Whittington

“After a couple of days the horses began to smell like the children and the children began to smell like the horses. Abby and Ben rode over with Bernie every morning at five to help muck, feed, and water. Before the horses arrived it was hard to get the kids up for the school bus at seven. Now they had friends who needed them.”

Friendship between humans and animals is a primary vehicle for communicating the theme of Finding Healing Through Community and Cooperation. Grappling with their mother’s death, Ben and Abby find comfort in caring for the horses. This passage demonstrates how friendship catalyzes transformation and growth for the children, emphasizing this theme.

“The barn hummed with talk about the cat. Not the moving-in part, they couldn’t stop him from doing that. The family part. You can’t get rid of somebody once he’s part of your family. Whatever happens, you’re responsible. But who could say who belonged in or out of that family?”

The animals’ complex understanding of the concept of family illustrates the human-like community they have together in the barn, reinforcing parallels to human relationships and friendships. The responsibility and loyalty they feel towards one another reinforces the novel’s exploration of the support that family and community relationships provide.

“After the fight [with Havey the dog], the cat no longer wove from side to side. Whittington figured it was the flip he did when Havey bit him.”

Whittington’s fight with Havey signifies Whittington’s increasing integration into the barn community, as he steps up to protect the Lady in the same way he would one of his own family. This moment also emphasizes the healing that Whittington finds through becoming part of the barn community, as the healing of his unbalanced gait symbolizes the emotional healing he receives from finding a new family.

“Ben reached over to pet [Whittington]. Whittington was startled; then, almost inaudible, came an uneven rumble.

‘You can purr too!’ Abby exclaimed.

‘Doesn’t sound like you’ve done it for a while,’ Ben said. ‘You’re out of practice.’

The cat smiled, stretching out his toes and rumbling away.”

This moment further develops Whittington’s integration into barn life and the personal healing he finds from it. The image of Whittington purring here contrasts with his initial characterization as a wounded, weary, aggressive tomcat. His purring symbolizes a softening of his hard emotional walls, demonstrating the newfound sense of safety and comfort he finds in his new family as he’s Finding Healing Through Community and Cooperation.

“That night Dick had a dream. He dreamed he went to London and became the stout stranger, filling his purse with the small, gleaming rounds of gold that lay like pebbles in the streets. He went to the baker and stuffed his pockets, he went to the inn and was served roast meat and cider. In his dream he was never hungry again. He wore warm clothes and was never cold again either.”

Dick’s dream foreshadows his eventual destiny. As Whittington tells Abby and Ben in Chapter 11, Dick’s dream is a “prophecy” that signals future events. The description of Dick’s dream creates a hopeful, anticipatory mood, evoking the adventure that Dick will soon embark upon.

“The marks didn’t read for [Ben] the way they did for others. In arithmetic he got a different answer, or no answer. There was a bigger and bigger gap between his world and everybody else’s.”

This passage establishes Ben’s primary conflict in the novel. It also inversely suggests the importance of reading, as Ben’s inability to read creates distance between himself and his classmates. He feels that he’s living in a completely different world from theirs, reinforcing the novel’s exploration of The Power of Storytelling to help one navigate life’s challenges.

“Long after they were out of sight of the village, Dick heard the single dry bell from his grandmother’s church. He pictured her looking for him. His heart gave a jump. He blinked back tears.”

Armstrong uses the tolling bell as a motif to signal Dick’s transition into a new stage of life (See: Symbols & Motifs). Its association with Dick’s grandmother and Dick’s emotional reaction to hearing it emphasizes the enduring, powerful nature of familial and community bonds, opening the path for Dick to progress into his next stages of growth while still maintaining a link to those who previously supported him.

“The rat came. He knew what to do. He gnawed the cords with his sharp incisors and set the lion free.

‘Thank you,’ said the lion, shaking himself tidy.

‘Tit for tat,’ said the rat.”

The fable that the Lady shares with the barn animals foreshadows the eventual cooperation and partnership that the rats achieve with the rest of the barn. It directly foreshadows the role that the Old One plays in rescuing Whittington’s kitten from a near-fatal mishap. The evolution of the rats’ relationship with the other animals in the barn emphasizes both The Power of Storytelling to unite others and the value of Finding Healing Through Community and Cooperation.

“The animals gathered around like the devout witnessing a miracle. It was a miracle. Out of five black marks that had their origins a thousand generations back in a place lost to memory, Ben conjured up sounds that made a word that in turn evoked the presence of a word that wasn’t there. He got the picture of ‘psalm’ and how it should sound, and he locked it away forever.”

The first moment the animals witness Ben reading illustrates The Power of Storytelling theme. Armstrong’s descriptions here are rich with religious undertones and implications: The equation of the act of reading to a miracle marks it as a sacred, transcendental act, developing reading as a motif (See: Symbols & Motifs) and contributing to the novel’s exploration of the importance of language and stories.

“There was something about the way this cat engaged eyes […] this was different, this was a stare of recognition, the way you can’t take your eyes off someone you’re eager to see: you want to embrace them with your eyes.”

The almost mystical first meeting of Dick and his cat suggests a force like fate or destiny drawing them together, reinforcing the folkloric register of Dick’s story. The recognition the two share upon meeting foreshadows the central role that Dick’s cat plays in his journey to success and growth.

“Dick exchanged the cat for the cargo, the jewels, and sacks of the herb and its seeds. He had the same lost feeling he’d had when he heard the harsh, dry bell of home. It felt wrong to let the cat go, even though she’d given him a signal. There was no parting. The cat had disappeared before the boy could change his mind […] If the boy cried, no one saw. He left with the captain for London. He knew there wasn’t going to be another cat.”

This passage emphasizes the close bond that Dick shares with his cat. Dick’s relationship with his cat mirrors the close bonds that Abby and Ben have with the barn animals, emphasizing the theme of Finding Healing Through Community and Cooperation. 

“Ben’s despair frightened his grandparents. It wasn’t a boy’s rage. It wasn’t anger. All feelings he’d built up about his mother’s death, his father’s being off somewhere and not caring, his inability to keep up with his classmates, gave way at once.”

At this point in his character arc, Ben’s circumstances push him to confront his challenges, pressuring him for action. This passage explores the multiple factors creating internal conflict for Ben; it isn’t just his reading skills, but also the emotional challenges surrounding his mother’s death and his father’s abandonment that create a crisis for Ben. Exploring Ben’s internal struggles establishes the challenges he must overcome to find Triumph Through Perseverance.

“Ben thought about Dick Whittington. He’d been stuck too. He’d been forced to take a big step because there was no staying where he was. Maybe it was the same for [Ben].”

Ben’s reflections here demonstrate The Power of Storytelling. Ben finds parallels to his own life in Dick’s story. Here, Ben begins to internalize the resilience and perseverance that Dick models, which ultimately gives Ben the courage to achieve his goals and Triumph Through Perseverance. This moment emphasizes the novel’s message that stories have the power to promote growth in individuals’ and communities’ lives.

“A big thing had happened, or a big thing that had been building was coming into view. Whatever reading was, the boy was doing it.”

This moment demonstrates growth for Ben as he improves his reading. The diction of this passage, that a “big thing that had been building was coming into view,” emphasizes that Ben’s persistence and hard work have facilitated his success, reinforcing the Triumph Through Perseverance theme.

“But before [Dick] could say anything [Sir Louis] made what was for him a long speech. 

‘You’ll have time enough to give to them as needs. Give them books to learn from, comfort for the sick and old, and bring them water. Clean water, lad.’”

Sir Louis’s words to Dick foreshadow Dick’s ultimate folkloric significance and the acts of charity he will become known for. The words act as a kind of prophecy, reinforcing the subtle folkloric atmosphere of Dick’s story.

“Oh, my friends, I always wanted a family. You are my family. I rule with your loves. Just as I protect you, so you protect me. I am grateful.”

The Lady’s words following the hawk’s attack encapsulate the theme of Finding Healing Through Community and Cooperation. That she rules with “[their] loves” indicates the strength of the barn animals’ bonds—they are a mutually cooperative community, one through which all members find protection and support.

“Ben stared openmouthed. Somebody else had his problem. Somebody knew how to fix it.”

This revelatory moment for Ben moves him forward on his path towards confronting and overcoming his conflicts. Seeing another student struggle with reading in the same way he does gives Ben hope that he is not isolated in his struggle, and that there is a way through his challenges if he’s willing to pursue it.

“Maybe it was then that Ben decided to take his chance. He didn’t say anything. He made a fist.”

Whittington, the Lady, and the Old One encourage Ben to attend Reading Recovery so that he can move forward in his life and gain the important knowledge contained in books, reinforcing The Power of Storytelling. Armstrong uses descriptions of Ben’s body language to create ambiguity around Ben’s reaction here; the tightening of his fist may signal either resolution or frustration.

“‘You’re going to be our missionary,’ the Old One said. When he put it like that, Ben no longer felt bad about being one of the sent-aways and giving up his vacation. He’d send himself. He’d be the missionary.”

This moment is a big turning point for Ben as he demonstrates the perseverance he has learned from Dick’s story and takes on the challenge of remediating his reading before the summer is up. The Old One’s reframing of Ben’s Reading Recovery classes as a “mission” for Ben carries connotations of religious evangelicalism, suggesting that The Power of Storytelling is something that Ben will receive and then bring back to the barn animals.

“Thereafter Ben had to get to school at nine-thirty to run laps before the reading session. ‘Exercise will save you when you feel like exploding,’ [Coach O] said. ‘It changes the subject. It’s real hard to get mad at yourself after a good sweat.’

It worked. Ben didn’t blow up again.”

This is a significant moment of growth for Ben. With Miss O’Brian’s help, he learns tools to manage his frustration and emotional outbursts. This moment supports the theme of Triumph Through Perseverance—by utilizing the tools that Miss O’Brian teaches him, Ben learns to master himself and make progress towards his main goal, improving his reading skills.

“The Old One came running. He saw how it was and started to gnaw and pull at the strangling cord.

Finally he severed it and freed the kitten.

[…]

‘She’ll be okay,’ [the Lady] said. ‘Just lost one of her nine lives. Thanks, rat.’

‘Tit for tat,’ said the Old One.”

The Old One’s rescuing of Whittington’s kitten fulfills earlier foreshadowing expressed by the fable of the lion and the rat. The Old One’s actions here point to the transformation of the rats’ role in the barn: They are no longer selfish thieves, but proactive members of the community. The rat’s response, “Tit for tat,” echoes the rat’s words in the fable, strengthening the symbolic connection to the fable. This moment resolves the tensions between the rats and the other barn animals and emphasizes the value of Finding Healing Through Community and Cooperation.

“[Dick Whittington] is not remembered because he died rich. He is remembered because he gave away everything. And everything he had to give away he owed to his cat.”

The conclusion of Dick’s story emphasizes the value of community and interspecies friendship between humans and animals (See: Symbols & Animals). At the end of his life, Dick gave everything he had back to his community, and his success was enabled by support from his cat. Similarly, Ben achieves his goals of reading though the help of his community, which includes his bonds with the barn animals.

“The Lady called for order. ‘We all had a hand, a wing, and a paw in this. It isn’t just Ben, we’ve all passed!’ There erupted such a whooping cheer that Gregory the watch crow came over to find out what was going on.”

The resolution of Ben’s character arc and conflicts reinforces the theme of Finding Healing Through Community and Cooperation. The animals recognize Ben’s victory as their victory, too. Through their support and dedication to Ben’s success, and the lessons Ben learned from Whittington’s story of Dick’s life, Ben gained the resolution to achieve his goals, highlighting the role that community support plays in Ben’s accomplishment.