In Chapters 4-6, Gregory’s struggle to adapt to his new environment continues. He reaches a low point in Chapter 5, after Ivy’s party at school, when he seems to be giving up hope. Gregory has earlier been portrayed as a very determined and optimistic child, so when the narrator reveals that Gregory “did worry sometimes” because “[h]e didn’t seem to belong in the new school” and “wondered if he ever would” (34) shows how very worn down by his circumstances Gregory really is. Gregory’s crisis of confidence increases the plot’s tension, creating doubt about whether he will succeed in Not Being Defined by Circumstances.

The timing of this low point is not random: After two weeks of sharing his room with Uncle Max and being treated poorly by his classmates, Gregory is longing to be appreciated. He is not sure whether Miss Perry likes him, but he is certain that the other students do not. Gregory has few sources of companionship besides his classmates: He is an only child, his parents are often busy working, and the only adult consistently around at home is his uncle Max—who shows little regard for Gregory’s feelings or interests. The pain of being lonely is a key conflict for Gregory. 

Since art is central to Gregory’s identity, he tries to connect with people through his art, as befits the story’s theme of The Importance of the Authentic Self. After Ivy sees the castle he has drawn in art class, he nervously watches to see whether she approves, but he is disappointed when she says nothing. He tries to interest his mother in seeing his drawings in the abandoned chalk factory, but she tells him she is too busy. While Gregory gets no recognition from his peers or his parents, fellow-artist Ivy is celebrated in the party at school. Gregory is happy for Ivy, but the contrast between her experience and his own is still difficult for him.

The party makes it clear that art is important at Gregory’s new school. Miss Perry and Miss Cartwright praise Ivy and tell her that the whole school is proud of her for winning the art competition. The prize is a beautiful case filled with fancy art supplies. Despite this, Gregory cannot seem to make a positive impression. It is ironic that the one thing he is most talented at is highly valued at his new school, and yet—at least at this point in the narrative—he cannot seem to turn this fact to his advantage.

Gregory’s exclusion from the class’s foray into gardening has the potential to derail him even further. The earlier-introduced symbolism of the sunflowers has already established that Gregory feels connected to green and growing things. Being able to plant a garden would go a long way toward making him feel better about his difficult situation—and yet Gregory is the one child whose home affords no space at all for planting things, a detail that points to the lower socioeconomic status of Gregory’s family, which is further cemented by his father’s job loss. Symbolically, the lack of space for a garden at Gregory’s house suggests that his current home is also especially unsuited to supporting a child’s growth and happiness.

Instead of being defeated, however, Gregory turns to his art. Mr. Hiller’s drawings on the classroom chalkboard are an inspirational turning point for Gregory and foreshadow the chalk garden that Gregory will soon create in the burned-out factory behind his home. As Gregory draws his practice lettuces on the factory wall, his confidence and optimism return, showing The Transformative Power of Art.

Gregory’s decision to create a garden of his own using the resources that he has available to him demonstrates clearly how determined he is to overcome his circumstances. His home environment may not have room for either a literal garden or even the figurative garden where adults might nurture Gregory himself, but Gregory uses his imagination and positive outlook to make himself a garden, nonetheless. In this way, Gregory becomes both garden and gardener—he has found a way to nurture his own happiness and growth.