Nothing particularly scary happens in Feathers—no one dies, and there isn't a dramatic scene where all of the characters have to arm themselves with shovels and kitchen appliances in order to fend off zombies and vampires. No, the things that the characters fear are much more mundane; they are the worries that come with everyday life. Frannie worries about her mama and her future baby sibling, and also that Sean will be picked on or overlooked because of his disability. And Jesus Boy is afraid that he'll never fit in… no matter which side of the highway he moves to.
Does anything go bump in the night? Nope—but there's plenty to lose sleep over here anyway.
Questions About Fear
- Why isn't Jesus Boy afraid of Trevor and all of his threats?
- Do you think that Trevor is afraid of something? What do you think that is?
- Why is Frannie so upset when her mama announces that she's pregnant?
Chew on This
Frannie acts as though she's upset that she might have to share a room with the new baby, but really this is just a way of covering up her fear. She's worried that her mama will get sick again, or that she'll miscarry and lose the baby.
Trevor is always angry, but he is not actually that mad at any of the other kids in class. He is just trying to cover up his loneliness and his feelings of abandonment, and he's terrified that he'll slip and the other kids will see his weakness.