Bat and the Waiting Game

“Bat’s bed was neatly made just the way he liked it, with the blue sheet and red-and-blue-plaid quilt tucked in tight so that when he climbed in at night he would feel like he was slipping into a cocoon.”

Bat’s privacy and personal space are highly important to his sense of safety, and his room is carefully arranged as a sanctuary from stressors. The simile comparing climbing into bed to “slipping into a cocoon” uses figurative language to express the comfort Bat takes from his cozy, familiar bed. The detail that the quilt is “tucked in tight” reflects the fact that Bat finds gentle pressure soothing, a preference shared by many children with neurodivergence. The description of his bed as “neatly made just the way he liked it” illustrates the boy’s methodical, detail-oriented personality. As a whole, the passage establishes that Bat has already developed techniques and routines to help regulate his emotions and foster his sense of well-being at the start of the book.

“‘Well,’ said Bat, ‘did you know that skunks sometimes attack beehives because they like to eat honeybees? And that a wild skunk usually only lives about three years, but pet skunks can live up to ten? Or how about this—skunks can survive a snakebite! And skunks aren’t fast. And they have bad eyesight. And—’”

Individuals with autism often develop intense, long-term passions for specific subjects, which are known as special interests. By showing Bat’s enthusiasm to share his knowledge about animals, particularly skunks, this passage illustrates the excitement and joy that special interests can generate and contributes to the novel’s depiction of neurodivergence. In literature, anaphora refers to the repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of consecutive phrases or sentences. For example, the excerpt ends with a series of sentences beginning with the word “And.” Along with the use of an exclamation point, the anaphora makes Bat’s dialogue more expressive and conveys his excitement to share information about one of his special interests.

“Mom pulled him close, and Bat closed his eyes as he let his face mush into the softness of her stomach. He felt the snug tightness of her arms around his shoulders and back, the gentle firm pressure of her embrace. He felt safe and warm and let himself take a long, deep breath. Mom smelled of rosemary, like sunshine and peppermint and pine. Bat took another deep breath before he tapped his hand against Mom’s leg, their sign that he was ready for the hug to be over.”

Throughout the novel, Arnold uses imagery to convey Bat’s keen experience of physical sensations and their impact on his mood. In this excerpt, tactile imagery, such as “the softness of her stomach,” and olfactory imagery, such as the smell of rosemary, depict the effect of Dr. Tam’s soothing presence on her son. The author enhances the passage’s relaxed mood through the use of polysyndeton, the stylistic addition of coordinating conjunctions where none are grammatically necessary, as in the repetition of “and” in “sunshine and peppermint and pine.” The detail that the characters have worked out a “sign” that Bat can use to indicate when he’s “ready for the hug to be over” is as much an example of Dr. Tam’s loving efforts to meet her son’s needs as the hug itself. This excerpt portrays Bat’s mother as a key source of comfort for her son and a prominent figure in the themes of empathy and supportive environments.

“‘We have rehearsal after school every day for the next three weeks,’ Janie said. ‘Oh,’ Mom said. ‘Well, that throws a monkey wrench in our schedule.’ Bat knew that Mom was using an expression, and that there wasn’t really a wrench shaped like a monkey. But it felt satisfying when he imagined one, anyway.”

Dr. Tam’s statement about the “monkey wrench” is an example of an idiom. This type of figurative language is often considered a frustrating challenge for people with autism because they may tend to take things literally. Arnold somewhat subverts this stereotype by showing that Bat not only grasps that his mother is speaking figuratively but also enjoys using his imagination to conjure up a more literal interpretation of the expression. This authorial decision offers a reminder that autism is a spectrum and that each individual is unique.

“There were some terrible things about Bat’s new after-school schedule: 1.​ The extra time away from Thor. 2.​ The uncomfortable feeling of going to a new place, itching Bat like the heat rash he sometimes got on summer’s hottest days. 3.​ The inconvenience of being away from his very own home, his perfectly comfortable room.”

By formatting the passage as a list, the author highlights Bat’s desire for organization and his mental preoccupation with his unease about the new arrangement. The simile comparing the “uncomfortable feeling of going to a new place” with “the heat rash he sometimes got on summer’s hottest days” expresses his visceral discomfort with new situations and explains his reluctance to spend time at Israel’s home, even though they are best friends. Arnold’s choice of diction in phrases like “his very own home” and “perfectly comfortable” underlines the importance of routine and familiarity to Bat’s sense of safety and well-being.

“It had never, ever occurred to Bat to care the least bit about a vehicle. He liked fur and feathers and scales, teeth and claws and tails. The truck was just chrome and paint and rubber and steel, but somehow it felt alive, and peering into its cab was like looking into the heart of a dragon.”

The author utilizes both polysyndeton and rhyming in the lists of animals’ features—“fur and feathers and scales, teeth and claws and tails.” Focusing on parts of animals and vehicles underscores the contrast between the truck and the usual subjects of Bat’s interest, which underscores his surprise at his unexpected fascination with Tom’s truck. The italics on the word “alive” and the simile comparing “peering into [the truck’s] cab” to “looking into the heart of a dragon” round out the author’s description of the truck as a strange and magnificent creature. The passage offers an early example of how Bat’s time with the Zimmerman family opens him up to new interests and experiences.

“Israel emerged from the pantry with a bag of pistachio nuts, a box of cereal, and a chocolate bar. ‘Do you want a snack?’ he said to Bat, the first words he’d spoken since they’d left school. ‘Or do you just want to go hang out with my dad some more?’ The chocolate bar looked delicious. ‘Snack, please,’ Bat said.”

Israel’s question is an example of verbal irony, voicing his annoyance with how Bat seems more interested in talking to his father than spending time with him. However, Bat doesn’t recognize Israel’s sarcasm because he tends to take others’ words literally, a trait that is associated with autism. The passage also demonstrates situational irony: Bat often struggles with conversational skills and social etiquette, but he uses both by saying “please.” However, even though he’s trying to be polite, he doesn’t realize that his friend’s feelings are hurt. The unintended effects of Bat’s words and actions on his friendship with Israel are one of the major sources of tension in the story.

“The shade tree’s branches were heavy with stained-glass ornaments and wind chimes that filled the air with silvery tinkles and deep, vibrating clangs. There was so much to see and hear that Bat felt caught between it all. The colors, the sounds, the newness of everything. Suddenly, despite the beauty and excitement of Israel’s amazing backyard, Bat wished desperately that he were home.”

Arnold captures the overwhelming sights and sounds of Israel’s backyard through an abundance of imagery and onomatopoeia like “tinkles” and “clangs.” The fragment “The colors, the sounds, the newness of everything” stands out from the complete thoughts on either side of it. The shift in sentence structure signals Bat’s overstimulation, which helps to explain his sudden, desperate wish to go home. The last sentence describes “Israel’s amazing backyard” as a place of “beauty and excitement,” which illustrates how even pleasant environments can feel overwhelming for children with neurodivergence, reiterating Bat’s need for support in new situations.

“Bat felt the anxious knot tightening in his chest the way it sometimes did. He knew he should walk away from the problem and take deep calming breaths, but he didn’t want to walk away from the problem and take deep calming breaths. He wanted to fix the problem.”

The repetition of the phrase “walk away from the problem and take deep calming breaths” and the author’s usage of italics indicate Bat’s frustration. The scene adds to the novel’s portrayal of neurodivergence—the protagonist has some strategies that help him regulate his emotions, but that doesn’t mean that he’s able to implement them every time.

“She held him until he stopped needing to make high-pitched whining sounds, until he stopped needing to bounce on the soles of his feet, until the knot in his chest began to relax and unwind.”

Arnold emphasizes how his mother’s patience and empathy soothe Bat by repeating the prepositional phrase “until he stopped.” Dr. Tam’s comforting, reliable presence on a day that feels overwhelming to Bat illustrates his need for supportive environments.

“There was almost nothing good about a baseball game, but Bat could nearly make a game out of listing all the things that were bad about one: 1.​ The lines. Lines to park the car, lines to get through the entry gate, lines to use the bathroom, lines to buy snacks and drinks, lines to get to your seats. Bat hated waiting in lines. He hated it so much. 2. The crowds. Even when you weren’t waiting in a line, you were still surrounded by people. Too many bodies squished together into too small a space. The smell of the bodies. People said skunks smell bad! That wasn’t even true. Skunks only smelled bad when they sprayed. Some of the people at a baseball game seemed to smell all the time.”

The repetition of the word “lines” connects to the theme of Developing Empathy and Patience by reiterating that Bat hates waiting, just as the repetition of the word “smell” reiterates Bat’s sensitivity to certain odors. The passage clarifies that the protagonist loathes baseball because it concentrates several things that bombard his senses and make it difficult to manage his emotions. Lists are a recurring structural element throughout the novel, reflecting the protagonist’s desire for tidiness and order.

“‘If they don’t win it’s a shame,’ boomed Dad. Bat folded his arms across his chest and wished he had his earmuffs.”

The allusion to the song “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” is steeped in tradition and community, positive things that Mr. Tam wishes to share with his son. However, the passage illustrates the pattern of Bat’s father’s failure to understand his son’s needs. For example, loud noises are one of the main things that Bat is averse to, and the author uses the onomatopoeia “boomed” to express how loudly Mr. Tam sings. Because Bat rarely names or voices his emotions, the narrator’s descriptions of body language, such as Bat’s “folded” arms, offer key clues about the boy’s inner experiences. The scene demonstrates Mr. Tam’s lack of understanding of his son’s emotional and sensory needs. As a result, something that the man considers a fun bonding opportunity instead feels like a punishment to Bat.

“Bat paid attention to the pleasant warmth and weight of Dad’s arm across his shoulders. He pinched off some cotton candy and popped it into his mouth, enjoying the way it changed from fluff into melting sweetness. He looked out across the field, not trying to keep track of the players or the score. Instead he tried to melt a little, like the cotton candy, and just be happy to be right there at the game with his dad. The moment was sweet. Not quite as sweet as cotton candy, but pretty close.”

Arnold establishes a link between pleasant physical sensations and positive emotions earlier in the story, and this excerpt expands upon this connection by showing how the former helps Bat tap into the latter. The image of Bat “melting” into the scene like cotton candy melts in his mouth works because it’s one of the few aspects of baseball games that align with rather than clash with Bat’s sensory preferences. As a result, the confection helps him see the experience in a more positive light and start to consider his father’s perspective. This moment marks a turning point for the theme of developing empathy and patience.

“‘Carrots, corn, and kale!’ Bat told Mom on the drive home from school. ‘Carrots, corn, and kale!’ Bat told Janie when she got home, interrupting the song she was singing. ‘Carrots, corn, and kale,’ Bat whispered to Thor as he fed him his afternoon bottle, cradling his squirming, eager black-and-white body.”

The phrase “Carrots, corn, and kale” is an example of alliteration, and its repetition signals Bat’s excitement about his and Israel’s progress with the research project and the prospect of growing healthy food for his beloved skunk kit. In individuals with autism, the repetition of words or phrases is known as echolalia and can function as a form of vocal stimming. Thus, the passage illustrates how Bat expresses his joy and excitement in a manner that feels natural to him and doesn’t pressure himself to behave neurotypically.

“Sniff, sniff, sniff. Then, his tongue emerged and touched the bread. Then he licked it. Then he got even closer, opened his mouth, and took a bite.”

The repetition of the onomatopoeia “sniff” captures Thor’s curiosity towards the new experience of eating solid food. The second, third, and fourth sentences begin with the word “Then,” and this anaphora gives the passage a slow, steady pace that reflects the novel’s gentle tone and focus on developmental milestones.

“He was proud of Thor, but he knew what it meant that Thor was learning to eat on his own. It meant that he was one step closer to being able to return to the wild—one step closer to not needing Bat anymore. ‘I kind of wish he still needed to be bottle-fed,’ Bat said. ‘Babies can’t stay babies forever,’ Mom said. She stroked Bat’s hair as she stroked Thor.”

The repetition of the phrase “one step closer” emphasizes the skunk’s growth and the complex emotions it stirs up in Bat. Arnold creates a parallel between Thor’s growth and Bat’s, and between Dr. Tam and Bat’s roles as caretakers through Dr. Tam’s dialogue and the repetition of the verb “stroked.” These parallels emphasize maturation and change as bittersweet but natural parts of life.

“‘Because it’s stupid!’ Bat yelled. Actually, he knew it wasn’t a stupid question. It was the same question Bat asked himself over and over, every day. He asked it over and over because he didn’t like the answer and kept hoping for a different one. The real answer was that Thor could stay with them until the end of summer, when he would be nearly full-grown and able to forage for food on his own.”

This passage makes extensive use of repetition through the words “stupid” and “question” and the phrase “over and over.” This literary technique reflects Bat’s inability to escape thoughts about his impending parting with Thor. The third-person limited narration clarifies that the protagonist lashes out at Israel because his question echoes his own anxieties, but he cannot voice these feelings to his friend, leading to tension and hurt feelings.

“‘Mom,’ Bat said. ‘Janie is a social butterfly. And I am a social frog.’”

Bat demonstrates his creativity and inventiveness with language by creating a contrasting metaphor to the popular expression “social butterfly.” By calling himself “a social frog,” Bat expresses his struggles with communication and relationships, a recurring source of frustration for the character. In addition, the expressions “social butterfly” and “social frog” play on the chapter title, “Social Animals,” which underscores humans’ need for connection.

“Bat was still embarrassed about how he had yelled at Israel the night before, but he didn’t like to apologize, and anyway Israel shouldn’t have kept pushing him about when they would have to release Thor into the wild. And the next day, a dreary, drizzly sort of day, Israel didn’t come to school.”

Writers often use the macrocosm of the natural world to reflect the microcosm of a character’s inner world. For example, the rainy weather resonates with Bat’s feelings of sadness, guilt, and worry about his outburst towards Israel. The diction and alliteration of the precise adjectives “dreary, drizzly” underline his downcast mood.

“‘She’s amazing,’ Bat whispered. Janie’s song was so strong and loud and wonderful that Bat leaned forward in his seat. He had no idea that Janie could be so wonderful. He had no idea that she was so talented and brave. He had no idea that—”

The repetition of the coordinating conjunction “and” in the phrase “strong and loud and wonderful” is an example of polysyndeton. This literary device and the anaphora created through the repetition of “He had no idea” emphasize the awe that Janie’s performance inspires in Bat. The dash at the end of the passage interrupts the flow of the narration just as the audience’s panicked reaction to Thor brings the musical crashing to a halt.

“‘Skunk!’ yelled another voice, and then another, until the auditorium rattled with yells. And then it was filled with something worse—the sharp, acrid stink of a skunk’s first spray.”

Arnold uses onomatopoeia like “rattled” and olfactory imagery like “the sharp, acrid stink of a skunk’s first spray” to depict the chaos that unfolds when Thor becomes loose in the auditorium. These vivid sensory details capture a key moment for the plot, and this event is foreshadowed by an earlier scene that establishes that skunks spray when they feel threatened.

“‘Bat,’ said Mr. Grayson, but Bat shook his head on and on, like the pendulum of a clock, back and forth, left right, left right, left right.”

The simile comparing the motion of Bat’s head to “the pendulum of a clock” helps to depict Bat’s movements, and the repetition of “left right” indicates that this action goes on for some time. The passage aligns with the novel’s depiction of neurodivergence by showing how Bat attempts to soothe his distress with rhythmic motion because he can’t put his feelings and needs into words.

“Maybe Janie saw something in his eyes that let her know that he really was sorry, or maybe she just liked the candles and the stage, because she smiled and gave Bat a hug, which he did like, the press of her arms, the smell of her apple shampoo.”

Arnold offers descriptions that appeal to the reader’s sense of touch, such as “the press of her arms,” and sense of smell, such as “the smell of her apple shampoo.” Textures and scents play a prominent role in how Bat navigates his world, and the pleasant, peaceful sensory details he experiences when Janie hugs him emphasize the moment the siblings reconcile.