Caterpillar Summer

Henry “Chicken” Gladwell is an essential aspect of the novel. His life is challenging due to a condition not specified by Cat. Certain environments—such as chaotic, unorganized, or loud ones—are stressful for Chicken. Cat describes the way in which he is prone to suddenly dart away without warning, a tendency that puts him at risk for getting lost or falling into harm’s way. Being touched or held in certain ways upsets him. Chicken’s environment must be “just so,” and if something falls out of balance, Chicken becomes stressed or highly emotional. Chicken does best with the people who know him well, such as Mom and Cat, and this is due, in part, to the way in which strangers generally sense that something is different about Chicken.

Certain physical objects act as a kind of security blanket for Chicken, calming or reassuring him in a manner that prevents him from becoming upset. His plastic shark figure and the Big Blue Book of photos are key examples. During their stay on Gingerbread Island, Lily’s laundry basket becomes a similar item of comfort for Chicken.

Chicken, despite his challenges, is often an upbeat and cheerful young boy. He is passionate about his interests, including sharks, of which he is highly knowledgeable. He is highly imaginative, as evidenced when he pretends the biscuits he is helping Lily to cut are sharks, and enjoys reading. He enjoys spending time with Lily and grows to trust her.

Chicken is highly dependent on Cat, which is a driving force in the novel’s conflict as Cat grows increasingly frustrated by this dynamic. Chicken views his needs and desires as taking precedence over Cat’s and regards Cat’s purpose as to make him happy, regardless of what this might demand of her. During his time on Gingerbread Island, however, Chicken takes important steps toward autonomy and self-reliance, including sleeping alone in the guest bedroom and learning to handle conflicts without intervention by Cat. These changes demonstrate the growth his character has undergone by the novel’s end and suggest that in the future, Chicken will continue to successfully hone these skills.

Cat and Chicken’s mom, Amanda, is highly associated with work throughout the novel. She authors and illustrates children’s books, whose plots are drawn from the real-life experiences of Cat and Chicken. She is loving and kind to both children, though makes very little time for them. Mom frequently reminds Cat, when Cat requests her attention, that her work comes first. For this reason, she relies on Cat to care for Chicken and to be the “glue” that holds the family together. Occasional incidents in the novel reveal that Mom is white, while Cat and Chicken are biracial. The differences in their skin color often confuses strangers, and some do not initially realize that Mom is their mother. Mom teaches Cat and Chicken that these external differences do not prevent them from being a family, nor diminish Cat and Chicken’s worth.

Much of the novel’s plot is centered on Cat’s learning about Mom’s childhood, of which she has known very little. Initially, it is difficult for Cat to reconcile the island-dwelling kid who was a skilled fisher with her career-focused Mom. Cat recognizes how beneficial and rich Mom’s childhood was and hopes to re-instill this into Mom. In losing touch with Gingerbread Island, Mom has lost a valuable component of her identity. Similarly, the rift that has grown between her and Macon has impacted her greatly, preventing Cat and Chicken from knowing their grandparents. Lily insists that Mom and Macon are a great deal alike, as seen by their devotion to their respective careers that proves detrimental to their respective children. Ironically, Mom, though she desperately wanted Macon’s attention and time when she was young, does not recognize the way in which she is repeating these same unwanted behaviors with Cat.

Mom is important to Cat, and Cat loves and respects her, obediently deferring to her authority. As the novel unfolds, however, Cat is ultimately able to ask Mom to fulfill the needs that Mom is not meeting, due to her devotion to and focus on her work.

Cat and Chicken’s grandfather is reserved and standoffish when they arrive. Gradually, however, Macon allows Cat to accompany him on his morning beach walks, thus sharing his interest in protecting sea turtles with her. It is evident that the island and its ecology are important to him, and in this way, Macon is sensitive and caring. On their walks, however, he speaks very little and is often unwilling to engage in Cat’s inquiries about his life. With time, this barrier softens, and Macon warms to Cat’s company. He demonstrates his many skills, such as building ships in bottles and restoring old items, to Cat and Chicken, and does so in a way that demonstrates his growing love for them. As the novel unfolds, he evolves to become both protective and supportive of both Cat and Chicken.

The severed relationship of Macon and Mom is a key conflict throughout the novel. Macon is initially unwilling, much like Mom, to discuss the details concerning their falling out with Cat. When he does speak of his initial disapproval of Mom’s life choices, it is apparent that Macon regrets and is apologetic for his judgment. He accepts his wrongdoing in putting his career at the center of his life while Mom was growing up, acknowledging the ways this was detrimental to their relationship. It is apparent that, though Macon disapproved of Mom’s life decisions, such as marrying young and pursuing a career in art, he wanted the best for her and believed he was operating from a place of love. Cat, objectively, recognizes Macon’s good intentions and is instrumental in breaking the wall that has separated him and Mom.