Girl, Stolen

Both Cheyenne and Griffin have lost their mothers. Cheyenne’s mother dies in the accident that blinds Cheyenne, and Roy has killed Griffin’s mother in a fit of anger. For both teenagers, it was the mother who was the primary caretaker and with whom they had the closest emotional bond. Memories of their mothers take place at pivotal moments and provide inspiration. As Griffin starts to see his situation from Cheyenne’s point of view, he recognizes how hard his mother had worked to keep the household clean for her family. That positive memory sets the groundwork for his discovery that she had not abandoned him, but rather was killed. Cheyenne can drive Roy’s car because she remembers the details of a prior driving experience with her mother.

Cheyenne’s love for her mother plays a part in her strained relationship with her stepmother, Danielle, who she does not entirely trust. Their relationship is complex. On the one hand, Danielle is pivotal in Cheyenne’s recovery from depression. Her tough love opens Cheyenne’s eyes to how dependent she has become and prompts her to attend a residential school for the blind. On the other, Cheyenne is uncomfortable with how quickly Danielle replaces her mother and suspects a certain amount of calculation on the nurse’s part. It is also Danielle who suggested leaving Phantom at home for their trip to the shopping center, which Cheyenne believes worsens the kidnapping incident.

Intelligent disobedience describes a relationship between owner and dog wherein the dog can disobey an owners’ command if that command is unsafe. Cheyenne’s dog Phantom refuses to allow her to cross at an intersection, saving her from an oncoming car. Intelligent disobedience requires that human and dog trust each other and exercise sound judgment. The concept also acknowledges that sometimes disobedience is necessary where safety is concerned. Griffin is drawn to this idea because it provides a rationale for disobeying his father, who he comes to believe is dangerous.