Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Growing Up
Adventure, Mystery, and Secrets
Family
Independence, Capability, and Creativity
Art, Beauty, and Wonder
Summary
Analysis
When Claudia and Jamie reach the street, Jamie declares that, to save money, they’ll walk to the museum instead of taking the bus. Claudia is indignant—she wants to take a taxi. Jamie points out that they don’t have any allowance or income anymore, so they can’t be extravagant. Even the bus would cost 40 cents. Claudia grudgingly agrees to walk, deciding to suffer in silence the whole time. After all, Jamie will regret it when she collapses from exhaustion.
Though Claudia gave Jamie the responsibility of managing their budget, that doesn’t mean Claudia—who loves comfort and convenience—necessarily loves Jamie’s decisions. Unsurprisingly, given her decision to run away in the first place, Claudia can be a bit dramatic about things she dislikes.
Themes
As they make their way up Madison Avenue, Claudia’s violin case keeps bumping Jamie, so he walks a short distance ahead of her. By the time they reach the corner of Madison and 80th Street, where they have to turn left, Claudia is tired, sweaty, and cold all at once. She mocks Jamie for consulting his compass and crankily picks a fight with him for looking conspicuous. But Jamie says that nobody notices one another in New York, and that Claudia was “brilliant” to hide out here. Claudia calms down and agrees.
Although things have gone smoothly so far, Claudia is realizing that running away inevitably comes with discomfort. And when she’s uncomfortable, she tends to lash out. But Jamie knows what his sister likes to hear and manages to defuse her cranky mood through flattery. He’s also right—in New York, two runaway kids won’t necessarily stick out.
Themes
When Claudia and Jamie reach the museum, the guard clicks off two numbers on his people counter. Guards don’t count people when they leave the museum, only when they arrive. (Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler knows this because her chauffeur, Sheldon, has a friend named Morris who’s a Metropolitan guard. She’s been getting lots of information from him.) It’s one o’clock by this time, and the museum—which has over 26,000 guests on a typical Wednesday—is quite busy. It’s mostly tourists, art students, and old ladies killing time before a Broadway matinee. (Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler scolds Saxonberg for never setting foot inside this wonderful, free museum that draws people from all over the world.)
As Claudia intended, the Metropolitan is a great place to get lost in a crowd and avoid detection. With a little creativity and luck, the kids can potentially stay hidden and anonymous for days. By setting the story here, the author also draws attention to the wonder of the museum itself—as Mrs. Frankweiler’s side comment points out, it’s a fantastic resource that people travel from all over to experience. (Note that this book takes place in the 1960s—today, the Metropolitan no longer has free admission.)
Themes
Nobody thinks it’s strange that a boy and girl are walking around together carrying instrument cases and book bags; about a thousand kids visit the museum each day, after all. They check their bags at the entrance, though Jamie briefly panics about how he’ll change into his pajamas that night. Claudia reassures him that they’ll check out at 4:30 and reenter from the back; she’s got it all worked out.
Jamie’s worry is another good reminder that he is, after all, a little kid—the thought of departing from routine, like being unable to change into his pajamas at bedtime, is unsettling. As she’s done with everything else so far, however, Claudia has already anticipated this problem.
Themes
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The kids want lunch, so they go to the snack bar, which is cheaper than the restaurant. Jamie is shocked at the food prices, but Claudia is just mad at their stingy parents for putting them in a position to worry about money after less than a day in New York. Jamie wonders if he could get one of the guards to play cards with him for money, but Claudia points out that would be the opposite of inconspicuous. Jamie admits that he’s been cheating Bruce at cards all this time, though he’s not sure why he does it—he just likes complications.
The kids face some of the tough realities of hiding out in New York City, like the fact that their limited budget won’t stretch very far. Claudia, however, adds this reality to her list of grievances against her parents, suggesting once again that although she’s precocious in some ways, she’s a typical preteen in other ways. Their parents don’t give them an allowance for the purpose of living on their own in New York City, after all—and it’s generous of them to give one at all.
Themes
They study a map to figure out where they should hide after the museum closes and before the guards leave. Claudia decides they should hide in the bathrooms; she explains that Jamie must go into a stall and “stand on it” (she’s reluctant to say “toilet”) with his head down. After they’re sure the guards have left, they can come out. Jamie asks what they’ll do about the night watchman, and Claudia pretends to feel confident—she figures they’ll learn the watchman’s habits soon enough and avoid touching anything that might have an alarm on it.
Claudia has anticipated many problems, like how to stay hidden during the risky period of time when the museum is emptying out each day. Still, as capable as she is, there are problems that can’t be solved in advance, like the fact that there will still be guards around at night. Also note that security cameras weren’t as widely used in the 1960s as they are today, which certainly makes Claudia’s plans more feasible.
Themes
They wander around in search of a place to spend the night. In a display of fine French and English furniture, Claudia wants to sit on Marie Antoinette’s lounge chair, but it’s roped off. She finally finds an ornate canopy bed where the two of them can spend the night. (Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler tells Saxonberg that this bed dates to the 16th century like her own does. She’d even thought of donating her bed to the museum once, but she was relieved when somebody else donated this one instead.)
Claudia is drawn to beautiful, luxurious things, which is part of the reason she picked the museum as a hiding spot. She has this in common with Mrs. Frankweiler. Little has been revealed about Mrs. Frankweiler so far, but it’s evident that she is very wealthy, if she can afford to sleep in a bed that could become a museum piece.
Themes
Claudia knows she’s always been meant to sleep in a fancy bed like this, but Jamie finds this boring. Claudia shows him the card posted at the foot of the bed. It says that this bed was the site of the alleged murder of Amy Robsart, wife of Lord Dudley. This cheers Jamie up, and he says Claudia isn’t so bad. At that precise moment, the two of them become a team. It doesn’t mean that they stop arguing, but it means that the arguments become part of their adventure. It’s rare for two people to feel like this at the same moment—“especially a brother and a sister who had always spent more time with activities than they had with each other.”
Unlike Claudia, Jamie doesn’t care about sleeping in an antique bed, but this bed’s supposed history gives him a different perspective. Lord Dudley was a favorite suitor of Queen Elizabeth I, and Jamie likes the grisly possibility that he’s sleeping where Dudley’s wife may have died centuries ago. Even though Claudia and Jamie annoy each other, they’re starting to enjoy their shared adventure and to appreciate one another more. Since their childhood has been filled with extracurricular activities, they haven’t had many opportunities to be a team before.
Themes
As they’d planned, Claudia and Jamie check out of the museum and reenter through the back. The guard at the back tells them to check their instrument cases, but they tell him they’re just passing through the building. Then they hide in the bathroom stalls. At 5:30, they both emerge into the darkened museum and make their way to the English Renaissance furniture. Even after changing into their pajamas, they’re uncomfortable; they’re hungry, and the canopy bed smells musty.
Claudia and Jamie’s plan to dodge the guards goes as they’ve hoped. However, until now, they’ve overlooked some of the realities of museum life, like the fact that their parents aren’t there to provide them with an evening meal, and that an antique bed isn’t intended for people to sleep in.
Themes
The two lie there quietly for a while, feeling strange. Jamie points out that he didn’t brush his teeth. Claudia promises him that tomorrow will be even better organized. Even though it’s earlier than their usual bedtime, she feels incredibly tired. Gradually, the museum’s warmth, silence, and stillness settle around the pair, and they both fall asleep. They sleep quietly in the deep darkness and are not discovered. (Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler points out to Saxonberg that the bed’s draperies help, too.)
The first day of the Kincaids’ adventure has been a great success overall, though it’s also been exhausting. The kids have proven that, with daring and ingenuity, they’re capable of running away from home and surviving on their own in New York City for a day. Mrs. Frankweiler points out a detail that explains how they manage to stay undiscovered :the kids are safely concealed behind curtains for the night.
Themes
