Firegirl

Jessica faces years of painful medical treatments to attempt to repair the burn damage she suffers after she survived being trapped in a burning car. Her face is like a mask and her skin is melty-looking and colored in different hues of red and pink and white where she has had skin grafts. Her hair is short, and her fingers are painfully hooked. Pre-accident, Jessica was blonde and cute with a smile that both wins and breaks Tom’s heart. Only her green eyes remain the same. Seeing Jessica for the first time, Tom wonders how Jessica can even be alive. Jessica endures hurtful reactions of shock, fear, revulsion, and pity from people around her daily.

Jessica keeps her head down in class and only speaks when Mrs. Tracy asks her a question, and then her voice is “faint and hoarse” (46). The only time she voluntarily speaks is to nominate Tom for class president: a sign of her friendship. Jessica’s physical appearance makes her classmates uncomfortable, and they do not try to get to know her. Tom observes Jessica carefully, first noticing that from behind, Jessica looks like everyone else, then even her difference fades for him, and he realizes that Jessica truly is like everyone else. Tom appreciates her smart, funny, personality. Like Tom, Jessica is lonely and does not have many people to talk to. Jessica and Tom discover that they can talk to each other honestly, and Jessica learns from Tom to appreciate small superpowers—that is, the small things that people do for one another.

Known for chewing his fingernails and his weird jokes, Jeff Hicks is the only person who sort of listens to Tom. Jeff and Tom spend most afternoons after school together, hanging out and reading comics, and Tom figures that makes them friends. Tom is used to Jeff’s abrupt subject changes, forgetfulness, and “off-the-wall” questions.

Jeff’s parents are divorced, and he lives with his mom, who works long hours as a hospital nurse. Jeff’s dad lives in the city and has a new girlfriend. Tom notices that Jeff gets angrier more often since his parents split up two years ago. Jeff gets in fights with his mom, resenting the time she spends at work while he’s home alone. Jeff is angry at his father for preferring to spend time with his girlfriend rather than Jeff. Jeff’s father also tries to guilt Jeff, saying if he did not have to pay for Jeff’s school, he could live in a larger place. Jeff expresses his unhappiness and his anger towards his parents in his mean treatment of Jessica, pushing her to the outside of the class community.

Tom gradually recognizes that Jeff does not care what other people feel or want—including Tom. Jeff does try to win Tom’s attention back from Jessica by finally coming through with the promised Cobra, but he then reveals his spitefulness by taking revenge when Tom refuses the ride. Jeff’s lack of compassion and emphasis on superficial things helps Tom understand the true nature of friendship.

Abbott positions Jeff as Tom’s foil. Jeff is loud, jocular, selfish, and cruel, which directly opposes Tom’s major character traits: empathetic, kind, introspective, and quiet. Abbott uses Jeff to emphasize the things that Tom realizes he doesn’t want to become and to help Tom voice his true feelings.

Thanks to the alphabetical class seating arrangement, Courtney sits in the farthest row away from Tom, but that does not keep him from being hyper-aware of her presence. Courtney is Tom’s dream girl. She could be a model with her dark hair, fair skin, and her tantalizing scent of fruity shampoo. Courtney is popular and has lots of friends, but Tom knows that Courtney is also smart and passionate. He admires the verve she puts into reading aloud and into her campaign speech. Even Jessica hopes Courtney wins the election for class president, noting that, “Everybody likes her. She’d be good” (85).

Courtney shows that she is more than just a damsel in distress in Tom’s thrilling adventures. Courtney advocates the importance of truly listening to others, calling it the “heart of the democratic process” (63), and Courtney is one of the few people Tom thinks he hears speaking to Jessica in class. Courtney recognizes that unassuming Tom was one of the few people who was nice to Jessica—and Courtney emphasizes how important that kindness is. Thanks to Jessica, Tom finds his voice and can talk more with Courtney, whom he finally recognizes as a real person, too, not just an ideal in his imagination.

Tom’s parents are supportive and encouraging. Thanks to Tom’s mom pushing him to read more, Tom advanced a reading level in sixth grade. Both his mom and dad want Tom to pull out of his shell and become more engaged. Their efforts to help Tom with his school campaign poster shows their commitment and affection for Tom.

Tom sees that Mr. and Mrs. Feeney both seem “pulled inside” themselves (102, 98). Mrs. Feeney is thin, brown-haired, and as tall as Tom’s mom. She does not speak with Tom and only gives him a small smile the second time she sees him. Jessica has mixed feelings about her mother, sometimes hating her and sometimes showing affection, and Tom wonders if Jessica blames her mother for the fire or for not saving her.

Mr. Feeney seems tired and sad as if he carries a heavy burden. He stresses to Tom how they love Jessica “More now than ever before” (99), suggesting that they, like Jessica, have learned what is most important in life. The cheerful family photograph is a sharp reminder of their happy, less-complicated lives before the accident.

Jeff’s parents are divorced, and neither spends much time with Jeff, leaving him to his own devices and with the sense that they do not care very much about him. Jeff’s mom is a nurse who is rarely home, though Jeff claims she tells him lots of gory hospital stories—including gruesome facts about burn victims. One way Jeff shows he cares about her is by hiding matches from her so she cannot smoke, but Jeff also fights with her constantly about little things. Jeff’s dad is more interested in his girlfriend than Jeff, and he angles to pay less child support so he can afford a bigger home, proving that his son is low on his list of priorities. Tom observes that Jeff is quicker to anger since his parents split up.

Jeff’s poor relationship with his parents may contribute to his need to reacquire Tom as a friend near the end of the story by finally coming through with his promise concerning the Cobra.