The Season of Styx Malone

“You’re just like everyone else. Don’t let them tell you different.”

Situational irony is evident in this mantra from Caleb’s father. Dad offers his boys this message intending to boost their confidence. Caleb, however, sees no such positive moral instruction—he is appalled to think of being average, as he wants to be a person who stands out. The reader comprehends Dad’s intent though Caleb does not see it, resulting in dramatic irony as well.

“We were smooth. As if we could already taste the glory that the grasshopper would bring, once it was ours. It was the middle of the afternoon. We were way out of bounds and technically delinquent. It felt amazing.”

Caleb’s tone as a first-person narrator is already changed from the earlier chapters as he falls more deeply under the “spell” of Styx Malone’s mystique. Caleb was primed for a tempting influence even before they met thanks to his unquenchable yearning to leave ordinary behind. A desire to emulate Styx’s laid-back attitude quickly supersedes Caleb’s obligation to follow family rules such as letting Mom know about trips to town; here, the rush he feels from unruly behavior is obvious.

“I know a guy.”

Styx will soon repeat this line as a catch-all explanation for his methods of obtaining hard-to-get items and services. Here, he refers to the pack of candy cigarettes he shares with Caleb and Bobby Gene. This phrase has become a pop-culture cliché that typifies shady deals and secrets, so Styx’s use of it is fitting; Caleb enjoys the way Styx’s vague explanation adds to his mysterious aura.

“It’s our job to keep you both safe […] In a world where that isn’t always a given.”

Subtle conflict is established in these lines from Mom as she cooks dinner. Caleb cannot help but question his father’s oppressive need to keep the family members in Sutton without even trips to Children’s Museum in Indianapolis. Now, Styx represents a real path to adventure and excitement of the city, as he tells the brothers he has been there before and can show them around. Dad and Mom, however, have no intention of letting the boys out of town. The irony foreshadowed here is that the boys soon prove that they can get into plenty of trouble within town limits.

“People like Styx and me, we’re going places […] Don’t stand in our way.”

Caleb and Bobby Gene bicker or disagree occasionally as brothers typically do, but the plot point of the piggy bank argument marks the first notable amount of contention between two. Caleb wants their collective horde of cash to go to Styx for a quicker purchase of the moped, but Bobby Gene decides to hold onto his portion (which is 75% of the total) for at least the time being. Here, Caleb states that his goals and Styx’s are more in alignment than his and Bobby Gene’s. Styx represents in human form the sense of freedom and worldliness for which Caleb yearns but finds difficult to verbalize.

“Styx was forever cryptic. A good spy should lean into intrigue, no matter what.”

Styx does not reveal their destination on the way to unload the illegal fireworks, and rather than find this frustrating or distrustful, Caleb thinks it only adds to Styx’s allure and mystery. By juxtaposition, Bobby Gene has a growing tendency to show his “question mark” facial expression of uncertainty when Styx keeps info under wraps. At this point in the novel, Styx can do no wrong in Caleb’s eyes.

“Dissatisfaction is the first step on the road to greatness.”

Styx offers words of advice based on his experiences several times to the Franklin brothers, and this maxim speaks particularly strongly to Caleb. He knows he wants more than small-town Sutton has to offer, but with his parents intent on keeping him close to the safety of home all the time, his efforts feel consistently thwarted. Styx represents the adventure he seeks, and he’s thrilled and relieved to hear not only that it is all right to be dissatisfied with what you have but also that remarkable things lie ahead.

“I’m mostly pecans. With just a soupçon of maple sugar.”

This line comes from Pixie, Styx’s foster sister. It is the second time Caleb encounters her eccentric personality. Her quip here is in response to Caleb telling her she is “nutty”; Bobby Gene then misunderstands her use of soupçon for the word coupon. The exchange demonstrates Pixie’s wit and cleverness.

“I nudged Bobby Gene to shut up. Foster home? Maybe so. But his prying was going to get us into trouble in a minute.”

This moment at the diner over chicken strips and fries marks the first time Caleb really thinks about Styx’s background and family situation, though he realizes that Pixie probably is not Styx’s biological sibling. Caleb’s reaction here is notable because it demonstrates his youth and immaturity with regard to their relationship with Styx. When he says “get into trouble,” he is not referring to rudeness or inappropriate questions; instead, he simply does not want Styx to descend into an unhappy mood.

“I have a brother now. I thought we should match.”

Pixie’s real name is Penny, but as she and Styx developed a sibling affinity for one another, she took up the name Pixie as a representation of their bond: Pixie-Styx (flavored candy powder in a paper straw). The line shows that Pixie shares the feeling of closeness that Styx feels for her, and that their backgrounds or differences have no impact on their siblinglike relationship. This line will also prove ironic when Pixie is removed without explanation by foster authorities for another placement, showing that foster family relationships are subject to the decisions of outside forces.

“The scale of optimism to pessimism. Any problem you got, you gotta look for a way to keep it low on the scale.”

Dad’s character is slowly, indirectly revealed over the first half of the novel. Initially, he seems grumpy and morose with his bad mood and harsh rules forbidding. By the bonfire scene, the reader recognizes that those traits are predominantly communicated by Caleb’s perception of his father. After Dad makes a great bonfire, saves Styx from both embarrassment and hunger with the dropped hot dogs, and describes to Styx his positivity theory relayed by these lines, the reader begins to see Dad as Styx sees him—a caring and concerned father.

“The coals versus the flames. I couldn’t let myself settle and fade. Styx and I were the flames.”

The metaphor of the flames in the bonfire speaks to Caleb once his parents go to bed, leaving Styx, Caleb, and Bobby Gene to watch the fire burn to coals. Bobby Gene puts another log on the fire instead, giving Caleb this moment of insight. It is notably ironic that he associates himself with Styx here as the adventurous, world-changing sort, though it was his brother who made the fire flame up.

“He was never going to tell me what I wanted to know. The questions in my heart were not ordinary.”

This line epitomizes the subplot conflict between Caleb and Dad. Dad believes he keeps the family safe and moving forward by never leaving the safety of Sutton and focusing on goals and needs that make them an ordinary family. Caleb is just 10 but ready to expand his interests and vision of the world, discontent with Dad’s insular ways. Here, he tries to ask Dad how one can tell what others are thinking, but Dad’s answer is too vague and unrealistic for Caleb.

“The wheels churned and churned, echoing with the scrape of metal on metal, the hiss of steam and whine of brakes. The sounds were full with the sensation of slicing through land, the sense of forced progress, the sense that things made of steel would always win over the things made of earth.”

The train experience leaves a significant mark on Caleb as depicted by the imagery in this passage of his interior monologue. While he found the trip departing Sutton to be more rhythmic and soothing, the return trip is jarring and fierce; the noises, discomfort, and sense of conflict represent his painful coming-of-age experience in appropriating the motor. He must confront the fact that Styx, whom he idolized, put them in danger with the train trip.

“All I knew for sure was the Styx Malone knew how to fix everything. Styx deserved our trust.”

Once safely home from the train adventure, Caleb switches his support back to Styx. He is confident that Styx can explain the motor theft and keep them out of trouble. The line will prove to be ironic in that Caleb will soon learn that Styx has no such superpowers. Despite Caleb’s intention to show Styx the love and loyalty he intuits that Styx craves, Styx will soon feel rejected and alone.

“Everything I own fits in a single bag. You never know when you’re gonna have to jam.”

There is both irony and juxtaposition in the fact that Styx works trades and deals with material possessions to get ahead, while possessing very few material items of his own. This line foreshadows upcoming events, as Styx suddenly goes on the run when DCS shows up—and in fact, may already be saying goodbye to the boys. The author characterizes Styx throughout the novel with the frequent use of slang, such as in this line with “have to jam” (have to make a quick exit or departure).

“My fingers shook. I pulled the long, slim candy out of the box. Imagined its tip glowing with all the fire of my heart. I put it to my lips.”

Caleb experiences a major step in his arc and an important moment of decision-making: Follow his parents rules…or break free and follow through with the deal with Styx? He emphasizes the significance of this moment by taking one of Styx’s candy cigarettes, metaphorically lighting the fire within him that wants so badly to rebel and prove himself special.

“Styx was out of sight beneath the trees in seconds. I chased him. Found him shoving his bag into the moped seat.”

Caleb’s feelings about Styx move from simple admiration to intense hero worship to more complicated confusion with regard to secrets and trust. Here, late in the rising action, Caleb makes a discovery that feels like a huge breach in loyalty: Styx is leaving on the moped they worked hard together to get. Ironically, in the same moment, Styx accuses Caleb and Bobby Gene of betrayal, connecting them to the DCS officials’ visit.

“The pickup truck was green. Not mint green, like the moped. Dark green, like pine trees at dusk. Like grass in the shadows, or a swatch of tree-house paint. I looked at the truck because I didn’t want to look elsewhere.”

These lines introduce one of the final complications in the rising action of the novel: Styx’s accident. The author frames the moment by easing Caleb (and the reader) toward the sight of Styx lying bloody and still on the pavement, with the moped wrecked all around him and the driver of the truck frantically calling for help. Caleb can hardly look, but he summons the courage to run to Styx and hold his hand. The lines demonstrate use of imagery and similes in “like pine trees at dusk” and “Like grass in the shadows.”

“I swear, sometimes it was like he’d inhaled Essence of Dad and was breathing it back out. Like the opposite of talking goofy after sucking helium.”

These lines of interior monologue from Caleb highlight the rift he feels between Bobby Gene and himself. His word choice and metaphor provide a modicum of comic relief and voice, as well; the given circumstances are scary, as they are waiting in the ER to see if Styx will live. The character voice is also tinged with a dose of Styx’s attitude and smarminess, showing that Caleb has picked up some of his role model’s cynicism.

“They call me Mr. Malone around here. I’ve never been to such a fancy resort.”

Styx walks to the waiting area of the ER, bruised and bandaged but demonstrating his quick wit and ironic sense of humor. The irony results from the fact that Styx has almost certainly never been to a resort in his life. His entrance and words in this scene serve as a plot point that eases Caleb’s worry over Styx’s condition but sends him on an emotional roller coaster regarding Styx’s motives and betrayal over the moped.

“My sides were made of impenetrable green metal. Flames licked my abdomen, inside and out.”

Caleb faces off with Bobby Gene over the notion of riding his bike the whole way to the city hospital to see Styx when his parents refuse to take him. His lines characterize Caleb’s breaking away moment, an important coming-of-age step in which he chooses risk over rules because he believes he is doing the right thing. The metaphor here directly alludes to the lost Grasshopper moped; it is significant that Caleb regards his passionate emotions as stronger than the machine itself, which was destroyed in the accident.

“We were too busy thinking about came next. We missed our happy ending.”

In one of the rare moments in which Styx lets his cool façade down, he speaks candidly to Caleb, noting their bond and sharing his regret. Styx wishes he would have appreciated the freedom of their first moped ride and sees that the lost opportunity to apologize to Mr. Pike might have made all the difference. Caleb has matured enough to see that all is not lost; he replies to Styx that it’s not the end.