Character Clues

Character Analysis

Location

The title of the book is the first clue that location is a really important part of the Alden children's identities. In fact, it's such a big part of who they are that when they go to live with their grandfather, they miss having the boxcar around. In the new house, even the dog is waited upon by maids, but still the children long for their dirty old boxcar: "Oh, Grandfather, I'd like to cook something once more in the dear old kettle in the woods" (13.47), Jessie admits. He tells her to join the maids in the kitchen, but "it was not like the old days in the boxcar" (13.49).

The fact that they ran away and made a home in an abandoned boxcar—and look back upon those days with genuine fondness—tells us a lot about the children's personalities and skills. Not just anyone could do that, right? And even those that could wouldn't necessarily enjoy it. Their ability to happily fend for themselves demonstrates how resourceful, creative, independent, and willful they are.

Actions

Part of what distinguishes each Alden child is what they spend most of their time doing. Henry is a worker; he builds things, mows grass, and does other household jobs. As soon as they settle into the boxcar, he sets off to find a job. "Today I'll go to town and try to get some work to do," he says. "I can cut grass or work in a garden or something" (5.8). And that's exactly what he does.

Jessie is a caretaker; she cleans, cooks meals, and does the laundry. Heck, the narrator even says, "She was the housekeeper" (5.1). Violet is a helper. She's always there to step in when her brothers and sister need something. And Benny … well, Benny just is. He mostly eats. Occasionally, he talks about how he wishes he were eating.

Family Life

Family life figures into the Alden children's characters in a few different ways. The death of their parents and their fear of their grandfather drive their actions (prompting them to run away and settle in the wilderness) for most of the book. In the woods, Henry and Jessie take on the role of parents, supporting and caring for the two younger children. Sometimes, they even have whispered conversations about "grown-up" stuff. After they hear a scary noise outside their boxcar in the night, "the next morning, Jessie and Henry talked about the queer noise. They did not tell Violet and Benny" (7.1). Thanks, Mom and Dad.

All four siblings demonstrate their commitment to each other throughout the book; their love for one another in many ways defines them because it drives their decisions and motivates their actions. When Henry enters a race, he says he doesn't personally care about winning—but as he runs, he begins to think about "how much the twenty-five-dollar prize would mean to Jessie and the children" (10.32). And, guess what? It's enough to push him past the finish line first.