El Deafo

Cece Bell

Fiction | Graphic Novel/Book | Middle Grade | Published in 2014

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.

Download PDF

Summary

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapters 1-3

Chapters 4-6

Chapters 7-9

Chapters 10-12

Chapters 13-15

Chapters 16-18

Chapters 19-21

Character Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Quiz

Tools

Beta

Discussion Questions

Chapters 16-18

Chapter 16 Summary

Cece’s dad returns from a conference and brings her a curly pencil. She is excited to show the other children. The next morning, she rushes to the bus stop, and the children gawk at the pencil. Even Mike thinks the pencil is cool. The fun stops when Johnnie breaks the pencil in half, just for fun. Cece starts sobbing and runs home. Her siblings give her a ride to school. She avoids the neighborhood children in the gym out of shame, but soon Mike approaches, pushing Johnnie toward her. Mike insists that Johnnie apologize. Cece isn’t sure how to feel about Johnnie’s apology and Mike’s kindness—she worries, “He just feels sorry for me and my crybaby deaf kid self” (187).

Chapter 17 Summary

Later that day in class, they have quiet math time. During quiet math, Mrs. Sinklemann leaves the room. The children get rowdy and forget to put a guard at the door to watch for Mrs. Sinklemann’s return. Mrs. Sinklemann catches Mike and some other boys and puts their names inside the apple painted on the board, saying, “A few rotten spots spoil the whole bunch” (190). As the children get up for lunch, Cece tries to comfort Mike but struggles to come up with the words. She walks up to him, and the drawing shows a thought bubble full of repeating script—“thanks for what you did this morning” (190)—but Cece can’t manage to say anything.

Chapter 18 Summary

Cece is selected to perform in a school-wide event with Mike. It involves wearing matching pajamas, which Mike thinks is lame, but Cece loves. Cece is excited and nervous to spend time alone with Mike. On stage, she hears Mrs. Sinkelmann using the bathroom through the Phonic Ear and can’t stop giggling. Later, Mike asks her what she was laughing about. Cece is nervous, but El Deafo encourages her to tell him about her super-hearing. She reveals her secret, and Mike is amazed: “It’s like you have superpowers or something!” (202). Cece is thrilled when Mike invites her to his house later. She thinks of it as her first date.

Chapters 16-18 Analysis

Cece continues to grow emotionally, despite her continued struggles with power and agency. When Cece’s father gives her a curly pencil, she is thrilled. Cece is excited about the pencil because it offers her social capital—the pencil is unique, something her peers can envy and admire. Cece believes she needs this kind of social capital because of her disability and because she has recently lost the use of her Phonic Ear, therefore, she feels more isolated than she normally would. Cece is lacking the validation that she normally receives from being a good student because she can’t hear her instructors. Having validation in the form of this pencil offers her a brief glimmer of connection and hope.

Romance continues to blossom as Cece receives validation from Mike about her hearing disability. Mike shows her great kindness when he forces Johnnie to apologize for breaking her pencil. Mike does not judge her for her emotional reaction to bullying. This further develops Mike’s character and shows that Cece is driven by a need for validation from those she admires. Despite Mike’s kindness, Cece still struggles with self-doubt, thinking: “He just feels sorry for me and my crybaby deaf kid self” (187). She speaks cruelly to herself to avoid being hurt by unfulfilled hopes.

Get access to this full Study Guide and much more!

8,800+ In-Depth Study Guides
4,700+ Quick-Read Plot Summaries
Downloadable PDFs

Despite Cece’s doubts, Mike proves that he does accept and embrace her disability when she reveals the secrets of the Phonic Ear. This contrasts her previous view that Mike feels bad for her. She feels attractive and lovable, not only despite her disability, but because of it. This allows Cece to grow as a character and find the bravery to try to comfort Mike in a moment when he is struggling with his own shame. Though she fails to offer this comfort, her desire to reach out to others shows her emotional growth and her increased sense of self-worth.