The Moffats

“Jane was horror-struck. The yellow house for sale! She clutched Hildegarde tightly to her, whispering fiercely, ‘It’s not. It’s not.’ Oh, why didn’t Mama come out and set things right? But supposing even Mama couldn’t do anything about this! For Sale! The horrible sign!”

Jane is horrified when the local odd-jobs man, Mr. Baxter, abruptly comes over and nails a “For Sale” sign on the yellow house. Jane’s reaction shows her deep emotional attachment to her home and her fear of being displaced by its sale. In addition, this quotation establishes The Impact of Financial Insecurity on Family Life as a theme: The Moffats face instability since they can’t afford to buy their own home.

“When Jane went past this house, she was careful not to step off the sidewalk onto the lawn even one little inch. She tried to remember always to walk, never to run, lest the Chief of Police take her for a thief running from the scene of her latest crime. But she never walked too slowly lest she be arrested for loitering.”

Jane is always nervous about passing Chief Mulligan’s house because she knows he can arrest criminals. This humorous passage reveals Jane’s innocent understanding of the police officer’s job, as well as her anxious and sweet demeanor. These lines provide context for young readers to understand Jane’s silly misadventure of running away from Chief Mulligan to avoid arrest.

“She stuck out her stomach and held up her head. She tried to copy his courteous air of friendly interest in all the houses and people as he glanced blandly from side to side. Janey had sneakers on her feet so she made no noise. The fine gentleman was totally unaware of the abbreviated shadow of himself that followed him up the street. Jane had mastered his step pretty well, she thought.”

Jane has fun mimicking the gentleman’s refined movements as he walks down New Dollar Street. This benign mischief helps develop Jane’s characterization by showing her quirky sense of humor and ability to entertain herself with silly antics. She later learns that he is Mr. Pennypepper, the new school superintendent, and that he’s strict but nice.

“From that day on, Jane and the Chief of Police were fast friends. She always left a May basket at his door and sent him a Valentine she’d made. However, she still walked on tiptoe when she passed his house, in order not to disturb him should he be napping. However, she still walked on tiptoe when she passed his house, in order not to disturb him should he be napping. And she was still very careful not to step on his grass. Yes, and she was just as strict as ever about Rufus and Joe ringing their bicycle bells at that end of New Dollar Street.”

Jane’s conversation with Chief Mulligan helps her realize that he’s a kind man who doesn’t want to arrest children for playing. By emphasizing Jane’s generosity and politeness to the police chief, this passage highlights her earnest, serious nature, adding to the chapter’s humor.

“Rufus examined Hughie in amazement. Not want to go to school! Imagine! Why, he had looked forward to this day for years, it seemed to him.”

Five-year-old Rufus Moffat is excited to go to school like his older brother and sisters, so his neighbor Hughie’s stubborn refusal to join in is strange to him. This passage characterizes Rufus as a mature young boy who is eager to be more grown-up like his siblings, whom he admires. In addition, the scene establishes the tense relationship between Rufus and Hughie, which continues throughout their misadventure in this chapter.

“He didn’t know what to do. Should he go back without Hughie? Or should he stay here with him and try to make him change his mind? Of course if he stayed here with Hughie, he might miss something very important in school. Everyone would get ahead of him. They might start reading in the shiny book.”

Rufus stands on the freight car, weighing his decisions. This quotation depicts Rufus as a thoughtful and obedient boy who is torn between his obligation to go back to school and following Mr. Pennypepper’s instructions to look after Hughie. This passage builds tension in the story as Rufus struggles to make a decision and soon finds himself on an accidental train ride as the train leaves.

“However, he soon forgot to be afraid. He forgot about school and the shiny new reader and he began to enjoy the ride. ‘You must be the engineer and I’ll be the conductor,’ he said to Hughie.”

While Rufus never meant to run away from school on a cargo train, he begins to enjoy himself as the great train chugs away from Cranbury toward the next town. This funny passage shows both boys’ innocence and imagination as they quickly switch from being nervous about their mistake to play-acting different train roles together.

“Peter Frost’s bike siren! Splash! Off the hitching post went Rufus! Into the mud puddle! That Peter Frost had approached silently and swiftly on his bicycle. As he sped past Rufus he thought: What fun to startle Rufus with a terrific screech on his siren. So, poor Rufus!”

Neighborhood bully Peter Frost whizzes by on his bike, startling young Rufus and sending him tumbling off a hitching post and into a mud puddle. This passage adds detail to Peter Frost’s role as the neighborhood bully and builds sympathy for young Rufus, since this incident has just ruined his Sunday best clothes.

“Joe, Jane, and Rufus didn’t look back. None of them looked back once on the scene of their near disaster. If they had, they might have seen the Captain sprawled on the ground along with piles of newspapers. That last lurch out of the ditch had sent him flying out of the wagon into the ditch.”

The kids do their best to steer a horse and wagon but are blissfully unaware that they’ve accidentally lost the owner out of the back of the wagon. This comical passage portrays the tight-knit siblings as clumsy but well-meaning, adding humor to the story and deepening the novel’s theme of Learning Through Everyday Childhood Adventures.

“Remember? Indeed they remembered all these insults and a great many others besides. Something just had to be done to settle the account. They worked harder and faster than they’d ever worked before.”

As they work together to make their “ghost” for the attic, the Moffat children are highly motivated by their hatred of neighborhood bully Peter Frost. The kids build their solidarity and show support for each other by remembering all the ways Peter Frost has tricked and hurt them over the years. This passage adds to the tension and expectation in the chapter while also helping thematically develop The Importance of Familial Relationships.

“‘Haw-haw,’ jeered Peter Frost. But he stopped short, for out of the night came a long-drawn howl, a howl of reproach. Sylvie, Joe, Jane, and Rufus had the same thought. Catherine-the-cat! They had forgotten her up there with the ghost. But Peter Frost! Why, he knew nothing of that, of course, and although he was inclined to toss the matter lightly aside, still he blanched visibly when again from some mysterious dark recess of the house came the same wild howl.”

The Moffat family cat, Catherine, inadvertently helps them terrify Peter by howling in the attic. This comical passage shows how the Moffat kids’ forgetfulness works in their favor, making their prank an even greater success and adding to the chapter’s humor.

“Then Peter Frost let out a roar of terror. That THING was after HIM. He tore around the attic room, roaring like a bull. And the ghost, dragging its horrible chains, tore after him.”

Peter Frost gets his comeuppance when the Moffat siblings terrify him with their spooky pumpkin ghost, which is conveniently set on a rolling scooter. This humorous passage lets readers experience the same satisfaction as the Moffat kids as they finally get back at their bully.

“He uttered a joyful yelp and bounded from Mrs. Mulligan’s lap to the center of the floor where Joe was performing. He stood up on his hind legs, bowed, stamped, shuffled, and turned this way and that. Anyone could see he was dancing as perfect a sailor’s hornpipe as a small, furry dog possibly could.”

Joe is relieved to share the stage—and the audience’s attention—with Sugar the dog, who loves dancing to sailors’ tunes. This quotation is accompanied by a humorous illustration of Sugar dancing beside Joe, who looks happy that Sugar has joined him, while the audience looks on, adding interest to the chapter on Joe and the dance recital.

“‘You made a success of the recital. Everyone says you were the best on the program. You certainly were the hit of the day.’ And she gave him a friendly nod as she put up her umbrella. But she forgot his ten cents and Joe was too shy to ask her for it.”

This passage enhances Joe’s characterization as a reserved and polite boy. By describing Joe as “shy,” the scene helps convey why he prefers to be a page-turner rather than a dance star at the recitals.

“She heard Mama’s low urgent voice on the porch and the doctor’s loud, cheerful one in answer. Jane’s heart beat very fast. A visit from the doctor was such a rare event. Usually Mama’s remedies were completely successful.”

When Rufus is sick, Jane becomes scared that he may not recover. This dramatic passage depicts the real danger of infectious diseases during this period and builds tension regarding Rufus’s recovery. Jane’s concern for her young brother adds thematically to The Importance of Familial Relationships as she and Mama take good care of Rufus.

“Janey, Sylvie, and Joe caught the last of what he was saying. ‘…a very mild case. Don’t worry. Do as I tell you and he will be all right. Good night. Good night, everyone. I’ll be back tomorrow. As I leave I’ll tack the scarlet fever quarantine sign on the house.’ Scarlet fever! A firecracker would not have caused more amazement.”

Rufus’s big sisters and brother are shocked to learn that he has scarlet fever, and that they’ll all have to quarantine as a result. This passage provides insight into the everyday medical problems of life in the early 20th-century US and into the Moffats’ new challenge of quarantining with scarlet fever as a family.

“‘Are we poverty-stricken, Mama?’ Jane asked, returning to the kitchen with her new sole comfortably in place. ‘No, Janey. Not poverty-stricken,’ said Mama soberly, and stroking Janey’s cheek, ‘not poverty-stricken, just…’ ‘Rich, then?’ asked Jane. ‘No. Not rich, either, nor well-to-do, just poor…’ answered Mama. This satisfied Jane, for she thought if they were poverty-stricken she would have to go out into the cold and into the streets and sell matches like the little match girl.”

Jane’s concern about her family shows her growing maturity and awareness of their finances and status. This passage shows that while Mama works hard and the family isn’t “poverty-stricken,” the Moffats are still “poor.” Jane’s anxiety about money helps develop The Impact of Financial Insecurity on Family Life as a theme by showing how their struggles impact them mentally and emotionally.

“This was horrible, thought Joe. Mama work late because he had lost the money! He just couldn’t help having a huge lump in his throat. He blinked his eyes hard and fixed them with a stare on the mantel. Of course he wasn’t going to make matters worse by crying in front of them all. As he stared up there, he gradually became aware of a small black purse on the clock. Why…why…why, there it was!”

Joe’s immense relief at finding the missing $5 shows his keen sense of responsibility and his eagerness to provide for the family by getting the coal for the fireplace. By showing Joe’s stress about the money, this scene adds to The Impact of Financial Insecurity on Family Life as a theme.

“She’s going to Joey, mourned Jane. Well, of course, I don’t deserve her. But at this moment Boots suddenly turned right about again. She jumped wildly into the air a couple of times, and then, in a series of little sidewise leaps, she landed right in Jane’s lap. Tears came into Jane’s eyes. ‘She’s mine. She’s mine,’ she cried, burying her nose in Boots’s sweet-smelling fur.”

Jane’s infatuation with Boots, one of Catherine’s kittens, makes her grateful to be the chosen owner. Jane struggles with self-worth after spending the tip money on herself instead of the family, showing her conscientious nature. Her intense emotionality in this passage adds realism and depth to her character.

“One warm Sunday the Murdocks were out taking a walk. They couldn’t have chosen a worse time to be strolling up New Dollar Street because that was the very day when Janey felt she simply could not abide the sight of that For Sale sign anymore, and in a burst of temper had picked up great chunks of mud and thrown them with splendid aim right at it. By the time she had finished, you couldn’t tell whether that sign said Measles, For Sale, or what! It was a mass of mud stains.”

Jane’s hatred of the yellow house’s “For Sale” sign shows her ongoing anxiety about losing her home. This outburst highlights her emotional personality and her longing to stay at the yellow house forever. In addition, the mention of the Murdock family’s arrival on the street hints that something disastrous might happen, building tension in the story.

“But they did keep coming, sometimes singly, sometimes in pairs. Now they assumed a martyred air and stood on the outside and looked and looked. It was still very uncomfortable for the Moffats and the words ‘Here come the Murdocks!’ or ‘I smell a Murdock!’ were a signal for all of them to lock the doors quickly and hide behind curtains and chairs and not answer the doorbell and hope the Murdocks would go away.”

The Moffat family can’t stand the Murdock family’s rude and intrusive behavior as they deliberate whether to buy the yellow house. This humorous passage portrays the Moffat family as a tight-knit team who again work together as they face new and unexpected challenges.

“‘Come on, Jane,’ said Rufus, always impatient to be off. ‘What are you goin’ to do with your five cents?’ Five cents apiece! They were of two minds as to what to do with it. They might spend it on an ice-cream cone or they might take the new Second Avenue trolley to Sandy Beach. Joe was all in favor of an ice-cream cone. Jane, too. But Rufus had never been on the new Second Avenue trolley line. He preferred spending his five cents that way.”

Jane, Rufus, and Joe enjoy a summer day at the beach together and luxuriate in the five cents that Mama gave them each as spending money. By showing the kids’ excitement at spending their own money, this passage shows what a novelty it is for the Moffat children to have a small allowance. This conversation helps build The Impact of Financial Insecurity on Family Life as a theme.

“Jane followed her with her eyes as long as she could see her. The girl went into the big house whose yard backed up to her yard. Jane was still tingling inside. Best friends! She jumped off the fence and tore back to the yellow house like lightning.”

When Jane arrives at her new rental home, she’s pleasantly surprised to meet a girl her age named Nancy. Jane’s excitement about Nancy’s idea of being best friends shows her hopeful attitude that she’ll have good experiences in her new home.