The World According to Humphrey

In a normal classroom, students’ impressions of each other are mostly limited to the behavior they exhibit in class. This leads to nicknames and stereotypes, children being cast in roles without context. In Mrs. Brisbane’s class, most students gain nicknames based on their behavior. For example, Speak-Up-Sayeh never talks in class, Raise-Your-Hand-Heidi always speaks out of turn, and Lower-Your-Voice-A.J. “always talked extra loud in class” (85). For some, like Golden-Miranda, a nickname Humphrey gives her due to her golden hair, nicknames come from their appearance rather than personality. However, as Humphrey discovers, the reasons for these students’ personality quirks are rooted in their home life. His first rule in “Humphrey’s Guide to the Care and Feeding of Humans” illustrates this theme: “Like hamsters, Humans come in many, many sizes, shapes, colors, talents, and tempers. If you judge them by looks alone, you’ll miss out on knowing some wonderful people” (123).

Humphrey is in a unique position: Because he views himself as a student, he carries much the same impressions of his “classmates” as the others do. However, because he is the class pet, he is able to go home with students on the weekend and get a glimpse into the family life that makes them who they are. Humphrey cares deeply about his humans; once he learns of the dysfunctions in their homes, he is able to help solve them.

Sayeh Nasiri is quiet and shy in class, but Humphrey discovers that this is because her family members do not speak English. It is likely that Sayeh and her family are immigrants. Learning English is a daunting task, but thanks to Humphrey becoming a topic of conversation, Mr. and Mrs. Nasiri begin practicing English, and Sayeh gains the confidence to even sing “The Star-Spangled Banner” on Halloween. Garth, on the other hand, starts out as a regular student. However, as the weeks pass, he begins to act out more and more, bullying his other classmates. He seems to become jealous of Humphrey’s popularity. He refers to Humphrey as a “rat,” and Humphrey actually begins to fear him. However, as Mrs. Brisbane discovers, Garth has been acting out because his mother is severely ill. He is jealous that the other students can spend time with Humphrey on the weekends and he cannot. This revelation causes Humphrey to become more empathetic toward Garth.

Similarly, like her students, Mrs. Brisbane’s home life influences her behavior and attitude. Early on in the novel, it is revealed that Ms. Mac is her substitute, while Mrs. Brisbane takes care of her husband, Bert, who was in a traffic accident. With these revelations, Humphrey is able to see past surface impressions and reach the core of who the people in his life truly are.