Miranda was one of Via's best friends before they began high school. They hung out often with Ella and went to school together through middle school. Growing up, they hung out at Via's house and played with August, and Miranda has a special affinity for him. She even bought him his space helmet, which he wore out in public for several years until it mysteriously disappeared. The summer before the novel starts, Miranda's parents undergo a nasty divorce and send Miranda to summer camp to remove her from it. Miranda hates camp but soon finds herself inexplicably speaking about August and the Pullmans as though they're her family, which boosts her popularity immensely. The popular girls at camp completely makeover Miranda's look, which means that she looks like a stereotypical popular girl by the time she returns to school. Though Miranda enjoys parts of her popularity and maintains her friendship with Ella, she and Ella begin to ostracize Via so they don't have to admit that they're changing. Miranda secretly wishes that she and Via were still friends and signs up for a theater elective to spend time with Via. There, Miranda has several opportunities to “choose kind.” First, she talks the theater director, Mr. Davenport, out of putting on a production of The Elephant Man, which deals with physical disability and she believes wouldn't be well-received by the Pullmans. Then, on opening night, she allows Via to take her place in the lead of Our Town and shine for her family. The Pullmans, including Via, accept Miranda's opening night kindnesses and embrace her as the good friend they know she still is, despite the changes she made to her appearance.
Miranda Quotes in Wonder
The Wonder quotes below are all either spoken by Miranda or refer to Miranda. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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Miranda: School
Quotes
We knew we were being mean, but it was easier to ice her out if we pretended she had done something to us. The truth is she hadn't changed at all: we had. We'd become these other people, and she was still the person she'd always been. That annoyed me so much and I didn't know why.
Related Characters:
Miranda (speaker), Via Pullman , Ella
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Get the entire Wonder LitChart as a printable PDF.

Miranda Character Timeline in Wonder
The timeline below shows where the character Miranda appears in Wonder. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Via: High School
In high school, it seems as though only Miranda and Ella know about August, and they don't talk about it with other people. They've...
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Via: Major Tom
Via explains that Miranda was always the sweetest to August. She bought him his space helmet, and they'd sing...
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Via: After School
During eighth period on the first day of school, Via tells Miranda that she doesn't need a ride home. It's a lie, but Via can't stomach sitting...
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Via: The Padawan Bites the Dust
...Via's door and Via recognizes that Mom is drained. Via declines to tell her about Miranda, but asks if she'd bring in Daisy to sleep in her room. Mom agrees, but...
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Via: Breakfast
...day of school, Via asks Mom to pick her up after school. Mom insists that Miranda's mom can drive Via as she supposedly did the day before, while Dad insists that...
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Mom asks if there's something going on with Miranda, and Via explains that Miranda is acting like a jerk. August pipes up that Miranda...
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Via: Out with the Old
After a week of excruciatingly awkward lunches, Miranda and Ella attach themselves to a popular group. Via finishes War and Peace in the...
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Via: October 31
...favorite movie, and Via thinks this will be a good opportunity to tell Mom about Miranda and Ella. Just as they sit down, Mom gets a call that August is sick...
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Via: Time to Think
...ignore them and they won't know why. August asks if that's how Via is with Miranda, which annoys Via. August admits that Miranda called the other day to talk to him,...
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...kids with special needs. August finally agrees to go to school. Casually, Via asks if Miranda said anything about her. August says that Miranda mentioned that she misses Via, and Via...
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Justin: OUR TOWN
...Via dared him to try out for the lead role and somehow, he got it. Miranda got the female lead, while Via was cast as the understudy. Justin is nervous about...
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Justin: Rehearsal
...can play a bit when he forgets his lines. He's also happy to discover that Miranda isn't as stuck up as he thought she'd be, given that she's one of the...
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Justin: Bird
The next day, Justin asks Via why she never mentioned that she and Miranda used to be friends. He's annoyed she never shared; she seems defensive. As they argue...
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Justin: The Universe
Justin can't sleep that night. His lines swirl through his head, as well as Miranda's assertion that the universe wasn't kind to August. Justin thinks that August didn't do anything...
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August: Understudy
...asks why Via's role is called being an understudy as Mom and Dad discuss that Miranda's dad is getting remarried and has a baby on the way. August persists in his...
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August: The Ending
...August, and Dad spot Via and Justin and they all congratulate them. Via explains that Miranda got sick right before the show started. Nobody hears August ask if Miranda's okay.
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...Suddenly, a familiar voice greets August and picks him up from behind. It belongs to Miranda.
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Miranda: Camp Lies
Miranda explains that her parents got divorced the summer before ninth grade. Now, Miranda sees her...
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The lies turned out to be good for Miranda's popularity. Suddenly, everyone wanted to hang out with her. The popular girls cut and dyed...
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Miranda: School
When school started, Miranda felt awkward every time she saw Via. She knew that Via didn't like her new...
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Miranda decided to sign up for theater when she saw Via's name on the sign-up sheet,...
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Miranda: What I Miss Most
Miranda admits that she misses Via's parents the most. She thinks it's pathetic that she felt...
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Miranda: Extraordinary, but No One There to See
Neither of Miranda's parents can come to opening night of Our Town. Her boyfriend can't come either, and...
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Miranda: The Performance
Miranda watches from the wings. The performance is amazing. Miranda only feels a tiny twinge of...
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Miranda: After the Show
Miranda can't believe how big August is now as they chat about the play. Mom finds...
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