Judgements in Walk Two Moons
By: Jackson Mundelius
Summary
Sharon Creech's novel, Walk Two Moons, is about a 13 year old girl named Sal who is going on a road trip with her grandparents to see her mother's grave. Along the way, she tells the story of her friend Phoebe and all of the adventures they have together.
Thesis
Throughout the novel Walk Two Moons, Sharon Creech uses judgements to challenge the reader's way of thinking.
Judgement 1: Mike Bickle
One person that is judged throughout the book is a man named Mike Bickle. When he shows up at Phoebe's door one day, both Phoebe and Sal think he is a lunatic. "'Sal, do you detect any signs of lunacy? There doesn't appear to be any place he could be hiding a gun. His jeans are really tight, maybe he has a knife stuffed into his socks.''' (Creech 43) Mrs. Winterbottom, Phoebe's mom, gets worried when a suspicious note is left on the porch. "I believe she thought it came from the lunatic." (Creech 52). Mrs. Winterbottom acts unusual every time the lunatic is brought up. The lunatic is very interested in Mrs. Winterbottom. It is through this behavior that the reader gains knowledge that Mike Bickle and the Mrs. Winterbottom are not strangers to each other. Later they discover that Mike Bickle is Mrs. Winterbottom's son.
Judgement 2: Margret Cadaver
There are some very serious judgements made about Mrs. Cadaver. When the two girls, Phoebe and Sal, learn that Mrs. Cadaver's last name means a dead body, they think that means she murdered her husband. "'Her name is Mrs. Cadaver right? Have you ever wondered what happened to Mr. Cadaver?' said Phoebe. ' I never really thought about it' said Sal. ' Well I think I know how' Phoebe said. 'and it's awful purely awful.'" (Creech 24). In English class the teacher was reading Phoebe's journal which contained her thoughts on Mrs. Cadaver and the murder of her husband. "I believe she has him buried in her backyard." (Creech 216). Phoebe and Sal get suspicious when Mrs. Cadaver plants a bush on a patch of dirt. They are also very suspicious about how good she is at chopping wood. These actions make them think she chopped up her husband and buried him in her backyard. Later they find out that her husband died in a car accident.