The Moffats

These chapters expand on The Importance of Familial Relationships as a theme. For example, when Rufus is sick with scarlet fever, the rest of the family must work together to keep the household running. Stuck in the house together under quarantine, the Moffats “worry” about their youngest sibling and must rely on each other to cook, clean, and take care of Rufus. In doing so, the Moffat children again show their ability to pitch in and work together toward a common goal. During meal preparation, Sylvie is the “general manager” while Jane does the cooking and Joe keeps the kitchen fire burning. The novel presents their collaboration as easy and positive: “On the whole, these three Moffats [have] a very hilarious time keeping house for themselves” (128). Mama and the Moffat children keep each other’s spirits up. Sylvie devises imaginary stories for Jane and Joe to listen to while they work. Mama shares stories from her childhood to entertain the kids and keep their minds off the illness and quarantine. This is especially effective for Rufus, who is enthralled with Mama’s stories and reacts with “roars of delight” (133), insisting that Mama retell all her classic tales of growing up. By sharing her memories, Mama helps the children get through a challenging time and helps all the family members feel closer to each other.

Additionally, these chapters further develop The Impact of Financial Insecurity on Family Life as a theme. The chapter “The Coal Barge” describes how the Moffats live paycheck to paycheck, trying to stretch every dollar as far as they can. Mama’s worry about earning enough money and the children’s anxiety about safeguarding it reveal the Moffat family’s shared stress about their finances. Jane worries that if things get bad enough, she’ll have to stand on the street “and sell matches like the little match girl,” asking her mother, “Are we poverty-stricken, Mama?” (138). Jane’s worries show the mental burden of the family’s impoverished circumstances, adding realism to the story and building sympathy for them.

Mama is a “careful manager” of the family’s money and trusts the children to be responsible with the last of their funds, too, telling them, “Count the change very carefully. That’s the last bill we’ll have until these sailor suits are ready’” (138-39). The children absorb Mama’s lessons and feel the weight of this responsibility, so when Joe thinks he lost the money, he feels panicked and guilty: “His heart [leaps] into his throat” and “his hands [tremble]” as he looks for it in his coat pocket (143). Jane and Joe’s distress at losing the family’s $5 and their earnest attempts to find it again illustrate their maturity and their understanding of their family’s precarious situation. Joe and Jane’s misadventure at the coal barge adds a layer of sad realism to the story while still treating readers to a “happy ending” when they find the money sitting on the mantel at home.

The same theme is present in Jane’s experience of spending money. When she receives an unexpected tip from her neighbor, Tilly Cadwalader, she’s excited at first but soon feels guilty for buying herself ice cream instead of candy she could share with her siblings. Jane reflects, “Share and share alike [is] the rule of the Moffat household, and no one ever [thinks] to dispute it” (161). Jane’s sense of guilt for not sharing with her family shows that treats are a novelty for the Moffats, emphasizing their impoverished circumstances. After spending the money on herself, Jane feels selfish, since she knows that her siblings won’t be able to ask Mama for money to buy ice cream for themselves like she did. By emphasizing Jane’s remorse over her mistake, the novel demonstrates the impact of her family’s financial insecurity in a concrete way.