Symbols & Motifs
Timothy as Levi’s Protector/Guide
Timothy takes on a paternal role with Levi, with both success and failure. Timothy attends to Levi’s medical needs. This leads Timothy not only to steal a wallet but also to provide day-to-day care and to sacrifice his own needs and desires to save Levi’s life. Timothy entertains Levi by singing and dancing with him, feeds him, and teaches him sign language. Finally, Timothy pursues solutions to Levi’s trachea problem, both by raising funds through the Carnival of Giving and searching for doctors who can help Levi.
When Timothy discovers Dr. Sawyer and the life-changing surgery he performs, he is determined that Levi have this surgery. Ensuring this for Levi will be “the thing” that makes up for Timothy’s previous mistakes (121). Mrs. Bainbridge worries that his “hopes are too high” (121). James cautions Timothy that his insistence on finding answers “is what got [him] into this mess in the first place” (122). Timothy, however, will not be deterred. He names explorers of the past: Ponce de Léon seeking the Fountain of Youth, knights seeking the Holy Grail, and Lewis and Clark seeking the Pacific.
