Half Magic

“Oh, there’s never only one explanation […] It depends on which one you want to believe! I believe in believing in six impossible things before breakfast, myself. Not that I usually get the chance. The trouble with life is that not enough impossible things happen for us to believe in, don’t you agree?”

When Alison claims that there is only one explanation for her sudden appearance in the road, Mr. Smith responds with a quotation from Through the Looking Glass. In a similar scenario, Alice argues with the Queen that one can’t believe in the impossible, and the Queen responds, “sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast” (Carroll, Lewis. Through the looking glass and what Alice found there, London: MacMillan, 1935, p.101). Mr. Smith’s belief in magic sets him apart from most practical-minded adults. This scene foreshadows that Mr. Smith will play a larger role in the narrative and make a connection with the children.

“Jane searched in her mind for an excuse. She couldn’t tell her mother the truth; she’d never believe it. It would only upset her.”

After Mr. Smith gives Alison a ride home, she engages in a strange conversation with Jane about the nickel and what happened that evening. This moment shows a divide between them because Jane believes that something magical has happened but also knows that her mother is too practical to believe her. It also shows Jane’s care for her mother because she doesn’t want to upset Alison.

“She knew that she held in her hand the talisman that was going to turn this summer into a time of wild adventure and delight for all of them.”

After her conversation with her mother, Jane sees thrilling possibilities in the charm. Additionally, because their summer has been so dull, she understands the transformative power that the talisman holds to turn their boredom into adventure and delight. She is yet to discover The Paradox of Wishing on the charm and that with this power comes limitations.

“I don’t believe in that old magic. Just Jane being smart. Just a lot of crazy girls.”

When Martha appeals to Mark about the talking cat, Mark refuses to believe that magic has anything to do with it. In his refusal, he chalks all the events up to the “craziness” of his sisters. The use of this term alludes to hysteria, a term historically applied to women as a diagnosis for mental illness. Mark’s dismissal of Martha’s concern reinforces traditional stereotypes that women and girls are too emotional to think rationally and, therefore, should not be believed.

“What worried Mark was that he didn’t trust Achmed the Arab. Achmed had been all too eager to take the children with him, and Mark didn’t like his smile.”

Mark’s biases against Achmed represent the Orientalist views of the 1920s and 1950s, which depict people from Asia and the Middle East in stereotypical ways based on Western colonial biases. These stereotypes include exoticism, lack of trustworthiness, and violence and reflect the racist perspectives of the time.

“After all, maybe the charm did belong to his race […] But maybe it was stolen. From a temple or somewhere […] You know how people used to be unjust to natives in the olden days. It doesn’t seem fair.”

Mark has a change of heart regarding Achmed because he stops to consider why the man may want the charm. The abrupt shift in Mark’s thinking highlights The Need for Precise Language and Clear Thinking. Because Mark stops to consider Achmed’s point of view, he gains a broader perspective. His patronizing attitude toward Achmed still embodies Orientalism (he makes a wish for Achmed to appease him instead of giving back the charm), but the text’s lesson is to think before acting.

“We have to be more careful from now on […] We don’t want any more mistakes. That could have been bad.”

After returning home from the desert and restoring order from the accidental wishes earlier in the day, Mark shares these sentiments with his sisters. In addition to highlighting his logical perspective, his words demonstrate the theme of The Need for Precise Language and Clear Thinking. His focus on mistakes also highlights the danger of wishes and how, if not worded carefully, they can have terrible consequences. This raises the narrative stakes and foreshadows the dangerous situations they encounter in the following chapters.

“Behind the door, the four children shut their eyes, held their ears, and cowered trembling in each other’s arms.”

As the children watch the gruesome scene of the black and red knights hacking off each other’s limbs, they hide in fear. Katharine’s wish that precipitated this duel was intended to be funny, but the consequences turn dire and both the knights are killed. This moment highlights both The Paradox of Wishing, as well as the need for careful thinking.

“But in her cleverness she had forgotten one thing. She had forgotten to wish that she knew the rules of jousting.”

Because Katharine does not know the rules of jousting when she begins, Launcelot almost knocks her off her horse. Her embarrassment leads her to wish for greater strength and skill, and she ends up humiliating Launcelot in their contest, which has terrible consequences for her. The experience chastens her, and she does not cause trouble for the rest of the book.

“She had succeeded and she had failed. She, a mere girl had defeated the greatest knight in history. But she had pretended to herself that she was doing it for a good deed and really it had been just because she was annoyed with Launcelot for not appreciating her help enough, back in Morgan le Fay’s castle.”

In defeating Sir Launcelot, Katharine understands that she made a reckless decision based on anger and that using the charm’s power led her to act against her better judgment. This episode is fraught with outdated beliefs about gender, such as the belief that Katharine wrongly upset the natural order when she, a “mere girl,” defeated a great knight.

“This was really quite thoughtful of Katharine. Perhaps she, too, like Mark the day before, had learned something during her day of adventure.”

The narrator notes this after Katharine has the forethought to return them home only minutes after they left that morning. This decision will eliminate any worry from Miss Bick or their mother. Despite her carelessness in Camelot, Katharine learns from her mistakes and matures, even if just a little bit.

“That was always the way with Martha. She wanted to go to the movies like anything until she got there, and then she hated it. Now she kept pestering the others to read her the words and tell her what was happening (for in those days movies did not talk). And when the others wouldn’t, she began to whine.”

This description captures both Martha’s personality and her relationship with her siblings. Martha is quite young, and her immature behavior reflects that age. However, her siblings are unwilling to help her read, which is also unreasonable since they brought her to the theater. All of them react selfishly in this moment.

“Other people saw them running, and began to run, too, without knowing why. In no time at all a panic began to spread, as it will when people start behaving in this way, without thinking.”

This description highlights the extent of the ensuing chaos when Martha impulsively makes her wish. Because she is grumpy and does not want to see the movie, she causes mass panic. Furthermore, the theme of the need for clear thinking emerges, not just for Martha but also for the throngs of people who run and panic without knowing why. Though the story is aimed at teaching young readers, the children’s shortcomings represent those of the adults as well.

“Martha looked back at him, waiting for him to scream, or faint, or run away, the way everyone else had. But the rather small gentleman did none of these things. He smiled, and bowed politely.”

Mr. Smith’s behavior underscores his role as a bridge between children and adults. His small stature and polite smile signal that he is approachable, and Martha trusts him on sight just as Alison did earlier in the book.

“The combination of all these surprises, after the worry she had had during the panic in the streets, proved too much for her. She stood swaying in the doorway for a moment, a prey to conflicting emotions. Then she tottered to a chair and collapsed. Like many another in that unfortunate city, during the half hour since Martha made her first wish, she had fainted.”

In this moment, Alison is the typical adult who is unwilling and unable to accept magic, which juxtaposes Mr. Smith’s calm demeanor in the face of chaos. This moment is significant because it is the first time Alison, Mr. Smith, and the children appear together.

“And now I suppose we’ll have grown-ups butting in and telling us what to wish all the time, and like as not wanting to borrow the charm and wasting its substance on their own devices and desires, and it’s just all utterly and completely ruined!”

Jane is angry with Martha for letting Mr. Smith in on her secret. The elder sister dislikes Mr. Smith and later admits it is because she misses her own father. Jane also worries that an adult will take over and control their use of the charm, which would usurp her position as the one establishing the guidelines for her siblings. Finally, this moment emphasizes Jane’s firm belief in the distinction between children and adults and that no grown-up could possibly comprehend their world.

“Then, a prey to utter recklessness, she plunged her hand into her pocket, grasped the charm firmly, and went on. ‘Yes, I do! I wish I belonged to some other family! I wish it twice!’”

Unable to comprehend her siblings’ desire for Mr. Smith to become their stepfather, Jane makes this wish while angry without forethought. This is one of many moments that develop the theme of A Need for Precise Language and Clear Thinking. If Jane would have shared her true feelings about their father instead of succumbing to anger, she might not have made this impetuous wish.

“Mr. Smith looked pleased and touched. He also looked a little nervous, as though he were hoping he might live up to their trust.”

Prior to this, Martha tells Mr. Smith that it is his decision how they try to find Jane. The gentleman’s response illustrates his kind and compassion character, as well as his love for the children. He is moved that they trust him with such a decision, but he is also anxious that he might let them down. He would not feel this way if he did not care for them so much.

“Of course the trouble was that when she wished to belong to another family, she hadn’t said a thing about not being Jane any longer. And so she had become the girl Jane would have been if she had been brought up in this cold, gray house. But down inside her somewhere, the real Jane was still struggling to exist.”

Jane’s conflicting feelings in this moment point to The Paradox of Wishing. Her wish has the power to transport her to a different family, but its success is limited because Jane did not wish to change who she is as a person. As a result, she is not content with her new situation.

“She was so unselfish about second helpings, so eager to pass things without being asked, so tireless in her efforts not to accept the last extra butterscotch tart, lying luscious under its whipped cream, but to bestow it on a friend or relation, so anxious generally to show how much she loved this family above all others, that no one could believe it was the usual good old hasty hot-tempered Jane who sat there among them.”

Jane’s relief at being restored to her former self is evident in this moment. She has learned the lesson of appreciating her family, her life, and Mr. Smith. This moment not only shows growth in Jane’s character but is also ironic, for she seems to be a new person altogether, which is what she failed to wish for earlier.

“‘That’s it!’ Jane’s eyes were shining. ‘We’ll let her wish—we’ll give her whatever her heart desires! This will be the best deed yet! Come on, let’s go over there right now!’”

After learning their mother turned down Mr. Smith’s marriage proposal because she fears a mental illness, they decide to use the charm to help her believe in the magic. Jane’s desire indicates a transformation in her character, for she is no longer thinking of herself or worried about adult interference. Instead, she wishes to use the talisman to help someone else. Additionally, this moment reinforces the need for clear thinking. Jane’s heightened emotions are evident in the exclamation marks, and she insists they go to their mother immediately, without stopping to think things through first.

“He took their mother’s hand, and the two of them stood looking at each other.

‘Aren’t you going to wish?’ said Katharine, after a bit.

‘Why should we?’ said their mother. ‘We have our happiness.’”

After four impulsive and unsuccessful wishes to bring their mother happiness, Mr. Smith’s wish that Alison be open to magic allows them to talk freely. And when they do, she reveals what would make her most happy. In the children’s eagerness to use the charm, they do not realize it is unnecessary, for just talking through the situation allows their mother and Mr. Smith to be happy.

“That’s no good. We’d just get so we wanted to tell everybody what to wish. It’d be sort of like trying to have the charm all over again, secondhand. I think that would be kind of against the rules. It came to us out of the unknown, and I think that’s where it ought to go again. I think we ought to let some utter stranger find it, and then put it out of our minds forever.”

When discussing how to give the charm to others, Mark rationalizes that they should give the charm away the way the found it, which highlights The Value of Rules and Structure. His idea and his siblings’ agreement on it shows just how much the children have begun to think of others and not just themselves.