Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
It is failure with the volume turned up. Schulz used it to say that Charlie Brown's misfortunes are universal: the whole lettering, the stretched vowels and the little dot of an exclamation turn a small defeat into a shout every reader recognises. The scream is now the quick way to caption any minor humiliation.
Context reviewed
In context
Spoilers for PeanutsShow the scene
"AAUGH!" is Charlie Brown's wordless scream, printed in the strip as a long, jagged, lettered howl that Charles Schulz used whenever the round-headed kid's luck finally gives out. It has no single scene: it sits beside "Good grief", his signature phrase, as the shout he lets out after a missed kick, a lost game or a blown spelling bee. Wikiquote's Peanuts page lists it among the strip's common phrases, and one dated example from 9 February 1966 has him spelling "maze" as "M-A-Y-S" in the class spelling bee before the cry. Schulz described Charlie Brown as the one who has to suffer, because he is a caricature of the average person.
Sources (2)
- Wikiquote: PeanutsCommon phrases; Charlie Brown sectionReference checked
- Wikipedia: Charlie BrownPersonality; AppearanceReference checked
Context reviewed
