The Great Gilly Hopkins

“Well, I’m eleven now, folks, and in case you haven’t heard, I don’t wet my bed anymore. But I am not nice. I am brilliant. I am famous across this entire county. Nobody wants to tangle with the great Galadriel Hopkins.”

When Gilly is in the car with Miss Ellis on the way to Maime Trotter’s home to meet her for the first time, she thinks about all her past homes in the foster care system and taking pleasure in how much mischief she caused. This statement shows that Gilly’s idea of “greatness” changes dramatically through her character arc. At the beginning of the story, Gilly takes joy in causing trouble for everyone she meets, and she is arrogant and mean. She changes because of people like Maime Trotter who provide her with stability for the first time in her life. Gilly begins to see that greatness is about loving others and being kind and good.

“Gilly was left alone with the dust, the out-of-tune piano, and the satisfaction that she had indeed started off on the right foot in her new foster home.”

Using imagery, the author creates a solitary mood after Gilly has made a bad first impression on Maime Trotter. The image of being alone surrounded by dust and an out-of-tune piano expresses that Gilly feels alone in the world and lashes out at others because she does not want to be vulnerable.