Crenshaw

Communication is an important motif in the novel. Paradoxically, Jackson copes with his family’s problems both by retreating into facts and by creating a fantastical imaginary friend who inspires him to believe in the impossible. What he does not do is express how he feels to his parents. He does not tell them he is angry or scared and tries to be helpful so as not to add to their burdens. He can see that his father is struggling emotionally with the realities of not being able to provide for the family. Similarly, his parents do not want to burden their children with their adult problems so do not disclose the extent of their financial troubles until they have to move into their minivan. This lack of communication amplifies Jackson’s resentment and anxiety, despite him practicing the same avoidance and denial tactics in his communication with his parents and Robin.

Though he does not realize it, Jackson does what his parents do: omits unpleasant facts and tries to see the positives in what is happening to him. This is clear in his conversations with Robin in Chapter 17, when he assures her that everything is going to be fine, and with Marisol beginning in Chapter 44. To explain why his family is moving, he makes up a story that his family has to care for a sick relative, but when Crenshaw urges him to tell the truth, Jackson reveals all to Marisol. In the process of their conversation, she helps him understand that the unknown does not always have to be negative; on the contrary, it can be intriguing and exciting. On some level, Jackson has always known this because he was able to invent Crenshaw, but not knowing if he will have four walls around him and food on his plate becomes too much for him. He briefly considers not going with his family when they move out of their apartment but reconsiders when he realizes he cannot abandon his sister.

Instead, he and his parents have their first honest conversation. He expresses his anger at them and at the unfairness of life, along with his fear about what happens next. They help him understand that while they do not have certainty, they have options, and they will never give up trying to improve their circumstances. Jackson’s anger begins to dissipate, and the family agrees they will be as honest with each other as possible moving forward. Though their problems are not solved, their ability to cope has improved.

Over the course of the novel, Jackson learns to reconcile two things that he thought of as opposites: truth/fact and story/fancy. Paradoxically, the two can co-exist, as exemplified through Jackson creating Crenshaw. Blues music, which Jackson’s parents like, symbolizes this as well. Blues music’s origins lie in the post-slavery American South and are rooted in African and African-American music traditions. Lyrics typically tell of the singer’s/songwriter’s troubles, whether with love, work, or family. Though the music is created within established harmonic patterns and chord progressions, it also features an improvisational element. This makes it a fitting choice for Tom, as he is facing an especially devastating time when he feels that he has failed his children.

When the family leaves their home, Tom plays B. B. King, a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame blues musician, calling it “hitting-the-road music” (96). Jackson describes it as sad music that makes you feel happy when you listen to it, which echoes how blues singers of the past have described the act of singing it. For Tom, listening to blues music provides comfort, just as Crenshaw’s antics and purring do for Jackson.

The House on East 88th Street is a 1962 children’s book written by Bernard Waber, the first in a series about a crocodile called Lyle who lives with a human family in an urban Victorian brownstone. It is Robin’s favorite book, and when she feels anxious and cannot sleep at night, she brings it to Jackson’s room so that he can read it to her. In a moment of resentment, Jackson uses his knowledge of reptiles to point out how improbable the story’s narrative is (Lyle is taking a bath, which Jackson assures Robin is highly unlikely, as he has just finished reading a book about reptiles). For Robin, however, the book represents comfort. It provides a whimsical world into which she can escape through reading.

Purple jelly beans are Jackson’s favorite. Knowing this, Robin brings a few home from a friend’s birthday party, but she does not tell Jackson this. Instead, she plants them in her T-ball cap for him to discover when they are playing cerealball, the game he invented to make their food seem to last longer. The purple jelly beans represent Robin’s attempt to provide comfort for her brother, as he so often does for her. Though she is several years younger than he is, she recognizes that he needs to believe in magic and the possibility of light in difficult times.

When he first finds the jelly beans and no one takes credit for them, Jackson wonders if Crenshaw could possibly be responsible. Part of him knows this is impossible because Crenshaw is his imaginary friend, but part of him also wants to believe in the impossible. He insists to himself that there must be a logical explanation while simultaneously nurturing a belief that something magical happened. At the end of the book, Robin admits where the jelly beans came from and acknowledges that there is no such thing as magic, but Jackson disagrees. He has come to believe that it is possible.