes away from the enjoyment of the game and affects his performance. Once Milo accepts that everyone makes mistakes and that his self-imposed, unrealistic expectations are unhelpful, Milo relaxes and enjoys the game. He still makes mistakes, but he also makes great plays.
Wearing broccoli does not conform to society’s expectations, albeit in a humorously exaggerated manner. But rather than embracing individual differences, Milo’s peers demand an explanation, a common reaction when someone goes against the norm. Milo initially comes up with “good” reasons for wearing broccoli, but the bravest moment is when he simply tells the bullies to mind their own business. The hierarchical norm among Milo’s classmates is that you do not stand up to bullies, which is common because the expectation is that you will be bullied more. Wearing a stalk of broccoli makes Milo an easy target, so he has no choice but to stand up for himself or take the broccoli off. When Milo tells the bully to mind his own business, the surprised bully has no comeback and leaves Milo alone. This shows Milo that there is another, more positive way to react to negative societal pressure and that he has the courage to do so.
The Role of Humor in Addressing Serious Themes
Stephen Manes uses humor throughout the book to address serious issues, such as resilience, self-acceptance, tolerance, and understanding. Mane’s humor is direct and sometimes sarcastic. For example, when Milo follows Dr. Silverfish’s instructions to turn the page, the first sentence on the following page is, “Very good. You turned the page. You can be trusted to follow orders” (8). Manes introduces the downfall of perfect people who feel superior in a humorous way by having Milo dream about broccoli and his imperfect family failing (e.g. his sister stubs her toe on broccoli). Milo laughs so hard at them—since in his dream he is perfect—that he falls out of bed. Later, when Milo is bullied at school by George, George asks Milo why people don’t wear cauliflower or “a ham and cheese sandwich” around their necks (25). Mane’s visual is funny and lightens the narrative without losing the impact of Milo’s reply—that it is nobody’s business what anyone else wears.
Dr. Silverfish uses humor to congratulate Milo on his courage for wearing broccoli by first mocking him: “Why, that’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever see! […] Imagine, coming to a famous doctor like me with a stalk of broccoli dangling in front of you!” (29). This is ironic because Dr. Silverfish himself has food all over his face in his author’s picture. This comment is followed by the observation that to do so must have taken courage and that Milo must be “absolutely fearless,” followed by a list of humorous things that Milo will now have the courage to do, such as wear “a hat with grapes on it, and a diaper” (29). The point about going through a day of humiliation and coming out stronger is made clearly and playfully without being preachy. This helps make the text more engaging and approachable to the middle grade audience Mane is trying to reach.
Examples of Manes’s humor are shown in Dr. Silverfish’s biography and in the description on the package of frozen broccoli, which is “in a delicious imitation cheese sauce made from only the finest, most succulent chemicals” (16). Before detailing the third step, which uncovers the unpleasant truth about perfection, Manes makes an offhand joke to lighten the mood by instructing the reader to bring home a gorilla. He follows up with an apology for those who took him seriously: “To the gorilla. He’s stuck with a dummy like you. You get no apology, because you were stupid!” (43). While seemingly trivial, Dr. Silverfish’s jokes and silly comments speak to the underlying message. His irreverent attitude, delivery, and silliness are far from perfect, but they are fun and help the reader achieve a deeper understanding of both themselves and those around them. They make Dr. Silverfish a “good” person, not a perfect person. The overarching message of the book is that it is better to be good than perfect.
