Muggie Maggie

In her opening passages, Beverly Cleary characterizes her protagonist, Maggie Schultz, as a friendly and exuberant, but very stubborn, third grader. Cleary’s nuanced portrait of Maggie shows her shifting from affectionate and sociable to grumpy and obstinate. Maggie thinks highly of herself and is not afraid to be different. This confidence not only helps to explain her stubbornness but also adds humor to the story. For instance, in spite of her lack of work ethic and skills in handwriting, Maggie declares to her mother that she is “Gifted and Talented” (22). Cleary writes, “Maybe no one had told Mrs. Leeper how Gifted and Talented she was” (22). Maggie is a sympathetic character, giving the reader, no matter their age or background, a point of connection through her vivid personality and experiences.

The author’s first few chapters have many additional humorous moments as Maggie entrenches herself in conflict with her parents and teachers. For example, when she’s riding home from school, Maggie is annoyed by her mother’s angry silence: “Maggie’s mother drove home without saying one single word. Maggie hugged Kisser, who was so grateful that he licked her face, which she found comforting. Someone loved her” (22). In another humorous scene, Maggie is scared to visit the school psychologist, only to bask in his friendly and personalized attention. These funny scenes engage readers of all ages and also imply that Maggie, her parents, and her teachers are all making a mountain out of a molehill from the situation.

In these passages, Cleary develops her theme on Children’s Expressions of Independence. By focusing on how Maggie resists the rules and expectations of her parents and teacher, Cleary brings the reader’s attention to children’s desire to establish their own authority and express their independence from family, friends, and teachers. Cleary shows how Maggie is not confident in her teacher’s and parents’ assessments. For instance, when Mrs. Leeper tells the class that they will have a great time in the third grade, Maggie is doubtful about her teacher’s assertion. Similarly, when Maggie’s father tells her that she’ll accomplish her cursive work, Maggie rejects his assessment, believing that he cannot possibly know this for certain. This window into Maggie’s thoughts helps the reader understand her annoyance at grown-ups telling her what her experiences will be and asserting their authority over her, even in positive ways. Once Maggie begins “arguing mostly just to be arguing” (8), she unthinkingly solidifies her stance that she will never write cursive, just to spite her parents. By portraying Maggie as a somewhat clueless and impulsive participant in the ongoing drama, Cleary implies that her parents are taking her behavior too seriously and adding to the problem instead of solving it. This theme adds both humor and irony to the story while also realistically portraying the ups and downs of family relationships.