Kneeknock Rise

Egan, the protagonist of Kneeknock Rise, is introduced as a skeptical young boy traveling to the village of Instep for the annual fair. As an outsider to Instep, Egan acts as a proxy for the reader, learning the legend of the Megrimum from his superstitious family. Although the journey is supposed to be a treat, Egan is reluctant to stay with relatives he knows have nervous tendencies. His Aunt Gertrude compares Egan unfavorably to his father by calling him noisy, only to later praise him as “bright and clever” (18). These mixed messages contribute to Egan’s desire to prove himself. When Ada calls him a “sissy” and dares him to climb Kneeknock Rise, Egan becomes determined to demonstrate his bravery. As he begins his ascent, he enters an almost trance-like state as he goes “up the final stony slope toward the top like a sleepwalker lost in dreams” (79). Babbitt imbues this quest with a mythic quality to suggest that his journey is both physical and philosophical—a hero’s journey.

Egan’s arc explores The Need for Mystery in Everyday Life and the desire to maintain a belief in a legend, even one unlikely to be true.