The Summer Book

Grandmother is a second non-traditional and dynamic protagonist in the novel. She, along with Sophia, appears in each vignette. She is 85 years old, and she has medical conditions that affect her legs and her balance, so she uses a walking stick and takes a medicine called Lupatro to combat dizziness. Grandmother is characterized as tough, independent, compassionate, and occasionally bitter, and she has a deep love for nature and Exploring the Natural World.

Grandmother’ primary roles include guiding Sophia and developing the themes of the novel. She guides Sophia by teaching her lessons, some gently and others through tough-love, and by providing a source of stable support for the young girl who has recently lost her mother. She passes on her love of nature to Sophia, and the two of them explore the natural world; she helps Sophia and Father heal from the loss of Sophia’s mother; she demonstrates age-related restrictions that often develop in old age; and she demonstrates a unique and loving grandparent-grandchild relationship.

Grandmother’s atypical character arc centers on her age and her mortality. Grandmother is bitter about her age-related restrictions, and she resents that she is unable to do as much as she could in the past. She transitions closer to acceptance by the final vignette. She feels that she no longer needs to act as a primary caregiver now that Sophia and Father are growing closer, and she can sense her approaching death. Rather than accepting death, she prepares for it, so that her family may feel less of the inevitable shock of loss—yet another demonstration of her compassionate and understanding nature.

Father, also called Papa by Sophia, is Sophia’s father and Grandmother’s son. He dedicates himself to work, and while the author mentions that he works at a desk, his exact job is not detailed. Father also fishes and seemingly enjoys gardening.

Although he plays an important role in the family, Father is a static side character. His character serves to develop the plot and to enhance the characterizations of Sophia and Grandmother. He is a distant father, but he is depicted as self-sacrificing and caring, such as when he sails home in a storm only to go back outside and fill the lamp with kerosene. He and Sophia are disconnected, likely due to the loss of Sophia’s mother, but they appear to grow closer by the end of the book. Father acts as a consistent yet detached source of stability both in his role as a father and his role as a character.

Berenice is the secret nickname of Herdice Evelyn, Sophia’s friend. She goes by the nickname Pipsan, but Sophia does not like that name because it is not sophisticated. Berenice is described as “too well bred and terribly quiet, and her hair was so beautiful it took your breath away” (21). Fear and anxiety are her primary personality traits, and she is a creative and skilled artist.

Berenice is a static minor character who serves to characterize Sophia and Grandmother. Sophia is characterized as unempathetic, rude, and self-centered through her poor treatment of Berenice. In contrast, Grandmother is depicted as kind, patient, and compassionate by her willingness to interact and play with Berenice, and in her support and encouragement of Berenice’s artistic skills.

Eriksson appears in “Midsummer.” Most of his characterization takes place through the family’s perceptions of him. He is described as enigmatic and solitary, as well as unlucky—“He was often unlucky and was plagued by bad weather and engine trouble. His herring nets would rip or get caught in his propeller, and fish and fowl would fail to turn up where he has expected them” (66). He is a fisherman who does not like fishing, but he finds joy in scouring the sea for items that he can salvage, and he has a knack for knowing when a storm will hit and potentially cause a shipwreck. Eriksson visits first to drop off fireworks, all of which end up being duds, then returns late on Midsummer Eve to take the family scavenging at the site of a nearby shipwreck.

The plot of “Midsummer” centers on Eriksson’s visit, and he serves to characterize the family by their reaction to his visit. Both Grandmother and Sophia want to impress Eriksson, and Sophia seems to understand him—she argues that he will not eat vegetables or dessert and she tells Grandmother to put away the napkins. Eriksson, like Sophia, is self-centered, but where Sophia’s self-centeredness is attributed to her age, Eriksson’s selfishness is an integral feature of his personality, with his solitude and lack of compassion for others contrasting strongly with Grandmother’s empathetic and communal values.

The Övergårds are the only auxiliary characters that appear in two separate vignettes: “The Cat” and “The Visitor.” They are the original owners of Fluff, and they trade Fluff for Moppy. They claim they are looking for a good mouser, but their willingness to switch cats suggests it is an act of kindness toward Sophia rather than a fair trade. In “The Visitor,” the Övergårds appear briefly to deliver mail to Father. The Övergårds have a minor role. They are flat characters who serve to advance the plot in both stories in which they appear.