39 pages • 1-hour read
Frindle
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Symbols & Motifs
Frindles (Pens)
The pen—or, as Nick and his friends prefer to call it, the frindle—serves as a motif reflecting the power of language. The pen is an everyday object, but simply by applying new language to it, masses of people associate a new word with the common object. Through most of the book, characters refer to frindles more conceptually than concretely; the frindle movement emphasizes the word itself rather than the physical object it represents. However, though Nick’s decision to call a pen a frindle appears coincidental, an object with inextricable links to language is deliberately chosen. Pens, as a tool, document a wealth of knowledge. The image of a pen suggests that the word’s legacy will endure, preserved in ink for generations to use. Mrs. Granger finally declares the conflict “over” when ink records Nick’s word in the ultimate authority of language: the dictionary.
Though the motif focuses primarily on the word itself, its narrative significance is incorporated as well. Two ostensibly random pens are established: first, Mrs. Granger’s favorite writing utensil, a maroon fountain pen with a blue cap; second, the gold ballpoint pen that Nick discovers on the roadside when he conceives the word frindle. Notably, two similar pens appear at the end of the book when Mrs. Granger and Nick exchange gifts and gratitude. Along with the letter Nick signed in fifth grade, Mrs. Granger gives him a replica of her favorite maroon pen with a note tucked under the clip, reading, “Frindle”—a formal concession to Nick’s long-fought argument. In return, Nick gives Mrs. Granger a gold pen with permission to exercise the same freedom of language that Nick embraced when he first created his word: “This object belongs to Mrs. Lorelei Granger, and she may call it any name she chooses” (105). These two gifts tie together a decade of discomfort by expressing mutual appreciation of each other and their love of language.
Dictionaries
Though Nick and the other fifth graders initially scoff at the overemphasis on dictionaries in language arts class, dictionaries create another important motif that represents themes of language. Mrs. Granger weaves the dictionary into her class’s foundations, though most students regard it anywhere between indifferently and resentfully, given the amount of vocabulary words they must research each week: “Nick had no particular use for the dictionary. He liked words a lot, and he was good at using them. But he figured that he got all the words he needed just by reading, and he read all the time” (11). Almost as soon as the story begins, Nick proves himself a master of rhetoric, asking tricky time-waster questions in class and convincing classmates to play along with his ideas. However, the dictionary doesn’t represent exactly what Nick believes initially; while it does represent the tradition of language, Nick discovers in his research—and Mrs. Granger later confirms—that it is more like a mirror of linguistic history rather than language’s source. Nick reads in the first pages of his home study dictionary, “for every person who has ever spoken or written in English has had a hand in its making” (20). Crafting a common language is a cultural group effort, and Nick simply discovers how to contribute in an unconventional way.
Though she doesn’t reveal her objective until the end, Mrs. Granger believes that the mark of Nick’s true success is in frindle’s linguistic assimilation, documented in its own Webster dictionary entry. Mrs. Granger takes a risk when she writes Nick’s victory letter near the beginning of his fifth-grade year; however, she recognizes a special quality in Nick, and she quietly cheers him on as his ideas shape the world he is growing into. In the letter, Mrs. Granger writes,
So many things have gone out of date. But after all these years, words are still important. Words are still needed by everyone. Words are used to think with, to write with, to dream with, to hope and pray with. And that is why I love the dictionary. It endures. It works. And as you now know, it also changes and grows (100).
Though Nick and Mrs. Granger stand opposed for most of the book, they share a common fascination with language, and both ultimately walk away from the conflict with a new appreciation for words and their complexities.
Imagination
Nick’s vibrant imagination is the story’s cornerstone, serving as a motif representing the children’s perspective juxtaposed against the adults’ order and authority. His imagination creates a magical atmosphere in which anything feels possible, which both readers and characters outside of Westfield feel drawn toward. Nevertheless, Nick doesn’t just use his imagination to make up funny words and decorate beach-themed classrooms; he also pairs his creativity with intelligence to devise new solutions and imagine different perspectives. For example, Nick is notorious for asking great questions that veer most teachers off-track. Additionally, his creative perspective makes even fully-grown adults reevaluate their own opinions. During Mrs. Chatham’s home visit, she explains how abiding by linguistic standards are important for proper communication, citing careless usage of the slang term “ain’t.” Nick, however, points out that Mrs. Granger’s own dictionary includes an entry for “ain’t.” A surprised silence follows Nick’s insight, and he proudly understands that “he had just launched a first-class thought-grenade” (53). Even the way he visualizes his argument as a “thought-grenade” demonstrates the originality by which he appreciates life.
Later in the novel, Nick smothers his imagination for fear of creating too much chaos and uncomfortable attention. Consequently, his quietness affects himself and his community for the worse; Nick doesn’t joke around with his friends anymore, and his classmates don’t benefit from his animated presence. Without his imagination, he adopts qualities that appease most adults, and teachers might think him the ideal student: “Now a quieter, more careful Nicholas Allen came into class every day. He did all his work perfectly, didn’t speak unless she called on him” (89). However, this quiet obedience doesn’t open pathways to his potential, but rather smothers it. Mrs. Granger, ever the perceptive teacher, recognizes that Nick isn’t himself and gives him the confidence boost he needs to embrace his imagination and all the wonderful, world-changing ideas that blossom from it.
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