45 pages • 1 hour read
Alan ArmstrongWhittington
Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 2005A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Themes
The Power of Storytelling
The novel’s use of embedded narratives supports its exploration of the power of storytelling. The three concurrent plot lines parallel one another, prompting comparisons to the ways in which individual characters take inspiration from stories to make changes in their own lives. These interactions between the three plot lines emphasize storytelling’s ability to create connections between others, model growth, and inspire change.
Stories are the mechanism through which Whittington and Ben overcome obstacles to achieve their goals in the novel. Whittington’s primary objective in the novel is to find a new home; by taking up the role of storyteller in the barn, he cements a place for himself there. Before Whittington begins his story in Chapter 10, the other animals are welcoming to him yet uncertain of how he will fit into their tight-knit community. At first, they even worry that he may be just another predator (18). However, after Whittington begins telling his story, he assumes a position of leadership in the barn, helping the Lady and Abby take charge of Ben’s reading lessons. Whittington’s story creates a shared interest in the barn, helping him to attain an important role as storyteller there.
Armstrong uses the animal perspective to de-familiarize the process of reading and emphasize its wonder. The animals’ reaction to Ben’s first reading lesson in Chapter 16 is one such example of this: “It was a miracle. Out of five black marks that had their origins a thousand generations back in a place lost to memory, Ben conjured up sounds that made a word that in turn evoked the presence of a word that wasn’t there” (72). The animals’ perspective re-frames reading as a near-mystical power, highlighting the complex process of reading and the important ability it gives Ben to navigate his world and succeed in school. The animals’ perspective balances Ben’s sometimes pessimistic perspective of reading, reminding him of the magic of reading when frustration threatens to overwhelm him. In doing so, such moments reinforce the power of storytelling and language.
Ben’s challenges with dyslexia and reading create the main conflict in the novel, positioning reading and language as the objects of Ben’s character growth. The resolution of Ben’s conflicts in the final chapters emphasizes the role that stories and reading play in one’s life. Through a series of similes, Ben likens reading to “coming out of the dark” and “being born” (185). The strong language in these similes suggests that words are the tool by which an individual navigates their path through life, opening up a world of possibilities.
Finding Healing Through Community and Cooperation
All three of the main characters in the novel’s concurrent plots experience loss in some way and find healing and growth through the support of new friendships and communities. The dynamics among the animals in the barn illustrate the importance of communal harmony and cooperation. Through the arcs of its main characters and their dynamics with other characters, the novel explores the value that community and cooperation add to individuals’ lives, especially when those individuals deal with hardship.
Whittington’s desire for a home incites the important events and relationships that shape the novel’s plot. Having been treated unkindly by his previous owners after his boy was sent away for dyslexia remediation, Whittington comes to the barn seeking friends and a new family. Like Whittington, Ben and Abby have also experienced a recent loss: Their mother’s death and father’s absence have left them living with their grandparents. Abby and Ben both find companionship with Whittington and the other animals in the barn. Dick’s story parallels Abby and Ben’s: Like them, he lost his parents and was raised by his grandmother. After running away to London, Fitzwarren takes him in and raises him. Other characters like Will Price and Sir Louis help Dick out as well, emphasizing the role that community plays in contributing to success.
The initial tension between the rats and the other animals in the barn establishes a conflict around which another important facet of this theme, the need for cooperation, develops. The rats’ transformation from thieves to members of the barn community demonstrates the importance of cultivating communal cooperation. After the Old One rescues Whittington’s kitten in Chapter 40, he responds, “Tit for tat” (169) when thanked, suggesting that he is repaying a kindness shown to him, just like the rat and the lion in the Lady’s fable in Chapter 13. The barn animals’ eventual mutual trust of the rats creates a mutually- beneficial relationship that provides crucial support in a time of need.
The resolutions of Whittington’s, Ben’s, and Dick’s stories illustrate how healing may be found through the support of communities. Dick uses his money to give back to his community after his death, improving the lives of all London’s people, while both Whittington and Ben achieve their goals with the support of their friends. Whittington finds a new family among the barn animals (and starts one of his own), while Ben passes Reading Recovery. The Lady’s words to Ben that “We’ve all had a hand, a wing, and a paw in this. It isn’t just Ben, we’ve all passed!” (181) illustrate the important role that communal support plays in contributing to success. These final moments of the novel emphasize the role that friendship and community play in helping individuals grow and heal from hardship.
Triumph Through Perseverance
Dick’s perseverance is his greatest strength in the novel and one of the key features that enables him to achieve his success. He is not self-pitying and is quick to learn and make himself useful when he joins Fitzwarren’s household in Chapter 14. Dick’s story and triumphs are an important model for Ben to find the determination to confront his own challenges and make important changes in his life.
Although Dick owes his wealth to his cat, it is his hard work and indomitable spirit that position him to achieve it. By the age of 16, after his first voyage on the Unicorn, Dick takes the initiative to learn more about Fitzwarren’s trade and becomes “more partner than apprentice” (123). He garners a reputation for himself as “a gentleman of name and fortune” (123) and is often found at the docks, learning all he can from the traders who come in. Thanks to Dick’s intelligence and ability to pick up new knowledge quickly, he gains a position in Fitzwarren’s business, which ultimately opens the opportunity for Dick to go to Africa, where he makes his fortune. Similarly, Dick’s willingness to study the books Sir Louis brings him before embarking for Persia in Chapter 32 demonstrates his persistence in gaining new knowledge. Dick’s perseverance helps him move forward and grow in life.
Ben’s stubbornness, frustration, and fear of social humiliation initially impede his ability to accept the tools he needs to improve his reading skills, but he takes inspiration from Dick’s perseverance and achieves amazing progress in Reading Recovery. Ben begins to find this solution to his problems in Chapter 26, when he likens his situation to Dick’s: “[Dick]’d been forced to take a big step because there was no staying where he was. Maybe it was the same for [Ben]” (112). When Ben decides to attend Reading Recovery in Chapter 37, the Lady comments that he is “taking charge of [himself] like Dick Whittington” (157). Although Ben faces the daunting goal of catching up to his class in just one summer, he achieves it through his hard work and perseverance.
Ben’s triumph is not only an academic one: By making the requisite progress, Ben proves his capability to himself, which raises his self-esteem. The perseverance Ben learns from Dick’s story thus helps him build the resilience and fortitude he needs to triumph, catalyzing his transformation at the end of the novel.
