George Washington's Socks

The author characterizes Matt, the clear protagonist, indirectly throughout these opening chapters. He enjoys the concept of adventure, evidenced by the club’s intended activities; he thinks of adventurous thrills when faced with the boring, unpalatable task of eating peas. His taste for adventure is so strong, in fact, that he at times makes impulsive choices: he puts his peas in the sugar bowl, invites Katie on the campout, and most importantly, encourages the spontaneous hike to the lake without any adult’s knowledge or permission. In each of these situations, he shows no consideration of potential consequences.

Despite this flaw, Matt demonstrates genuine regard for his friends. He elevates their strength areas when assigning roles in the club, most notably for Tony, whose smaller size Matt characterizes positively in the club role of scout. Matt also shows a desire to serve in a leadership role, not just as club president, but in offering to share his knowledge of Washington from his report.

The author characterizes the other children with a variety of traits. Hooter shows an affinity for those smaller and weaker; he once cared for a baby owl, communicating with it through hoots, hence his nickname. Hooter also speaks up when Katie wants to join the club: “Oh, Matt, have a heart” (10). Katie’s brash boldness with the boys, all of whom are older than her, parallels Matt’s impulsivity. Tony’s desire to get permission for their walk to the lake and his worry over getting into trouble suggest that he is a rule-follower, a trait juxtaposed against Matt’s carefree attitude in their decision to go.

The author uses dramatic irony throughout the novel, and an early example occurs in Chapter 1 when Matt’s parents praise his inclusion of Katie on the campout. His parents do not know that he is only inviting Katie to keep her from ratting him out about the peas, but readers are fully aware of it.

Later, we learn that Matt lives in Nebraska, but the author doesn’t fully describe or name the setting within these early chapters, which serves to lay out a time and place that feels universal (though distinctly modern-day). Similarly, besides some minor differences in physical size and strength and a few mentions of personal details, like Katie’s red hair, the author depicts the children without many background or socioeconomic details. They are, however, characterized as individuals with different strength areas and interests.

Early in the book, historical detail both adds interesting facts to the narrative and properly educates the reader on Washington’s crossing of the Delaware and the army’s subsequent struggle getting to Trenton. This historical run-down maximizes the reader’s comprehension and enjoyment of the adventure to come. At this point in the book, Matt feels admiration for the men who succeeded against so many challenging odds, but his admiration is strictly superficial, as he has no real adventure or understanding of danger in his own life to which to compare them. Some of the historical mentions also serve to foreshadow challenges that Matt and the others will face in subsequent chapters, such as the repeated mentions of the cold and stormy winter, and the “ill-clad” and inexperienced men.

Matt’s conflicts—dealing with a little sister, evading parents’ rules, avoiding his peas at dinner—are characteristic, normal conflicts for a 10-and-a-half-year-old. The highly atypical conflicts of the coming chapters will display in stark contrast by comparison.