One for the Murphys

Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 2012

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Summary

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapters 1-10

Chapters 11-20

Chapters 21-30

Chapters 31-40

Chapters 41-50

Character Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

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Discussion Questions

Symbols & Motifs

Love and Kindness

Throughout the story, many symbols of love and kindness appear and help Carley learn to trust and accept the changes in her life—and to realize that they’re positive changes. For example, Mrs. Murphy consistently shows her love not only in words but in deeds and actions: She’s eager for Daniel to do well at basketball, she eases Michael Eric’s dramas with soft words of reason and hugs, and on Carley’s last night at the Murphys, she makes Carley’s favorite dinner, including a whole apple pie just for her.

Despite Carley’s facade of toughness, she learns the strength of vulnerability, which she shows through her care and love toward others throughout the book: She gives Michael Eric the stuffed giraffe that came in her backpack “care package” from Family Services when he goes to hospital after a seizure, despite her having arrived at the Murphys with little else. Carley’s help during the seizure event is calm, direct, and sincere; she’s genuinely relieved to learn that Michael Eric is all right, and she generously hands the phone immediately to Daniel when Mrs. Murphy calls. In addition, Carley tries to make Toni feel better after she reveals the difficulty she has with her own mother; Carley turns her posh brand-name shirt around and inside out in a symbolic gesture of solidarity with Toni against the “clones” her mother represents. These gestures on Carley’s part symbolize her kindness to others.

Heroes and Superheroes

Superheroes appear throughout One for the Murphys and symbolize how influences help shape identity. When Carley arrives at the Murphy home and sees the room where she’ll stay, she thinks it’s ironic that she must sleep under Michael Eric’s wooden sign that says, “BE SOMEONE’S HERO” (6) because she can’t envision herself possessing hero-like qualities. Soon after Carley’s arrival, in a crucial scene, Michael Eric asks her to play superheroes with him and Adam, they spend hours doing so. Initially she agrees to play because she feels that she owes Mrs. Murphy, but later she realizes she enjoys it.

Carley becomes a real superhero in Michael Eric’s eyes when she deals with Jimmy Partin for him. When Carley leaves the Murphys, Mrs. Murphy gives Carly the sign that hung in her room, and Carly promises to try to be someone’s hero someday; Mrs. Murphy tells her she already is. As she prepares to walk to Mrs. MacAvoy’s car, Carley tells Mrs. Murphy that she has been her hero. In a subtler nod to this motif, positive-influence adult characters have jobs as “everyday heroes”: Mr. Murphy is a firefighter, Mr. Ruben is a teacher (and Mrs. Murphy used to be one), and Mrs. MacAvoy is a social worker.

Running Away

Running away physically symbolizes the difficulty Carley has with facing the many changes in her life and her conflicting emotions that she thinks showing would demonstrate weakness. Carley flees the scene three times in the novel, and on two other occasions, she may want to run but doesn’t. She first runs away after Daniel makes insensitive remarks at the dinner table about her mother’s lack of caring. Carley is unprepared for the heavy emotions that come with Daniel’s words; they hurt, and she tries to run from them. When she visits her mother the first time in the rehabilitation center, she runs again, unable to stand her mother’s hurtful comments and the lack of understanding between the two of them. Carley runs away during her second visit as well, as her mother claims she’ll release her permanently to Child Services to free Carley.

Carley wants to run away when Rainer throws carrots at her in the lunchroom. She doesn’t, however; instead, she stays to talk with Toni, who comes to her rescue. Toni stops Rainer, then stays for lunch. In a spirit of forgiveness, Carley is happy to have Toni’s help and eager to resolve things between the two of them. During Carley’s last visit to her mom’s room, she manages to stay, though she needs the support of the wall to help her keep standing after her mom tells her that they’ll return to Las Vegas. Carley’s improved self-control in not running away demonstrates her growing maturity and symbolizes her acceptance of her life and realization that she controls it.