Whittington

The grandchildren of Bernie and Marion, Ben and Abby are both school-age children who enter the care of their grandparents after their mother passes away. The two siblings are introduced in Chapter 4 and quickly form a bond with the animals. They are initially “solemn” (15) as they cope with the grief of their mother’s passing but find joy again through helping Bernie care for the horses, emphasizing the importance of finding support in community.

Ben’s conflict surrounding his need to improve his reading skills structures one of the novel’s three major plot lines. Due to his dyslexia, Ben faces challenges both academic and personal: While he struggles to keep up with his classmates in school, he also wrestles with feelings of frustration, as “there’s a lot of anger in not doing what people think you should be doing” (45). He begins the novel feeling “scared” (45) and “ashamed” (46) of his deficiencies. The courage he finds in Dick’s story pushes Ben to confront his challenges and overcome his obstacles. After making the requisite progress in reading, Ben ends the novel with a new sense of confidence and hope, comparing his experience to being born again (185). Ben’s journey reinforces both the theme of Triumph Through Perseverance and The Power of Storytelling.

Abby’s character remains static throughout the novel as she fulfills a supportive role to Ben. Her physical characterization in Chapter 4 of “[looking] older than her years” (15) speaks to her maturity and role in caring for Ben. Abby pushes Ben towards his goals with a loving but firm hand; she organizes his reading lessons and holds him to high standards to help him achieve success. Although Abby does not have a character arc of her own, her role in Ben’s arc reinforces the importance of community.

Dick is plucky, innovative, and enterprising in Whittington’s accounts of his exploits. His journey rising from difficult life circumstances to achieving great success provides an important model of persistence that Ben emulates to overcome his own challenges. The driving theme of Dick’s arc is one of maturing and making choices to move oneself forward in life, paralleling a similar trajectory in Ben’s journey to growth.

Dick’s defining characteristics are his ambition and determination. He “‘had spirit. He wasn’t sorry for himself. He would ask but he wouldn’t whine’” (64), emphasizing his self-driven and unself-pitying nature. He has a strong sense of integrity and accountability: After he earns his riches in Tripoli, Dick wants to use some of them to pay back those who previously helped him (Chapter 26). Even when he is lovesick over Mary in Chapter 36, Dick ultimately chooses his voyage over her, demonstrating his sense of loyalty and obligation to his business partners.

Dick’s actions after his death illustrate these values as well, as he uses his wealth to improve conditions for his community. Dick’s overall journey and success exemplify the novel’s theme of Triumph Through Perseverance.

A Muscovy duck, the Lady is the unanimously accepted leader of the barn animals. Her assertive, orderly, and matronly nature gives her uncontested authority. She has a quiet confidence and assumes responsibility in chaotic situations, making her a stable figure to whom the other animals look for guidance, as “when something came up, she said what to do” (9). The Lady yearns for a family and briefly finds it in Gent, the duck who stays in the barn for the winter, but falls into a depression after he leaves. However, she ultimately finds fulfillment in her role as leader of the animals and concludes that “there’s something to staying put where you’re needed” (183), reinforcing the support that comes from strong community ties.

Most of the other animal characters play background roles and do not directly influence the plot, instead collectively representing a wider community from which characters like Whittington, the Lady, Ben, and Abby draw support. On the other hand, the Old One, leader of the rats, initially takes an antagonistic position in the narrative. He and the other rats create conflict in the barn by stealing food and eating the chickens’ eggs, but by the end of the story he and his fellows are testament to the power that stories have to strengthen and create community. The Old One’s rescuing of Whittington’s kitten in Chapter 40 speaks to a transformed character, indicating that he has transcended selfishness to contribute to a larger community. The Old One’s journey from antagonist to ally emphasizes the importance of community and the power that stories have to create unity.