Runaway Ralph

Garf is a “medium-sized boy […] wearing jeans [and] cowboy boots” (2). He is the book’s secondary protagonist who saves Ralph and then keeps him temporarily as a pet. His attitude, personal challenges, and character growth largely mirror Ralph’s, demonstrating their inherent connection. Garf struggles with acceptance by his peers and a general desire for autonomy and independence. His parents, like Ralph’s parental figures, don’t seem to understand what Garf wants and needs. When he insists the camp won’t be fun, his father criticizes Garf’s attitude rather than trying to empathize and understand Garf’s position.

Garf avoids the other kids at camp, so the other campers tell Aunt Jill that he’s “mean… [and] he just stays off by himself” (64). When the watch is stolen, the girls immediately rush to judgment and blame Garf, even though he’s followed the rules after his talk with Aunt Jill. Garf leaves the mess hall before the other campers start singing because he’s afraid of embarrassment and because he craves space and time to be himself. Aunt Jill’s empathy toward Garf allows him to express his feelings and work through what he wants, which is the first major step toward his growth.

Garf cares for Ralph before he discovers the mouse can talk with him. He saves Ralph from Catso, and the primary reason he’s willing to break camp rules is to clean Ralph’s cage and feed him. Like Ralph, though, Garf can be overcome by his anxieties. Just as Ralph sullenly runs away to avoid having to share his motorcycle, Garf refuses to come into the craft shop when he’s suspected of stealing. Finally, though, Garf, again like Ralph, chooses to be helpful and overcomes his anxieties. Even without Ralph’s deal, Garf is planning to help Ralph get back home to the hotel and is conscientious about caring for the mouse when Aunt Jill points out how desperate Ralph’s become in Garf’s absence.

Chum is a pet hamster who acts as a foil to Ralph. Chum is “a cranky-looking animal with tan and white fur” (79), though Chum describes himself as “a golden hamster […] clean, odorless, and alert” (82). Ralph is interested in adventure and freedom, but Chum has accepted his life in a cage. Chum characterizes himself as a philosopher because he spends most of his time sitting on his wheel and thinking. Ralph’s innocence and gullibility are juxtaposed with Chum’s cynical pessimism. When he bites Lana, Ralph is horrified at the callousness, but Chum says: “I have some rights […]. If I let Lana pick me up, I never would have any peace” (95), showing that even though he’s a pet and relies on Lana for food, he can still assert his independence when it’s necessary. Chum’s sense of self-possession offers an alternative to Ralph’s rebellion: Like Chum, he can stand up for himself and hold on to the dignity he deems most important.

Aunt Jill is one of the head counselors at the summer camp. She is described as “a plump, cheerful woman” (59) with an impressive ability to look beyond the obvious in both children and animals. When she is first introduced, Ralph is surprised by her willingness to let Garf keep Ralph as a pet. Most women in Ralph’s experience dislike mice, but Aunt Jill embraces the natural world and is willing to meet both children and animals where they are. Aunt Jill is placed in opposition to the primary adults in Garf’s life (as well as Ralph’s mother and Uncle Lester) in that she is willing to ask a question and really listen to the answer. She shows empathy to Garf when he breaks the rules and works with him to resolve both her problem and his. She defends Garf to the other campers even when she seems to believe he stole Karen’s watch. She exemplifies empathy and understanding and, in so doing, presents a model to both Garf and Ralph of The Reciprocal Nature of Empathy.