45 pages • 1 hour read
Cynthia LordBecause of the Rabbit
Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 2019A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Chapters 17-19Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Chapter 17 Summary: “Rabbits have a blind spot in front of their nose. It’s the only place they can’t see”
Emma chooses one of the photos that Owen took of her kayaking to print out for the presentation, and the one she took of Owen for herself. Worried that Iris will ask whether she called the Abbots, Emma decides not to ask her father to bring in Lapi to school. She finds a good picture of the family dogs, Molly and Maggie; they can be the “reveal” for the presentation instead of Lapi. Collecting her last “truth” item, she picks her “Keep Going” rock off her windowsill and while holding it thinks of Jack. Jack kept trying to be her friend even though she was “hoping for someone else” (164).
Emma thinks about her “Best Friend Checklist” and Owen’s words of advice, and realizes that she has not met the requirements herself, even with respect to Owen and Lapi. Emma sees that her list: “Likes me best. Likes the things I like. Shares secret jokes. Is always on my side. Lets me be me. Forgives me when I’m sorry” is too much to be fulfilled by one person (165). She realizes that she should work at being a good friend herself rather than focusing on finding a “best friend.” Emma also resolves to tell the truth about Lapi.
Chapter 18 Summary: “Jackrabbits are actually hares”
Emma asks her father to bring Lapi to the presentation, but gets a surprise when he arrives at her classroom with Owen too. Owen has skipped his study hall and lunch period to come and support Emma, which gives her a boost and makes “Excited” take the lead over “Scared.” The teacher agrees to let Emma’s group go last. Emma enjoys learning about her classmates from their presentations, and she realizes she has a lot in common with them.
When it is their group’s turn, Jack does his part of the presentation perfectly. At the end of his presentation, Emma gives Jack a rock with “Rabbit Magic” written on it, and Jack gives Emma one of his raffle tickets. Then, it is Emma’s turn. True to her decision to be truthful, Emma presents the picture of Owen kayaking, explaining: “I do like kayaking, but I’ve always liked it best with Owen” (173). For her second truth, Emma holds up the rock from Mt. Katahdin and shows the words “Keep Going” that Owen had written on the back. Finally, Emma presents Lapi. Through tears, she explains how they got him and about the missing rabbit posters. When Emma says she must call the family, Jack hands her his phone. Emma makes the call to the Abbots in front of the entire class, boosted by the support of her classmates, Gabe, and Owen, who puts his arm around Emma as she makes the call. A woman answers the phone.
Chapter 19 Summary: “Anything is possible with rabbits”
Reading off Jack’s cue card, Emma tells the lady who picks up the phone that they found a lost rabbit. The woman is thrilled and replies that “Clover got out of her pen” (178). As Emma continues to explain how they found Lapi, Owen whispers “Her!” It takes a moment for the relevance to sink in—Lapi is male, and therefore cannot be the Abbots’ lost Clover. Not only is Clover a girl; she is also white. The woman’s disappointment is short-lived since Emma tells her that they saw a white rabbit matching Clover’s description at the animal shelter.
While the kids pet Lapi on the rug, Iris draws Emma aside and apologizes, confessing that she knew the lost rabbit wasn’t Lapi because the poster had a photo of a white rabbit. Emma is stunned, but when Iris explains that she did it because she was worried that Emma would come between her and Leah, Emma understands. Iris asks Emma to join their table for lunch, but Emma replies that she’s having lunch with Jack.
Suddenly, Lapi makes a break for freedom and races down the hallway. Jack helps Emma catch him, and as they carry him back to the classroom Emma is filled with joy, realizing that Lapi is still hers, and that she is accepted simply by being herself. Emma feels relief, finally understanding the freedom that comes with being true to yourself.
Chapters 17-19 Analysis
These chapters suggest that one is rewarded by acting honestly and with integrity. After Emma decides to tell the truth—about Lapi and her true likes—she exits the darkness of her pessimism and is rewarded with acceptance and joy.
A turning point comes as Emma looks at the inspirational rock in her hand: “Keep Going.” Physically holding the message gives Emma pause and makes her think about Jack: “He’d kept going, trying to be my friend, even as I was hoping for someone else” (164). Emma’s epiphany happens when realizing that Owen’s advice about being the “friend you want to have” applies to everyone and everything she loves, including Lapi (164). For the first time, Emma considers the difficult situation she is in from the other person’s (or rabbit’s) perspective: Maybe Lapi is missing his first family and would be happier back with them. Regarding Jack, Emma realizes she was only there for him when it benefited her. From Owen’s perspective, Emma hasn’t been supportive or excited for his success in the soccer tryouts, or shown any interest in his new school activities. Emma undergoes a leap of maturity with this reasoning. Feeling nervous but renewed, Emma understands that she must be true to herself and tell the truth in order to move forward, both at school and at home.
The presentation allows Emma to share aspects of her life that she hid out of fear of being negatively judged. Along with the “truths,” Emma shares that she was homeschooled; that kayaking is not the same without Owen, who she misses; that without Owen’s “Keep Going” rock she might not have climbed Mt. Katahdin; and, critically, that Lapi might belong to another family. The relief Emma feels at introducing her “whole self” to the class is palpable: “I felt lighter, almost dizzy with relief. I had said the truth and it had been OK. Better than OK—I felt understood (173).
It is not only Jack’s literal interpretation of Emma’s statement, “I need to call them” (174), (immediately handing her his phone) that pushes Emma to make the phone call in front of the class; it is the overwhelming concern and support she feels from her classmates, teacher, Owen, and Gabe. Emma’s honesty elicits empathy from her classmates. She gives them a deeper understanding of who she really is and the dilemma she is in; the relief that Lapi is not the missing rabbit is felt by the entire, emotionally invested class. Here, Lord shows The Importance of Authenticity: In being her true self, Emma establishes a connection with her peers.
By the end of the novel, Emma understands that it takes a community of different friends and family members to fill an individual’s need, not one “best friend” or one family member. This is illustrated by the classroom scene during Emma’s presentation: The room is full of potential friends, her brother Owen, her father, and her magic rabbit Lapi, all who provide different facets of support. Emma’s newfound freedom to be herself is shown by her confidence in turning down Iris’s invitation to lunch in favor of Jack; she understands she can be friends with both of them without being judged.
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