I Survived the Great Molasses Flood, 1919

Tony, Carmen’s best friend and neighbor, serves as both a foil and a companion to the protagonist. The son of Italian immigrants, Tony represents the ordinary boy of the North End—restless, loyal, and good-hearted. His struggles in school, particularly with reading and math, reflect the difficulties faced by immigrant children navigating a new language and culture. When he insists that Mr. Lawrence “hates” him, Carmen gently counters, recognizing that their teacher’s strictness hides compassion. Through Tony, Tarshis explores themes of Immigrant Resilience and Community Solidarity, illustrating that resilience is learned through friendship and persistence in addition to hardship.

Tony’s humor and impulsiveness balance Carmen’s introspection. He provides emotional relief in moments of tension—joking about “sharks in the tank” or drawing a mustache in molasses (21)—but his character deepens as the story darkens. During the flood, Tony’s bravery becomes evident. He tries to help Carmen mount Rosie as the tank bursts and later describes the aftermath with painful honesty: “The bodies—bent and broken, so covered with molasses that he couldn’t tell if they were men or women” (58). His willingness to confront horror, rather than avoid it, mirrors the series’ educational realism and its thematic focus on Recovery and Remembrance After Tragedy.

By the end of the novel, Tony emerges as a stabilizing figure in Carmen’s recovery. His daily visits to the hospital and his attempts to comfort her reflect the endurance of friendship under pressure. Tarshis uses Tony to demonstrate that courage often takes the form of steadfast loyalty and that humor and hope can coexist with loss.

The Grasso family—Mrs. and Mr. Grasso and their children, including Tony, Marie, Frankie, and Teresa—represent the warmth and resilience of immigrant community life. Living in a crowded apartment above Carmen and her father, they embody solidarity amid hardship. When the influenza epidemic strikes and Carmen loses her father, the Grassos take her in “like family,” offering comfort and stability. Through their compassion, Tarshis depicts community as the foundation of survival.

Mrs. Grasso, in particular, symbolizes maternal care and practical kindness. Her kitchen, filled with the delicious smells of “tomato gravy,” contrasts with the bleakness of illness and disaster around them. She provides both physical and emotional nourishment, emphasizing ordinary acts of care as forms of heroism. Mr. Grasso, though less prominent, models quiet integrity; his search for Carmen after the flood—checking the Haymarket Relief Station and hospitals—demonstrates perseverance and empathy. Together, they create a sense of belonging that transcends blood ties.

The Grasso children also play a role in Carmen’s recovery. Their laughter, games, and affection provide a sense of normalcy that helps her heal. Tarshis uses the family as a microcosm of communal strength. When one member suffers, the others rally around in support. Through the Grassos, the novel affirms that survival is not a solitary act but a collective one. The family’s generosity transforms tragedy into connection, proving that resilience thrives through compassion, humor, and shared humanity.

Papa, Carmen’s father, serves as the novel’s moral compass and emotional touchstone. A widowed Italian immigrant who moves to Boston after losing his wife in the earthquake and tidal wave that devastated their village, he symbolizes both grief and perseverance. His decision to emigrate embodies the optimism of early 20th-century immigrants seeking a better future. Yet his death from influenza reveals the fragility of that dream and the harsh realities of immigrant life in industrial America.

Papa’s most enduring influence lies in his lessons and his voice, which persist long after his death. His words—“Hold on”—become a central motif, shaping Carmen’s growth and survival. In Italy, the phrase urged her to survive the flood that swept them to sea; in Boston, it evolves into a call for emotional endurance and moral courage. Even after Papa dies, Carmen continues to hear him telling her to “hold on,” transforming parental love into inner strength. Tarshis uses this recurring voice to explore recovery and remembrance after tragedy, illustrating how memory can sustain rather than haunt.

Nonna, Carmen’s grandmother, represents continuity, wisdom, and the emotional bridge between old and new worlds. Remaining in Italy when Carmen and her father emigrated, she embodies the sacrifice common to many immigrant families who were divided by necessity. Her parting words to Carmen—“Trees don’t grow overnight” (13)—become a guiding metaphor for patience, resilience, and gradual adaptation. Nonna’s presence, though distant for most of the novel, remains spiritually central to Carmen’s development.

Her eventual arrival in America during the story’s final chapter fulfills both emotional and thematic resolution. She tells Carmen, “Your papa brought you here. And I know how sad the Grassos would be if you left” (65), confirming that belonging is not confined to geography but defined by love. Nonna’s wisdom transforms grief into acceptance and reinforces the theme of immigrant resilience and community solidarity. By joining Carmen in Boston, she unites the family’s past and present, turning displacement into reunion.

Nonna also reflects the novel’s intergenerational focus on women’s strength. Her quiet endurance, faith, and humor counterbalance the losses suffered throughout the book. In the closing scene, her shared meal with Carmen and the Grassos symbolizes the restoration of family and culture. Through Nonna, Tarshis affirms that memory and migration can coexist, and that holding on to tradition is not resistance to change but a source of stability in a transforming world.

Mr. Lawrence, Carmen and Tony’s teacher, embodies guidance, integrity, and postwar resilience. A veteran of World War I, he returns home with a leg injury but continues to serve his community through teaching. His backstory—“He had a bad limp, but he acted like it didn’t bother him” (10)—illustrates quiet endurance and courage without self-pity. For young readers, he models the transition from physical bravery in war to moral courage in everyday life.

Mr. Lawrence balances empathy and discipline. He recognizes Tony’s academic struggles and offers extra help during recess, countering Tony’s mistaken belief that he “hates” him. At the same time, he encourages Carmen’s intellectual curiosity and imagination, lending her a copy of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, which becomes an important symbol throughout the novel. Through this gesture, Mr. Lawrence demonstrates how literature can foster emotional healing and moral insight.