The Great Gilly Hopkins

Gilly’s harsh judgments and lack of trust in people are shown in how she treats her classmate, Agnes Stokes. Gilly does not trust Agnes and believes that her overtures of friendship are manipulative. The author uses internal dialogue to show Gilly’s thoughts about friendship. Gilly believes that “people like Agnes didn’t try to make friends without a reason” (27). The author uses similes that compare the red-haired Agnes to Rumpelstiltskin, emphasizing Gilly’s negative view of Agnes. When Agnes tries to visit her house, Gilly scares her off because she is embarrassed that Agnes will judge for her, Maime Trotter, or William Ernest. Gilly’s mistrust of others prevents her from befriending anyone at school.

Gilly’s feelings towards her biological mother are revealed by the tender tone created when Gilly imagines reuniting with Courtney in San Francisco. After Gilly receives the postcard where Courtney writes that she misses Gilly, she quickly begins fantasizing about a perfect reunion where Courtney embraces her and “kiss[es] her all over her face and never let[s] her go” (29). Gilly’s rich imagination is revealed by her capacity for detail: “In her head, Gilly packed her brown suitcase and crept down the stairs [...] She’d get to California in a few days. Probably less than a week” (29). Gilly’s idealized perception of her biological mother contrasts with her negativity toward everyone else. This is especially noticeable when Gilly cruelly rejects Maime Trotter’s offer of support. After Maime Trotter leaves, the tone quickly shifts to one of yearning. Gilly thinks that Courtney is “the only one in the world” that she needs and that she will transform from “gruesome Gilly” to “glorious Galadriel” if they are together again (30). Her tendency to fantasize is a product of the emotional wounds she has suffered by being in the foster care system.

After years of being without a place she can call home, Gilly tests everyone’s patience. Maime Trotter is especially patient with Gilly despite the initial bad impression she made on her, and even looks at her with a loving gaze that Gilly compares to “bright sunlight” that one must turn away from (52). The metaphor of love as a bright light that can be blinding expresses Gilly’s difficulties with accepting love. This moment foreshadows the love that Gilly will express for Maime Trotter at the end of the story.

During the conversation about the poem “Intimations of Immortality” by William Wordsworth, William Ernest Teague shows that he is more intelligent than Gilly first thought. When Gilly says that she does not understand a line from the poem that describes a “mean flower” that “blows” (40), William Ernest says that it sounds like the poem is describing a dandelion. The description of the “lowly” (40) dandelion connects to the novel’s theme that appearances do not matter as much as what is on the inside. The fact that William Ernest understands the poem suggests that Gilly has a blind spot about judging people’s worth based on their appearance. One part of Gilly’s transformation is that her relationships with Maime Trotter, William Ernest, and Mr. Randolph teach her not to judge based on superficial qualities.

Gilly’s tendency to self-sabotage is an obstacle she must overcome. She is especially focused on trying to anger Miss Harris, her sixth-grade teacher. Gilly is increasingly frustrated that her old tactics do not inspire the same reaction in Miss Harris. The author uses metaphors to capture Gilly’s frustration with Miss Harris’ collected personality. Gilly compares Miss Harris to a robot teacher, HAL (the computer from the film 2001 Space Odyssey), and a Muslim woman who has “wrapped herself in invisible robes” (54). Miss Harris reveals her own emotional depth and insight when she suggests Gilly should use her anger constructively. She can see through Gilly’s outer persona, and this frightens Gilly so much that she runs away from the conversation. Gilly’s response foreshadows her increasing determination to leave Thompson Park, despite being accepted and having a chance of flourishing there. Through this sequence of events and the conversation Gilly has with Miss Harris, the author shows how Gilly’s cruelty is rooted in her own fear of abandonment.