Character Analysis
Defender of the Helpless
Our intrepid protagonist, Frannie, may be young (she's only in the sixth grade), but that doesn't mean that she's going to take trash from anyone—either for herself, or for those around her that are being bullied. Even though she's a small girl, Frannie stands up for other people when she feels like they're being picked on. Whenever girls dismiss Sean as a romantic prospect because he's deaf, she practically has steam coming out of her nose. Check her out in action:
"He can't talk either?"
"He just did," I said, getting mad. "You just didn't understand what he said. He said the same thing I just said." I put my hands on my hips, like I was daring her to walk away. (13.10-11)
Yeah, nobody puts Frannie—or those around her—in a corner. She's not just this way when it comes to her beloved big brother, either. She stands up for Jesus Boy when no one else does, and she even helps Trevor up when he falls in the snow… even though he's a big meanie and everyone at school kind of hates him:
I went to Trevor. The minute I saw him falling, I went toward him. It was automatic. Something inside me just said, "Go!" And I did. Because Trevor was falling and then he was in the snow. And in the snow he looked smaller and weaker and more human than any of us. (14.56)
She helps Trevor because no one else is going to step forward to help him—except for Jesus Boy, the person least likely to help Trevor up (since Trevor is always picking on him). In this moment, Frannie realizes that she has a lot in common with Jesus Boy despite the difference in their skin color; they both believe in helping those in need. It's something that's ingrained within them both, a call they both answer without missing a beat.
The Baby of the Family
Despite the fact that she stands up for other people, though, Frannie is still accustomed to her status as the official baby of her family. Because her mama had her after she lost a little baby, she calls Frannie her "miracle baby," and Frannie's taken that role to heart. So when it's announced that her mama is pregnant again, Frannie is just a tad upset:
I ran my fork through my rice, feeling all kinds of stupid feelings. I was the baby who had made it. It was sad, but each time one of the other babies didn't make it, it seemed clear to me that I was the one who was supposed to be the baby in the family. (8.79)
The fact of the matter is that Frannie is used to the way that things are. She's used to living on this side of the highway and seeing only black people, and she's used to being the youngest kid in the family. She is terrified of change, and responds to it with aggression and distrust. When she realizes that change isn't always a bad thing, though, she learns to like her life. She embraces the pregnancy and even befriends the very strange—and very white—Jesus Boy.
Worrywart
Since Frannie is kind of terrified of change, when things are different, she worries like crazy. So in addition to fearing that she'll lose her spot in the family, Frannie also worries that her mama is going to be sick, or that she'll lose the baby, or that she'll fall into a deep depression again (like she did after her last miscarriage). Her daddy has to talk her out of all her worrying:
"You don't need to worry about what happened before. All you need to look at is what's happening now." He nudged my chin up so I would look at him. "And be happy about it. And if it means you only get to be happy for a month or two months or three months, so what. A month or two months or three months is a good long time." (9.15)
Frannie's dad is right: Frannie worries so much that she can't just enjoy life as it is. She can't be happy for her family, or revel in the moment, because instead, she's wondering what could go wrong. By the end, Frannie is able to let go of some of her hyper vigilance and just enjoy the present—she realizes that worrying all the time doesn't help at all. Worrying can't prevent tragedies or make anything better. You need to enjoy the small, happy moments:
Ms. Johnson says each day holds its own memory—its own moments that we can write about later. She says we should always look for the moments and some of them might be perfect, filled with light and hope and laughter. Moments that stay with us forever and ever. Amen. (22.6)
And it is in embracing the little moments in her life that Frannie is able to finally be content and live out her own life. Which is a good thing, because that baby will be here soon, so now is Frannie's chance to soak up being the youngest—which is exactly what she's doing as the book ends.
Frannie's Timeline