Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of bullying.

The imaginary monster under Jake’s bed is a symbol of the role of Jake’s imagination in shaping Link’s behavior. From early in the story, it is clear that part of what creates the dynamic between Link and Jake is Jake’s own assumptions about Link. When he first sees Link, he declares without any evidence at all that Link has “bully-eyes” (14). His assumptions about Link continue when Link comes to sit near him and Willie. Link does nothing more than smile and repeat Jake’s name when Jake is introduced to him—and yet Jake comments “I know I looked kind of spooked, because I was spooked” (15). He acknowledges that Link “[gets] inside [his] head” within minutes and that this is what causes him to keep messing up his writing exercise (18).

Link’s behavior grows increasingly problematic for Jake over the next few weeks, but Jake struggles to understand Link’s motivation. Finally, Jake has a breakthrough when he tells Link that he will not complete their entire report himself. In Chapter 8, Jake explicitly compares the moment when he finally stands up to Link to the moment when, at five, he finally dared to look under his bed for the monster he believed was hidden underneath. Of course, he discovered that there was no monster—it was something that he imagined. When he compares confronting Link to confronting the monster, he suggests that Link’s “monstrous” qualities may be, at least partially, his own imagination. In Chapter 9, Jake is startled to see that Link’s bedroom is that of an ordinary kid—it is filled with comics and model vehicles. The ordinary and relatable qualities of Link’s home life reinforce Jake’s growing understanding that Link is not a monster—he is a human being with motivations that can be understood, like any other human being. This helps to reinforce the story’s theme of The Role of Empathy in Dealing with Adversaries, as it is this understanding that eventually helps Jake overcome Link’s bullying.