This Was Our Pact

Mikey, Elliot, Adam, and Sammy are the original group of friends that Ben sets out with in Chapter 1. They are flat, static characters whose brief appearance in the story serves mostly to characterize the more well-developed personalities of Ben and Nathaniel. They illustrate negative character traits that Ben only partially shares and that Nathaniel does not share at all. Their mockery of Nathaniel shows that they are closed off to other people and their perspectives. Ben does not participate in their bullying but also fails to speak up against it, showing that he is both similar to and different from these boys. Their casual cruelty sharply contrasts with Nathaniel’s cheerfulness and ready acceptance of others, highlighting Nathaniel’s positive qualities.

These boys agree to the pact to not look back or return home until they have answered the question of where the lanterns go—and yet, one by one, each drops out and returns home. They lack Ben’s perseverance because they are not truly ready to answer the call of adventure like Ben. Mikey’s excuse is family taco night, Elliot simply turns around without explanation, and Adam and Sammy do not want to get in trouble with their parents for crossing the bridge their parents have warned them against going past. These boys are still too dependent on their parents to experience an independent adventure. In contrast, despite his flaws, Ben is ready for this challenge. The boys’ abandonment of Ben also highlights what a good friend Nathaniel is—he is willing to fulfill the pact for Ben’s sake, even though Ben didn’t invite him along on the journey.

Nathaniel is a middle schooler who lives in Ben’s town. He is clever and optimistic, but he is isolated and bullied by his classmates who think of his interests as eccentric. He can be naive about how others see him, but he has confidence in his own worth and does not worry about fitting in. He follows the original group of questers from a distance because they did not invite him along, and he then joins Ben on his journey after the other boys drop out. Nathaniel, like Ben, is a model of persistence; unlike Ben, however, he has a keen appreciation for Cultivating Positivity and a Sense of Wonder and The Importance of Open-Mindedness. Thus, he is good at Balancing Perseverance and Flexibility from the very beginning of the story. For these reasons, he functions as a foil to Ben. The two boys have similar backgrounds—they are the same age and go to the same school, and their fathers work together, are best friends, and have instilled a love of space in both Ben and Nathaniel—but he differs in key ways that make him a catalyst for Ben’s growth.

Nathaniel’s persistence shows early in the story. Since he wants to spend time with Ben, he follows the group of boys out of town, and he continues doing so despite Mikey, Adam, Elliot, and Sammy mocking him the entire way. Despite Ben’s mocking, critical attitude toward him in the first few chapters, Nathaniel keeps making overtures of friendship. He is also the only one of the boys besides Ben who is willing to keep going on the quest past the bridge the boys’ parents have forbidden them from crossing.

Nathaniel’s capacity for wonder and his openness to others make him willing to entertain digressions in the journey, unlike Ben. Nathaniel is the one who befriends the fisherbear and listens to his stories. He eagerly shares information about the mysteries of space as they travel. Nathaniel is also curious enough about the sound the rock makes when he throws it into the lake to wade into the frigid water and find the unexpected staircase. He immediately climbs the stairs, wondering what is at the top, and he is quick to jump onto the platform lift when it arrives. He hangs upside down from the platform’s entrance, showing his cheerful and resilient nature; this is depicted again after Madam Majestic captures the boys and Nathaniel makes the best of the situation by exploring the cellar, putting on a whimsical costume, and eagerly examining the old books. As the journey progresses, Ben slowly comes to appreciate Nathaniel’s perspective and capabilities. Although Nathaniel’s openness to the fisherbear temporarily derails the journey, it is Nathaniel’s cleverness and eccentric interests that ultimately save them at the star farm. The digressions he unintentionally causes end up being some of the most marvelous parts of the quest.

The fisherbear is a kindly and at times comical anthropomorphized bear that Ben and Nathaniel unexpectedly encounter during their quest. He is on a quest of his own, attempting to fulfill a family tradition of finding and capturing the special fish that appear during the fall equinox. He has waited all his life for this night and is excited about finally being the family member who is sent out to fish. The fisherbear has complete confidence in the stories and map that guide his journey, despite their somewhat vague nature. His unflagging confidence despite warning signs—such as the fog—are part of what makes him an amusing figure. He is portrayed wearing a comically large coat and scarf and carries a giant basket on his back. He gets himself lost repeatedly, failing to see each time how woefully inadequate his cherished map really is.

The fisherbear is much more than just a comic figure, however. He is an adult with a wife and children of his own and functions as a wise mentor figure to Ben and Nathaniel. When the boys don the bear costumes, they symbolically “try on” the kind of adulthood that the bear represents; since they are not fully ready for adulthood, however, they ultimately abandon the costumes. The bear is the one Ben and Nathaniel turn to for a rescue when their boat starts to return toward Madam Majestic’s home. He is the one to give them a final push up the hill when they finally escape the ocean; also, his giant coat becomes a warm blanket after the boys take a swim in the lake, signifying the comfort of his guidance.

The fisherbear also offers the boys companionship, sharing stories that convey how deeply he loves his family and values their traditions. These stories help to broaden the boys’ perspectives. The fisherbear also offers advice and models openness and an appreciation for the world’s wonders, which is an important part of Ben’s growth. Near the story’s end, as he bounds around capturing fish, he is shown in various poses typical of superheroes in action comics: The fisherbear’s faith in tradition and family elevates him to the status of a hero.