The Midnight Fox

“I could not understand it myself completely. I just knew that I did not want to go, that I would never want to go, and that if I had to go, I would hate, loathe, and despise every minute of it.”

While Tom muses about his adventurous parents and knows that they will not understand why he doesn’t want to go to the farm, he realizes that he also doesn’t fully understand his own objection to the prospect. Tom’s conviction that he will hate the farm likely stems from insecurities and anxieties about going into a new environment without his best friend Petie, with whom he does everything. Tom and Petie are city kids who are happy in the city, and their inexperience with any other environment means that they have no desire to explore rural life.

“What I was going to miss most, though, were just everyday things that weren’t planned at all […] the kind of fun that doesn’t sound like much when you tell it, but I would miss it on the farm.”

The night before Tom leaves for the farm, he goes through all the things he’s going to miss. In this quote, Tom reveals that spending time with Petie is the most difficult aspect of city life to give up, and this admission underscores the strength of their friendship and the fact that they spend most of their free time together. As Tom clings to everything that is familiar, it is clear that the author is using the boy’s initial resistance to the idea of farm life to foreshadow the reversal that will occur once he embraces all the new and exciting experiences that await him.

“I thought now that perhaps Aunt Millie and Uncle Fred were letting me come because they thought I was a great athlete with muscles like potatoes […] then I would step out and they would cry, ‘But where’s the big boy?’. They would try to hide their disappointment but finally Aunt Millie would start crying and run into the house.”

Tom’s anxieties creep up on him in the car on the way to the farm. He remembers a movie about a disappointed farming family who wanted to adopt an orphan boy to work on the farm but were sent a small girl from the orphanage instead. As shown in this quote, Tom predicts the same disappointment from Aunt Millie and Uncle Fred. does this quote highlight Tom’s anxieties, but it also demonstrates the power of his imagination. Tom’s imagination enables him to make up incredible stories with Petie, but it also feeds his fears because he imagines worst-case scenarios in vivid detail.

“I couldn’t imagine anyone having more control than it took to sit quietly on the steps, nose and eyes dry, while being abandoned. Sometimes my dad would get real disgusted with me because I didn’t control myself too well. I used to cry pretty easily if I got hurt or if something was worrying me.”

Tom has just been dropped off at the farm and is watching his parents drive away. Feeling overwhelmingly bereft in this moment, he finds it an enormous personal triumph to avoid the urge to cry. This quote explains Tom’s aversion to giving in to the intensity of his emotions and provides important insights into Tom’s relationship with his stern father. As a high school basketball coach with old-fashioned beliefs about boys hiding and controlling their emotions, Tom’s father discourages his son from showing his more sensitive side. Thus, despite Tom’s sensitive nature, he wants to impress his father by holding back his tears.

“The only thing in all the world I could have eaten right then was a Petie Burkis Special, and then only if Petie himself had come running in with it.”

This quote, taken from Tom’s first evening on the farm, captures how homesick Tom is feeling and how close he is to Petie. Tom is unable to eat the sandwich Millie makes because it is not like the one Petie makes, and in this moment, Tom believes that anything that is not identical to home is intolerable. Tom is unwilling to try anything new at this point, even a sandwich. By highlighting the extremity of the boy’s dismal mood, the author creates a contrast with the delight he will soon discover in the outside world.

“In all my life I have never spent longer, more miserable days, and I had to keep saying, ‘I’m fine, just fine,’ because people were asking how I was all the time.”

Tom is determined to believe that he is not an “adaptable person,” and this quote highlights how that part of his character negatively affects the beginning of his farm stay. Tom acknowledges that he is not happy, but rather than trying harder to integrate into farm life or expressing his true feelings to Millie or Fred, Tom dwells on the fact that he is miserable. However, given that Tom is a sensitive nine-year-old with anxious thoughts, he inevitably undergoes an uncomfortable period of adjustment.

“There was a great deal of difference between seeing an animal in the zoo in front of painted fake rocks and trees and seeing one natural and free in the woods. It was like seeing a kite on the floor and then, later, seeing one up in the sky where it was supposed to be, pulling at the wind.”

Tom has just seen the black fox for the first time. He is awestruck and lyrically describes the fox in minute detail before musing on the difference between seeing an animal in the zoo and seeing one the wild. This moment of realization allows Tom to appreciate the magical, ethereal beauty of nature, especially when it is fleetingly observed in its natural habitat. Tom notices the beauty in the freedom and “realness” of the black fox and compares it to the flat, fake look of a grounded kite or a zoo enclosure. This quote also shows how much Tom has connected with nature over the course of a few days.

“That was about two weeks ago, and then he found the den and went and got a stick of dynamite and blew it up and that was the end of the baby foxes.”

In this passage, Hazeline is answering Tom’s question about fox trapping and hunting. The pragmatic mindset of country living is reflected in her straightforward descriptions of their neighbor, who recently lured a fox with raw chicken, killed it, and then callously destroyed the fox’s den. Hazeline’s matter-of-fact tone contrasts sharply with the blatant violence of her descriptions and with Tom’s delighted experience with the beautiful black fox. Her perspective also underscoring the different emotional approaches to wildlife in the countryside versus the city.

“It was the kind of book I particularly hated. It was called The Lamb Who Thought He Was a Cat. I used to wish people wouldn’t write books like that. It would make me feel sad to read about someone who was trying to be something he could never, ever be in his whole life.”

When Tom criticizes the book that he feels compelled to choose from Millie’s bookshelf, his reasons for “hating” this type of book mirror his own insecurities about trying new things. At the beginning of Tom’s story, he believes that a city kid like him could never be happy on a farm, no matter how hard he tries. Tom still feels sorry for the lamb who will never be a cat, but during his stay on the farm, he eventually comes to understand the benefits of being open to new ideas and experiences, however daunting and unlikely they may seem.

“I was so interested in thinking about my discovery that I almost missed seeing the black fox.”

Tom has been marveling at the different shades of green in the field where he is sitting, and his mind wanders into a fantasy about “discovering” a new color. This quote highlights how perceptive Tom has become toward the nuances of the natural world, for he makes it a point to notice the subtle shades of color, thereby appreciating his surroundings to the fullest. The passage also illustrates how Tom’s imagination allows him to drift into immersive daydreams that are so powerful that he almost misses the very thing he first went to the field to see.

“It was a new game. The rules I didn’t exactly know yet; all I had so far was a fierce desire to play. My father once said this could be the most important thing in any game.”

Tom is surprised by his own fascination with the fox, but it dawns on him that seeing the fox and trying to find her den are part of an exciting new game. Once Tom understands the similarity between tracking the fox and playing with Petie in the city, it is clear that his intense eagerness has a similar source. Tom also applies his father’s advice about having a “fierce desire to play,” using it to reframe how he and the fox interact. She barks and he follows; this, as he later learns, is her game-plan, but then Tom tries a different move. He finds her den and gets the satisfaction of seeing her tiny cub playing.

“[I]t was enough for me just to have seen that old ship and to know that it was there where I could see it again sometime. Now I felt the same way about the black fox.”

Tom is remembering the time he was transfixed by the beauty of a model ship in a museum. Unlike his cousins, Tom did not feel the urge to recreate the model out of craft supplies; he is content with the memory of its fine lines and secure in the knowledge that he can visit the museum again. Tom thinks about this as he lies in bed, blissfully happy that he saw the black fox again but without any desire to share his experience with anyone or put it down on paper in a letter to Petie. The fact that Tom implicitly compares the beauty of the fox to the beauty of a precious museum exhibit also illustrates his deep respect for the natural world and his desire to preserve it from harm or destruction.

“The past two weeks I had been practically tearing the woods apart looking for the den of the black fox […] I had found a Hornets nest […] a bird’s nest […] with five pale blue eggs and no mother to hatch them […] seven places where chipmunks lived […] a brown owl who never moved […] a disgruntled possum.”

This quote highlights how much Tom has grown during his time on the farm. He is taking time to notice and appreciate the wildlife around him while looking for the fox’s den. When Tom first saw Bubba’s collections of nests, eggs, and rocks, he did not understand why Bubba found them interesting. Now, Connecting With Nature has awakened Tom’s curiosity about wildlife and the countryside.

“I had been so happy that this was the first time I had noticed how hot it really was. I felt as if my lungs were not going to be able to get enough oxygen out of this thick, hot air to keep me going.”

Millie, who is irritated because of the heat, is insisting that Fred “take care” of Tom’s black fox, who has killed one of her turkeys. Tom suddenly feels the stifling heat that is bothering Millie as all the joy of the previous days leaves him, to be replaced by fear and dread. This quote captures the hot, humid climate of the south and the depth of feeling that Tom has for the fox. The joy of seeing her has made Tom oblivious to the soaring temperatures affecting everyone else, but once that exhilaration is squashed, Tom also succumbs to the oppressive heat.

“I thought that there should be a world-wide word like Tacooma, and you could use this word maybe three times in your whole life, and when you did use it, even a perfect stranger would have to help you, because even a perfect stranger would know that you would never, ever use one of your Tacooma’s unless it was a matter of vital importance.”

Tom and Fred are walking home after finding where the fox hid the stolen eggs when Tom suddenly remembers the word “Tacooma.” Tom already finds it hard to talk to Fred, so he cannot think of anything to say that might make Fred spare the fox. Tom’s fervent wish that he could simply call in a cosmic marker of sorts and guarantee the fox’s safety reflects his anxiety about expressing his feelings to adults. It is also clear that he views saving the fox as a matter of “vital importance,” and the climax of the novel reveals that he believes the issue to be important enough to risk rebelling against the rules that he has been taught to respect and follow.

“She looked like uncle Fred’s prize pig, Rowena […] ‘He’ll marry you, Hazeline’, I said. I hoped Mikey had not been able to see how awful she looked with her face all swollen or he probably wouldn’t marry her.”

Tom is referring to Hazeline, who has been crying after Mikey’s cruel comment that she is “too fat” to marry. This quote highlights the different culturally acceptable attitudes that existed in the 1960s, when blunt judgements of people’s physical appearances were tolerated. Additionally, Tom’s unkind comments are being filtered through a nine-year-old’s innocent perspective. Even though this particular nine-year old is mature enough to genuinely reassure Hazeline that Mikey will marry her, he does not fully realize the deeper implications of Mikey’s criticism.

“I was now overtaken by a feeling of utter hopelessness my shoulders felt very heavy and I thought I was going to be sick […] I could not get it out of my mind that the fox’s life might depend on me.”

In this moment, Fred has just told Tom that he is looking for the den, not the fox herself. Tom has not told anyone that he has already seen the fox’s den and cub. Tom has been trying to divert Fred away from the den, and he now realizes that he might be the only one who can save the fox and her cub, which makes him feel even worse. This quote captures the desperation and helplessness that Tom feels, and although the experience is a traumatic one, he will ultimately emerge a braver, stronger, and more confident person at the end of this emotional journey.

“I started toward the orchard with the shovel and sack and I felt like some fairy-tale character who has been sent on an impossible mission, like proving my worth by catching a thousand golden eagles in the sack and making a silver mountain for them with my shovel. Even that did not seem as difficult as what I was really doing.”

Tom’s vivid imagination is highlighted in this quote. Even while he is feeling conflicted and distressed, Tom’s mind goes down fantastical paths, and in this case, he compares his current impossible situation with Fred and the cub to a typical impossible quest that fairy-tale heroes must complete. Because Tom’s imaginary hero is on a mission to prove his worth, this narrative choice hints at Tom’s own insecurity on the farm and his desire to “prove his worth” to the fox who trusted him. At the same time, however, he wants to avoid disappointing Fred.

“I knew that if I lived to be a hundred, I would never see anything that would make me feel any worse than the sight of that little fox pretending to be dead when his heart was beating so hard it looked like it was going to burst out of his chest.”

In this quote, Tom is looking at the tiny fox cub lying on Fred’s shovel. Fred does not know how distraught Tom is and continues to explain why the cub is playing dead, but Tom is focused on the helplessness of the brave little cub. As Tom watches the cub suppress his terror and “play dead” in a desperate move to stay alive, the boy begins to experience a new form of courage. Up until this point, the young and insecure Tom has assumed that he cannot save the fox. However, seeing the cub makes Tom realize that some things are worth fighting for.

“Tommy, listen, all wild animals die in some violent way. It’s their life. Wild animals just don’t die of old age. They get killed by an enemy or by the weather or they have an accident or they get rabies or some other disease or they get shot. That’s the way nature is.”

Tom wants Hazeline’s help to save the black fox and has just told her that “your dad has [the black fox’s] baby out in the rabbit hutch and he’s going to shoot her” (110). Rather than joining Tom’s cause, Hazeline delivers a matter-of-fact reply to educate Tom about the harsh realities of life and death, emphasizing the idea that being hunted is just one of many hazards that wildlife must face. Tom knows Hazeline is right, but he cannot accept this explanation as a valid reason to shoot “his” fox, and the exchange highlights the contrast between his urban mindset and Hazeline’s rural upbringing. Tom has formed an emotional attachment to the fox, whereas Hazeline, who appreciates the fox’s beauty, sees the fox as a predator who will either kill or be killed.

“And I thought, Someday I will be in a famous museum […] I will glance at the name of the next painting and it will be “Fox with Baby at Midnight”, and I will look up and my heart will stop beating because there it will be, just the way it was this night, the black fox and her baby running beneath the wet ghostly apple trees towards a patch of light in the distance.”

As Tom stands in the rain with lightning illuminating the night, he watches the fox cub jump from the hutch and run to his mother. As Tom compares the moment to a form of art, his thought captures the depth of his feelings for his “midnight” fox and his understanding that he will likely never experience a moment like this again. Tom knows that he is going back to the city soon, where there are no foxes, but he still hopes that he will see his fox again in another form so that he can relive this magical moment.

“You would have thought that I had done nothing in my life but glue pieces of plastic together. That was funny, too, because when I was at the farm remembering my room, I had never thought once about all these models.”

When Tom arrives home and he sees the “hundreds” of models in his room, he realizes how many hours he spent making them, and their former importance in his life seems greatly diminished when he realizes that he did not miss the models at all during his time on the farm. This quote illustrates how much Tom has matured over the summer. Now his beloved models look more like “pieces of plastic,” and the emotional detachment and dismissiveness of this term implies that the models are no longer a central part of his life, for he is now looking forward to trying new things.

“It was as if two other boys had made up the time capsule and buried it in the ground. And now, that was the way I felt about the farm. It was as if it had happened to another boy, not me at all.”

In this quote, Tom looks back at his time on the farm and realizes that his memories of it are fading to the point of dissociation. He likens his experience to the time when he and Petie dug up their time capsule after a year and realized that the objects and stories that they had once prized so highly now seemed alien to them. This quote highlights the fact that although most of the detailed memories of Tom’s experience on the farm have faded, the deeper emotional impact and growth from that experience have become part of him.