Clark and Cindy Edwards’s younger son, who is nine when the novel begins. His parents have him enrolled in a range of activities, including piano lessons and hockey. He is close to his older brother Vince and becomes lonely and withdrawn as a result of his parents’ narcissism and neglect. When Neni spends a summer working as his nanny, she becomes a surrogate mother figure for him. Mighty also develops a close relationship with Liomi. Mighty attends the Dalton School. At the end of the novel, he prepares to move to Virginia with his father.
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Mighty Edwards Character Timeline in Behold the Dreamers
The timeline below shows where the character Mighty Edwards appears in Behold the Dreamers. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 4
...like “one of those rich-people apartments you see on television.” He talks about their son, Mighty, who’s “very nice” and “well brought-up.” When Neni asks if Mighty is an only child,...
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Neni asks Jende what he did after dropping Mighty off at school. He says that he returned to the Edwardses’ home and picked up...
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Chapter 5
...young man resembles his father. Cindy is ecstatic to see him and, based on what Mighty told Jende, it’s possible that they haven’t seen each other in months. Two hours after...
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Cindy calls Clark back and asks if he’s going to Mighty’s piano recital. Jende notices that her voice sounds “drenched in agony.” He wishes that someone...
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Chapter 6
...nights ago, when he was driving Vince back to Columbia after he had dinner with Mighty and Cindy.
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Chapter 18
...make herself comfortable. She spends all evening on that first day in the kitchen with Mighty, whom she knows will be “her only true source of joy there.” The boy reminds...
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Babysitting Mighty is the best part of Neni’s job, and Cindy approves of how happy she makes...
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...Clark won’t be coming home that night, and that Vince is leaving after he and Mighty return. Around seven o’clock Cindy starts the engine to her Jaguar and leaves for her...
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Chapter 19
...and carries the tray out to the pool, where Cindy is waiting, Cindy asks where Mighty is. Neni says that he went to the beach with a neighbor and the neighbor’s...
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...the garments are all designer goods, which Neni may have. She also has some of Mighty’s old clothes and toys, which Neni may give to Liomi. Neni is grateful. Cindy then...
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Chapter 21
...Neni to mind her own business. Still, Neni’s determined to find out what’s going on. Mighty could only tell her that his parents and Vince are fighting and that Vince won’t...
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Chapter 24
...There are no more than six children there, and Neni is thankful to see that Mighty is one of them. He runs up to her and hugs her so tightly that...
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Chapter 25
...to arrive, Jende’s phone rings. Vince asks if it would be all right to bring Mighty along. Neni initially refuses, worried of what Cindy would think of her baby being in...
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...and behave as though they’re in any of the apartments on Park Avenue or Madison. Mighty’s impressed at how everyone gets to sleep in the same bedroom and goes to Liomi’s...
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...and sits wherever they like. They also eat however they like, even with their hands. Mighty says that he wants to sit on the floor and eat with his hands. Liomi...
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Mighty wants to hear more stories, but Vince announces that it’s time for them to leave....
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Mighty keeps trying to convince Vince to let him stay longer and asks if Jende can...
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Chapter 27
...brusque greetings, orders to hurry, or reminders to pick up Cindy or to drop of Mighty. Once, he barked at Jende to cut around another car, but he usually just sits...
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Chapter 32
...a meeting in a taxi while Jende was on his way back from picking up Mighty, so Jende had no way to know where Clark was going or whom he was...
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...had been a happy one because Clark’s parents, his sister, Ceci, and his nieces visit. Mighty tells Jende about what “an awesome Thanksgiving” the Edwardses had and that they had celebrated...
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Chapter 33
Jende cuts his conversation with Leah short to go pick up Mighty. He hangs up, thinking about how miserable Leah had recently sounded due to not getting...
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Chapter 34
When Jende hears Mighty sniffling in the backseat, he thinks that the boy just has a cold. Then, he...
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Mighty asks if he can visit the Jongas. Jende says that, as glad as he and...
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Chapter 37
...a hotel. She also tells him that Cindy won’t be needing his services, but that Mighty will need to get to his piano lesson and back. Jende could return home after...
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Jende greets Mighty and asks about his Christmas, which Mighty says he doesn’t want to talk about. He...
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Mighty worries that his parents will get divorced. When the boy leaves the car to meet...
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Chapter 45
...because Clark was in London on a business trip, Vince was still in India, and Mighty was studying at the Dalton School, “being groomed to be a man like his father.”...
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Chapter 46
At Cindy’s funeral, Mighty wears a gray suit and plays “a beautifully imperfect” version of Claude Debussy’s “Clair de...
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Jende tells Neni later about the funeral and talks about feeling sorry for Mighty. Neni suggests that they donate the ten thousand dollars that Cindy gave her as hush...
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Chapter 55
...a worrier Clark has become, checking in on everyone all the time. He tends to Mighty’s well-being, rescheduling meetings to attend hockey practices and writing poems for him while he sleeps....
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Vince says that, now that Mighty and Clark are okay, he’ll probably never return to the U.S. permanently. Neni tells Vince...
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...and usurp her place in her child’s life, no matter how much she cared about Mighty.
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Chapter 60
Clark says that he and Mighty are moving to Virginia. He found a job in Washington, DC, lobbying for credit unions....
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...to an end. Clark sends his regards to Neni, while Jende sends special greetings to Mighty from him and Neni.
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