Runaway Ralph

Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 1970

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Summary

Background

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapters 1-3

Chapters 4-6

Chapters 7-9

Character Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Tools

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Discussion Questions

Symbols & Motifs

The Camp Bugle

The bugle that sounds at the beginning and end of every day at Happy Acres Camp is symbolic of the call inside Ralph to rebel and explore the world outside of the hotel. The bugle accompanies Garf when he first arrives at the hotel and mirrors Garf’s sad mood: “The stroke of nine was followed by the slow sad notes of music that lingered and died mysteriously in the distance every night at this time” (4). Garf’s parents tell him what the sound is, which leads Ralph to associate the bugle’s song with children who might understand him. After a long night being forced to share his prized possession, the bugle sounds again:

The clock struck six, and in the distance Ralph heard the notes of the distant bugle, this time lively notes that seemed a summons to excitement and adventure and, now, that he knew where the notes came from, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches (21-22).

The second instance has a different sound and reaches the part of Ralph that craves adventure, independence, and a change of scenery. The last important bugle is when Ralph arrives at camp, and it evokes the danger Ralph finds at the end of his trip: “He was looking for a place to hide when the notes of the bugle, so close he felt as if they might shatter him, burst forth in the lively morning tune” (39). Although it’s still the “lively notes” that inspired him to rebel and run away, it’s so near to him that the sound itself is a danger.

The Motorcycle

Ralph’s motorcycle is a recurring motif throughout all three Ralph books. It encompasses Ralph’s adventurous spirit and represents his desire for freedom even through potential danger. The motorcycle in Runaway Ralph is even more prominent in its importance because it is the catalyst for Ralph running away and the literal and figurative vehicle of his journey. The loss of the motorcycle in Runaway Ralph further represents Ralph’s loss of freedom when he’s caught and put in the cage. The motorcycle primarily represents The Allure of Rebellion but also evokes the other two major themes.

Ralph’s parental figures forcing him to share his motorcycle awakens The Allure of Rebellion, primarily because the motorcycle prompts his siblings and cousins to complain: “It was a mouse-sized red motorcycle, a present from a boy named Keith [...]. Ralph was proud of his motorcycle, but his brothers and sisters said he was selfish” (2). The loss of the motorcycle through much of the middle of the book justifies the lack of movement from Catso’s first attack to Ralph’s escape. Ralph escapes the cage and demonstrates that he doesn’t need the motorcycle to travel, but “Ralph felt he would rather perish at Happy Acres Camp than return to the hotel without the motorcycle” (168). Again, his desire for freedom and autonomy overpowers the potential risks and is directly associated with the motorcycle. Having lost the motorcycle, he comes to have a fuller understanding of The Relationship Between Personal Responsibility and Independence—he knows he has to offer Garf a trade and take responsibility for his rash actions to get the motorcycle back. Finally, he successfully recovers the motorcycle: “In the warm and cozy darkness he ran his paws over the handlebars, the plastic seat, the wheels, and the exhaust pipe. The motorcycle was intact, and it was his once more. He had earned it” (192). The deal works because he understands Garf’s struggles and offers a deal that solves Garf’s biggest problem. Ralph regains his independence in the guise of the motorcycle because he practices empathy and “earns” his independence via responsibility.

The Cage

The cage symbolizes the loss of Ralph’s freedom and underscores the conflict between freedom and safety contained in The Allure of Rebellion as well as The Relationship Between Personal Responsibility and Independence. When Garf rescues Ralph and Aunt Jill suggests the cage, Ralph is worried: “If he was to be trapped in a cage, how could he get back to the motorcycle?” (60-61). The introduction of the cage metaphorically signifies the loss of freedom as it literally connects to the loss of the motorcycle. In a short time, though, Ralph thinks, “sooner or later they would all go away and let him enjoy peace and quiet in his nice safe cage” (65). The cage has transformed from a prison to a haven. The loss of freedom seems preferable to the danger represented by that freedom. That safety and comfort are short-lived, however, when Ralph realizes the cage also represents dependence, as Aunt Jill points out to Garf: “You wanted to be the only one to feed your mouse. He is hungry and his cage needs to be cleaned” (140). Ralph can’t store food or find it for himself, he must rely on Garf for everything. The action in the book pauses while Ralph is in the cage; it’s not until the cage falls and breaks that the conflicts come to a head and the rising action becomes the climax. In addition to symbolizing the loss of freedom and autonomy, the cage also represents stagnation. Finally, Ralph’s escape breaks the cage and allows him the independence to earn back his motorcycle and his freedom.