27 pages • 54 minutes read
Sara PennypackerClementine
Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 2006A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Summary
Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Character Analysis
Themes
Symbols & Motifs
Important Quotes
Essay Topics
Tools
BetaCharacter Analysis
Clementine
An energetic and creative eight-year-old, Clementine lives with her family in an apartment building and spends most of her time doing art or running around. Much of the novel’s plot centers around Clementine’s struggles navigating the world around her; she spends lots of time trying to figure out “the rules” and getting adults to see her as a good kid.
Clementine is an artist. There are pictures showing what Clementine draws throughout the book, and she spends lots of time thinking about how she might want to be an artist when she grows up. Clementine struggles with paying attention in school, since she’s always noticing “the good stuff” instead of the teacher (41). However, it is precisely this that makes her creative. Pennypacker shows readers how different people’s minds work and the unique, positive qualities that come from being creative.
Over the course of the novel, Pennypacker characterizes Clementine’s spontaneous and generous nature as being both problematic and useful. Clementine alternates between doing things that have negative consequences—like cutting Margaret’s hair or cutting her own hair—and doing things that have positive consequences—like solving the pigeon problem. Through these different moments, Pennypacker illustrates some of the behaviors of elementary-aged children as well as highlighting the ways that Clementine’s creative, big energy can be both good and bad.
Margaret
Margaret is Clementine’s friend, neighbor, and the source of much conflict in Clementine. A little over a year older than Clementine, Margaret seems to have figured some things out about life that Clementine doesn’t understand—“her hair is always combed […] and her clothes always match” (21). Margaret’s ability to be organized and clean makes Clementine wonder about how she could possibly be those things, too.
Margaret serves as Clementine’s opposite and foil for several reasons: One, this helps Pennypacker highlight Clementine’s unique nature; two, Margaret’s personality helps Clementine think critically about her own self and other people; three, Pennypacker uses Margaret’s differences to create conflict. Without “perfect” Margaret cutting off her hair and enlisting Clementine’s help, much of the plot wouldn’t occur. Navigating the tension of their friendship helps Clementine become more self-aware. She begins resolving her feelings about other aspects of her life, like Polka Dottie’s death.
Clementine’s Mother
While neither of Clementine’s parents feature heavily in the novel, Clementine’s mother is presented as a caring, thoughtful parent who takes time to know Clementine and help her through challenges. Most importantly, Pennypacker focuses on how Clementine’s mother is an artist. Clementine processes this at a pivotal moment in the text: Her mother asks, “do you sometimes wish you had the kind of mother who worked in a bank and wore dresses?” (36-37). As Clementine thinks to herself “Yes, maybe, sometimes” (37), she begins realizing that she does, in fact, love and accept her mother for who she is. This is critical to Clementine’s growth as a character; she comes to realize that her “secret” of wanting to maybe be an artist is a manifestation of who she is.
Clementine’s Father, Bill
Clementine’s father, like her mother, appears in brief intervals throughout the text to support Clementine’s character development. Her father is the building manager at their apartment. Much of his time with Clementine is spent discussing the pigeons or the painting. Pennypacker suggests that Clementine’s father is responsible for shaping how she sees and understands the world. This is highlighted in a scene when Clementine is trying to shave in the bathroom, and they look “at [her] mad mirror face […] for a long time” (74). Clementine’s father teaches her to look carefully and think about solving problems.
Clementine’s Brother
Clementine’s brother is three. Clementine only refers to him by vegetable names like “Broccoli” and “Radish.” Although he’s a minor character, Clementine’s relationship with him is important because of what it reveals about who she is; Clementine is kind, empathetic, and playful with her brother. She does lots of thinking about “Being Responsible” and finding fun things to make her brother’s life better.
Clementine’s brother partly informs Clementine’s understanding that there is an easy one and a “hard one” when it comes to children, and Clementine’s brother is the easy one. Through the relationship between Clementine and her brother, Pennypacker illustrates some of the common dynamics that siblings experience.
Related Titles
By Sara Pennypacker
