Framed!

While the information, assistance and protection provided by friends and allies prove important to the plot, the relationships formed between the various characters are the emotional heart of the story. By emphasizing the power of these alliances, James Ponti sends a strong message of unity and trust, which helps counteract the powerlessness that children have in an adult world that exists beyond their control and exerts undue influence on their lives. Thanks to his supportive allies, Florian can act with confidence and agency.

Friends are Florian’s most important sources of help in overcoming obstacles, for they offer both practical and emotional support. On the most basic level, Florian and Margaret’s strong alliance also affects the plot, for many clues and situations require them to work together, as when they both observe different traits of the copyist in the museum. They urge each other to pursue ideas and help boost the other’s courage but they also advise caution when one of them makes a bad decision, as when Florian decides to risk a visit to the Romanian embassy. The heart of the novel, however, is the emotional connection between the two protagonists. Florian is lonely until he finds Margaret, and she is the first to truly accept and embrace his quirks. Florian says she is the first person with whom he can truly be himself. Because of her, he is able to transition to his new school and life in the United States. Margaret is the more socially adept character with roots in the community, but she also needs Florian as an ally because he can help to solve the biggest mystery of her life the identity of her birth parents.

Supportive parents also play an important role as allies, for both Margaret and Florian have parents who encourage their independence and celebrate their activities. For example, Florian’s father and mother take Florian to a crime scene and remove him from restriction so that he can investigate further. By showing their understanding of their son’s passions, Florian’s parents allow him the agency and latitude to pursue his goals, and it is only with their aegis of permission that he is able to travel the city in search of clues or investigate crucial crime scenes.

Despite not knowing who her birthparents are, Margaret also has parental allies, both with her adopted family and her birth father, who has been watching over and protecting her since she was a child. Another parental figure is Captain Abraham, who gives Margaret crucial information but cautions her about her search. Being surrounded by supportive and permissive family and familial figures gives the young characters a high level of confidence and security. This is important because without the permission and protection of parents and mentors, the children would not be able to solve the crime.

Florian and Margaret also overcome obstacles with the essential assistance of adults who are in positions of authority and who trust and accept the children’s ability to solve the mystery. These well-placed adults give Florian access to information and involve him at an extraordinarily high level. Through characters such as Agent Rivers, Agent Cross, and the director of the FBI, Florian gains access to key records and FBI training. Adults with such connections would normally give off an intimidating vibe, but Ponti portrays them in a sympathetic light, thereby forging a level of trust between the protagonists and the authority figures of the text. All the law enforcement individuals in Framed! (from the security guards and fire captains to the FBI director) are kind and supportive. Their habit of believing and caring about the children’s well-being creates a world of security and possibility for the protagonists. Ponti’s version of supportive adult allies is further enforced by the single inverse example, for the only adult who isn’t supportive and enthusiastic about Florian’s involvement—Oliver Hobbes—turns out to be the villain. In the world of the novel, all friendly adults are allies who can be trusted to help Florian overcome obstacles.