Walk Two Moons
By Sharon Creech
Summary
Salamanca Tree Hiddle is undertaking a long road trip accompanied by her grandparents to reveal her mother's journey when she left her daughter and husband. Sal, a 13 year old farm girl from Bybanks, Kentucky had moved to Euclid, Ohio when her dad was hallucinating that her wife was haunting the farmhouse and could not take the hauntings. There Sal met her first friend, Phoebe Winterbottom, who shared many stories and laughters together. Throughout the story Sal relates to the spontaneous events that occur when Phoebe's mother disappeared.
Thesis Sentence: Foreshadowing
Throughout the novel, the author, Sharon Creech, implements foreshadowing to create miniature plot twists and a ton of climax points such as Mike being Mrs. Winterbottom's son, Sal's mom dying in a bus accident, and Gram's death.
Mike is Mrs. Winterbottom's son
There are false accusations throughout the novel against Mike Bickle being a lunatic but all this time he was actually Mrs. Winterbottom's son. Mike is later on introduced by Mrs. Winterbottom to her family where the truth is revealed that he was left for adoption after her mother got married. "Oh Phoebe, I think I met your brother." Phoebe said, "I don't have a brother." (Pg. 193). Mrs. Partridge tells Phoebe that she met her brother but Phoebe tells her that she doesn't have a brother which is a sign of foreshadowing that she may have a brother. In the near beginning of the book, Phoebe receives a mysterious doorbell visitor and it was the potential lunatic, Mike. "I want to see Mrs. Winterbottom. Is she here or what?" (Pg.118/119). This is where Mike was first seen and Phoebe and Sal do not know what to do when they hear this message that a strange man would ask to see her mother.
Gram's death
Gram, Sal's grandmother is introduced as a spirit-filled old lady whose catch phrase is Huzza Huzza. Foreshadowing kicks in after she was bit by a water moccasin and her voice gradually becomes more vague. Gramps said, "How's your snake leg, Gooseberry?" He was worried about Gram, but less about her leg than her raspy breathing. (Pg.142). Gramps starts to worry and become concerned about her wife but the author wouldn't have put this dialogue in the story if there were no death. The author purposely made Gramps worry about Grams leg to create foreshadowing that Gram's time would soon come. "No," she said, "I didn't feel like sleeping. I can sleep later." (Pg.225) Grams is becoming even more sickly and she tells Gramps and Sal that she can sleep later, obviously meaning that she knows that she is going to die but doesn't give the full message out.
Sal's mom died in a bus accident
Salamanca Tree Hiddle knows the fact that her mother is dead but wants to put all the puzzle pieces together and have real proof that her mother is dead, like seeing her grave. At the beginning of the book it says that Gram and Gramps wanted to see Momma, their daughter, who was resting peacefully in Lewiston, Idaho. "Yes, I suppose I would go live with her." That was impossible and I knew it, but for some reason I could not tell Phoebe that, so I lied. (Pg. 102). Even though Sal is in denial that her mom is dead, her friend Phoebe does not know that her mother is dead but the author again creates foreshadowing that her mother is 100% dead when Sal says in her mind that she cannot go live with her mom if her dad dies. "I peered out over the rail, looking for the bus that I knew was still somewhere down there on the side of the mountain, but I couldn't see it. (Pg. 260-261). The author tells the reader that a bus accident occurred on the side of a mountain creating foreshadowing that Sal's mom could have been a victim in that accident making the reader think that her mother is really dead and that Sal could be getting closer to solving the mystery of her mother's absence.
Conclusion
The author, Sharon Creech, uses foreshadowing to create crucial events to let the reader know that a tragedy happened that could change the mood and plot of the story. Because of the foreshadowing of Mike's true identity, Sal's mom's accidental bus death, and Gram's tragedy, the author made the book, Walk Two Moons, a super suspenseful read.