39 pages • 1 hour read
Lauren TarshisI Survived the Joplin Tornado, 2011
Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 2015A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Character Analysis
Dexter James
Dex is an 11-year-old boy with a stable suburban life. He feels connected to and safe in his home of Joplin, Missouri, riding his bicycle around his neighborhood and supporting his young neighbors’ lemonade stand. He is struggling with changes in an old friendship, but he is close with his family, and he has a beloved dog. Dex also has an interest in tornadoes, finding them both frightening and fascinating. When he is given an opportunity to accompany Dr. Gage, a well-known storm chaser who happens to be a college friend of his father’s, Dex jumps at the chance to learn more about tornadoes and to see one in action. However, he does not fully understand what he is getting himself into.
An important part of Dex’s narrative arc is developing experiential knowledge about catastrophic events and finding his own hidden strengths and abilities. Initially, the danger of tornadoes is abstract. When Dex is first confronted with the potential danger during a lightning strike in Kansas, he is relieved to leave the storm behind. However, when the storm takes an unexpected turn, leaving Dr. Gage gravely injured, Dex must rise to the occasion, drawing on his courage and knowledge to save the man who kept Dex safe during the height of the storm. By the end of the novel, Dex has come to appreciate The Limitations of Human Knowledge in the face of nature, and he has developed a deeper appreciation for his community. He has experienced how a disaster can paradoxically bring people closer together, and he understands that a community’s true resources are the commitment and care of its members toward each other.
Dr. Norman Gage
As Tarshis explains in her end matter, the character of Dr. Gage was inspired by a real-life storm chaser, Tim Samaras, who lost his life while following a storm. Tarshis gives Dr. Gage a backstory as well as a personal connection to Dex. He is the college friend of Dex’s father, and when he was the same age as Dex is in the narrative, Dr. Gage was caught in a tornado. He sustained a serious injury and still bears a prominent scar as an adult.
Dr. Gage’s childhood experience provides his motivation to become a storm chaser as an adult: He hopes to learn more about these storms in order to mitigate their deadly impact in the future. Like Dex’s brother, Dr. Gage has dedicated his life to serving others, albeit in a different way. Dr. Gage’s SUV features considerable safety and tracking equipment, though ultimately, they are not enough to ensure that he and Dex will not be exposed to the tornado. In the end, what saves Dex’s life is Dr. Gage’s attentiveness and knowledge. He is able to grab Dex before he is sucked out of the car window, and he knows the best way for Dex to try to protect himself while the car is being tossed about by the storm winds. Dr. Gage is more injured than Dex is. Using Dr. Gage’s own first aid equipment, Dex is able to stop his bleeding. Their experience together builds a bond of friendship between them. They remain in touch after the storm and plan to visit each other, exemplifying the way disasters can also forge bonds between people who take responsibility for each other.
Jeremy James
The character of Dex’s brother, Navy SEAL Jeremy, is developed primarily through narrative report. His only appearance in the story is via a phone call he shares with his brother in Chapter 15. Despite his physical absence from the narrative, Jeremy exerts a strong influence on his brother and the development of his character. At the beginning of the novel, Dex speaks of his brother with both pride and fear, worrying that something may happen to Jeremy while serving in the military. Jeremy is Dex’s inspiration. He looks up to his brother for being willing to commit himself to serving his country and for the dedication he has to his fellow SEALs.
Dex equates Jeremy’s dedication to service with Dr. Gage’s. Jeremy is a model for what a life of service can look like but not the only model. Both men are willing to put themselves in harm’s way in order to complete their missions. At the end of the novel, Jeremy’s character is further revealed through his bond with his younger sibling, both in their emotional phone call and by Jeremy sending his SEAL pin to Dex. By surviving a life-threatening event, keeping his focus, and saving Dr. Gage, Dex proves himself to be committed, courageous, and resourceful like his older brother.
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