84 pages • 2 hours read
Sharon CreechRuby Holler
Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 2002A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.
Themes
The Fear of Separation
Throughout the novel, Dallas and Florida speak of their desire to remain together at all times. Not only do they share a unique and special bond as twins; they have endured the same experience of abandonment and abuse. In this way, each twin becomes the sole support system for the other and is reluctant to trust anyone else. Because the twins are highly reliant on each other, they vow to never be separated: They both fear being apart and share a sense of deep commitment and love. Thus, when they are presented with the opportunity to travel with the Moreys, the thought of being separated from one another gives Dallas and Florida pause.
Likewise, both Tiller and Sairy become anxious at the thought of being apart from one another. Their children have moved away, and they live a rather isolated life. Like Dallas and Florida, each has only the other to depend upon. They frequently speak of what life would be like if they were to be apart and worry about their time spent away from one another on their upcoming trips. In taking the separate trips, they must choose whether to follow their own dreams or potentially risk losing the closeness they have cultivated.
When the four divide up to perform “practice runs” of their respective trips, new bonds develop. Sairy and Dallas find they are both optimistic and are able to find their way out of the hiking area after becoming lost. Though they are short on supplies, they persevere and grow closer as a result. Similarly, Tiller and Florida’s bond grows stronger during the time they spend together repairing the boat, then paddling the river. When they capsize, both are deeply concerned for the other’s safety and unwilling to merely save themselves. That Florida is willing to go back into the river after reaching safety, in order to rescue Tiller, is evidence of her love for him.
The bonds between both the Moreys and the twins are tested, and the twins must confront their anxieties about being separated from the other. Each of them learns to trust a new person, and this trust reflects important growth. The ending suggests that the four will remain together; in this way, they have created an even stronger network of support than before.
Trouble, Punishment, and Redemption
Florida and Dallas are given the nickname “trouble twins” due to their tendency to misbehave when in the care of various foster parents. Likewise, they are notorious at Boxton Creek Home for breaking all of the Trepids’ rules, carrying out extra chores, or being isolated in the “thinking corner” as punishment. Their nickname implies that they are irredeemable and unadoptable. The Moreys worry, when they learn of the twins’ reputation, that it is unwise to invite them on the summer trips.
Indeed, the twins come to internalize the moniker, expecting that their lives will be filled with punishment. They are surprised when life at Ruby Holler is remarkably different; unlike the Trepids, the Moreys do not set and enforce countless rules. The twins are allowed to run and shout and to touch items throughout the Morey cottage, such as the bird and boat carvings. When the twins do misbehave, it is often unintentional, such as when Dallas cuts a hole into the barn wall after Tiller complains of the barn being too dark. In such instances, Sairy especially responds with kindness, finding a way to view the harm done as a fortunate occurrence instead.
The twins, Florida especially, brace for the day when the Moreys will finally punish them and send them back to Boxton Creek Home as other foster families have done. Instead, the Moreys continue to treat the twins with love and kindness, correcting them when necessary instead of hurting or chastising them.
As the novel unfolds and the twins speak of their time in foster care, it becomes evident that they are largely not deserving of the “trouble” moniker. In many instances, it is the foster parents or their children who abuse the twins or falsely blame them for mishaps. When the twins do misbehave, it is done out of retaliation or because, as Florida insists, they will be blamed regardless for wrongs they have not committed, so they may as well commit some. In fact, the Trepids are revealed to be immoral people much more deserving of punishment than the twins.
With love and guidance, the twins’ true nature—that of curious and energetic children—becomes apparent. What was once deemed as problematic aspects of their personalities become their strengths. As they are freed from the daily cruelty of unjust and unwarranted punishment, the twins thrive.
Escape and the Pursuit of Freedom
From the early chapters of the novel, both Dallas and Florida want to escape from Boxton Creek Home. The plan to sneak away during the night and board the train develops prior to the novel’s opening. These early chapters paint a dismal picture of their lives: The twins live from punishment to punishment, molded to view life as a series of temptations they cannot enjoy. Most importantly, their lives are absent of love and support; they receive no care or nurturing from the Trepids nor any of the foster parents who take them in. In this way, the twins quickly learn that they can only depend on one another; they long for an existence with just the two of them and view leaving Boxton Creek Home by train as the way to accomplish this.
Their desire for escape is not diminished when they arrive at Ruby Creek. Though their surroundings are pleasant and inviting, the twins remain focused on their plan to leave by train, certain that their time with the Moreys will be as unpleasant and oppressive as with any other foster family. For Florida and Dallas, leaving by train represents freedom from oppressive rules but, more importantly, an opportunity to ensure they are never harmed by anyone again. Though they do not make specific plans beyond boarding the train, they envision a kind of utopia where they can live alone together, ensuring that they are never separated.
They finally begin to carry their plan out one night while living in Ruby Holler. Though they enjoy a pleasant life there, their goal is so firmly entrenched that they have grown certain that escape is preferable to any life they would have elsewhere. Ironically, they have already escaped their unpleasant past of abuse and harsh treatment, as Ruby Holler provides the very atmosphere both twins have longed for. During both escape both attempts, the twins provide themselves with an “out” and change their minds. They pay attention to signs that they should remain in Ruby Holler, and the smell of cooking bacon tempts them away from the train.
Dallas and Florida come to understand that the impetus for escaping no longer exists: They have obtained the love, support, and freedom to be themselves.
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By Sharon Creech
