Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Walk Two Moons, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Judgment, Perspective, and Storytelling
Parents, Children, and Growing Up
Grief
Nature
Summary
Analysis
Phoebe goes to the police on the day that Mr. Birkway reads a poem in class that upsets both her and Sal. The poem is “The Tide Rises, The Tide Falls” by Longfellow. As Mr. Birkway reads it, Sal can hear the tide rising and following. It’s about a traveler hurrying along by the sea, when suddenly the sea calls to the person and, presumably, pulls the person into the sea. One student says the poem seems peaceful, but Sal says it’s terrifying. Phoebe says it’s about a murder. Ben suggests that maybe the traveler died “like normal people die,” not by drowning. But Sal insists that dying isn’t normal at all; it’s terrible. Ben wonders if dying is possibly normal and terrible.
Sal and Phoebe are so upset by this poem because it seems to suggest that at any time, anyone can be snatched away, never to be seen again. Having both lost their mothers, it may hurt to have to confront the possibility that sometimes, people just disappear—or die. Ben’s suggestion that maybe dying can be both normal and terrible ties in with the Blackfoot myth that Sal remembers in the car with her grandparents, as the story teaches that death is both inevitable and difficult to comprehend.
Themes
When the bell rings, Phoebe grabs Sal and her evidence. They run to the police station. In retrospect, Sal doesn’t know why she went with Phoebe—maybe she was starting to believe in the lunatic, or maybe she just admired Phoebe for taking action. Sal wishes she’d done something when Momma left.
Although Sal may not realize it, going with Phoebe to the police station is a way for Sal to show Phoebe that she doesn’t have to be alone in her grief, and that Phoebe isn’t the only one who cares about her mother. The aside that Sal wishes she’d done more after Momma left implies that she still blames herself to some extent.
Themes
In the police station, Phoebe tells the man at the desk that she needs to speak to someone about a potential murder and/or kidnapping. When another woman asks if the girls are here because of something they read in a book, Sal jumps to Phoebe’s defense. Phoebe says this is about Mrs. Winterbottom, and the woman leads the girls to speak to Sergeant Bickle. Phoebe tells Sergeant Bickle everything about her mother disappearing, Mrs. Cadaver and her missing husband, and the messages. Phoebe pulls out the messages, and Sergeant Bickle reads them all aloud. His mouth twitches as he asks how these are related to Mrs. Winterbottom’s disappearance. Phoebe says she wants Sergeant Bickle to find that out.
Sal understands how important it is to Phoebe that the police take her seriously, even if she doesn’t necessarily believe that Mrs. Winterbottom was kidnapped and murdered. But to Sergeant Bickle and the woman at the desk, both girls seem far too caught up in conspiracy theories to take seriously, and they refuse to see the story from Phoebe’s perspective.
Themes
Phoebe then offers Sergeant Bickle her envelope with the strands of hair, which she’d like him to analyze. Sal can tell that Sergeant Bickle and the woman aren’t taking them seriously. Sergeant Bickle excuses himself and is gone for an hour. As the woman asks Phoebe about her family, Sal tries to get a look at the pictures on Sergeant Bickle’s desk. Finally, Sergeant Bickle comes back with Mr. Winterbottom. Phoebe looks relieved, but Mr. Winterbottom seems embarrassed.
Again, neither the woman nor Sergeant Bickle are taking Phoebe’s concerns seriously—instead, they brush Phoebe off and imply that she’s immature by calling her father to come pick her up. Mr. Winterbottom, meanwhile, is more embarrassed than concerned about helping the search for Mrs. Winterbottom—the way others perceive him and his family is still his main focus.
Themes
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Mr. Winterbottom drives to his house and tells Phoebe and Sal to wait while he speaks to Mrs. Cadaver. When he returns, he relays that Mrs. Winterbottom asked after Phoebe and Prudence, and that Mrs. Cadaver told her they were fine. Phoebe says she’s not fine, and anyway, her father should tell the police that Mrs. Cadaver hired the lunatic. Mr. Winterbottom tells Phoebe she’s getting carried away, but Phoebe insists Mrs. Winterbottom loves her and wouldn’t leave without explaining herself. Mr. Winterbottom starts to cry.
It's becoming clearer that Mr. Winterbottom is doing his best to keep himself together for his daughters’ sake. But when confronted with Phoebe’s naked fear and anger, it’s impossible for him to keep up his calm façade. He doesn’t understand exactly where Phoebe is getting all her wild theories, but he does recognize that she’s coming up with them as a way to cope with the trauma of her mother’s disappearance.
Themes
