Rain Reign

“I’m in fifth grade at Hatford Elementary. There’s only one elementary school in Hatford, New York, and only one fifth-grade classroom in the school, and I’m in it. Most of my classmates are ten years old or about to turn eleven. I’m almost twelve because no one is sure what to do with me in school. I’ve stayed back for two semesters, which is a total of one year. (1/2 + 1/2=1).” 

The information given in this quote tells the reader about Rose’s setting in rural New York State. It’s implied that the school she attends is only able to provide limited resources for her as a student with autism, since there is only one classroom per grade. This point forms one of the emotional subtexts of the story as Weldon recognizes that Rose would benefit from further support and assistance with her disability while Wesley resists that idea.

“Homonyms can be surprising and fun, and that’s why I started a list of them. The list is very long. Right now it takes up four sheets of paper. The words are in alphabetical order. I try to leave space between the pairs and trios of homonyms so that I can add new ones to the list easily. But if the spaces have gotten used up and I’ve thought of another set of homonyms, then I have to rewrite the list from that point on. Sometimes this makes me cry because I have to write the words perfectly, without making any mistakes. If I make a mistake I have to start over.” 

As well as creating a way for her to understand and navigate the world, Rose’s adherence to rules (and her insistence that others follow them) can affect her negatively as well. This passage demonstrates that sometimes Rose pressures herself into an overly harsh adherence to the rules. Rose’s tears indicate that she is troubled by this, and Wesley’s inadequate parenting abilities mean that she hasn’t yet learned to find a successful way of “following the rules.”

“What Miss Croon meant was that since I was having trouble talking to the other kindergarteners and I cried a lot and was apt to hit myself in the head with a shoe or a picture book if somebody didn’t follow the rules, I might need a special school or program. My father told Miss Croon to work harder. Teaching me was her job.” 

This passage relates events early in Rose’s school years. It not only demonstrates some of the challenges that students with autism might face in a conventional school environment, but also illustrates Wesley’s attitude about Rose’s education—namely, that it's solely the school’s job to help Rose adapt. Wesley’s failure to recognize that school and learning affect Rose’s personal well-being as well as her academic performance is a sign of his parenting issues.

“I was asking because my father always says that he’s not going to be the kind of father that his father was. He says he’s going to raise me up by himself if it kills him. This is why he doesn’t accept much help from Uncle Weldon. And this is why Uncle Weldon asked his question so carefully. When my father thinks Uncle Weldon is interfering in my raising, he threatens to keep us apart, which would make my uncle and me feel very sad.”

This quote demonstrates that Wesley is willing to threaten Rose and Weldon with separation if they disobey his rigid wishes about raising her. Wesley’s own upbringing of separation from his parents has led to his desire to be an adequate father without outside help, but that desire limits his ability to recognize when he needs help and support, ultimately harming Rose. Rose’s ability to understand emotional consequences is demonstrated when she realizes that she and Weldon would be hurt by a separation and reinforces the idea that Wesley has abuse and brutality simmering beneath the surface of his character.

“I was sitting in the waiting room outside the school psychologist’s office and I could hear every word of the conference. I hear lots of things I’m not supposed to hear, and lots of things nobody else is able to hear, because my hearing is very acute, which is part of my diagnosis of high-functioning autism. The clicks our refrigerator makes bother me, and so does the humming sound that comes from Mrs. Kushel’s laptop computer. One day in school I put my hands over my ears and said, ‘I can’t concentrate! Please turn that thing off.’”

The challenges that Rose faces in a classroom environment are detailed here as she describes how ambient noises affect her concentration. The language about not being “supposed” to hear certain things suggests that Rose has internalized a sense of not being like others. Although she’s able to overcome this feeling of separateness or difference by the end of the book, this sense of being alone in her disability reinforces the fact that Wesley’s choices have kept her from connecting with other people who have autism.

“I wonder if my mother likes homonyms. I wonder if she likes prime numbers or rules or words. I wonder if she left because I like these things.”

This is the most explicit statement suggesting that Rose feels her mother may have rejected her because she has autism. This belief hurts Rose’s self-image and underscores that Wesley’s continued deception of Rose about her mother harms her. Rose’s lack of knowledge about her mother also gives a sense of loss and longing to the narration.

“My father stands up fast. He starts to throw the remote control at me, but then I think he remembers that the TV won’t work without it, so he puts it down. ‘Go to your room,’ he says. I back away from him. Rain follows me to my bed.” 

Wesley’s values are here demonstrated by his willingness to scare and potentially hurt his daughter by throwing something at her, stopping only when he realizes that he won’t be able to watch television if he does. This behavior demonstrates, too, how close Wesley comes to abusing Rose. Rain’s association with Rose is also illustrated when they leave the room together, Rain following Rose.

“My father’s face is hard. He turns off the chainsaw and drops it on the ground. He walks toward me very slowly and something inside me says to run. So I do. I run into the house and slam the door behind me.” 

This confrontation between Rose and her father demonstrates that Rose is afraid Wesley will hurt her. Rose instinctively flees from him, trying to protect herself. This incident foreshadows the scene in which Wesley hits Rain and threatens to hurt Rain further if Rose tells anyone about it.

“Mrs. Leibler walks me to Mrs. Kushel’s room and I see my desk. It looks like it did before Hurricane Susan. So does the rest of the room. Mrs. Leibler sits in her chair. I sit in mine. I begin to feel calmer.” 

Returning to school following the hurricane, Rose is relieved to find that her physical surroundings are just as she remembers them. Her needs for clarity, structure, and routine are expressed by this relief. However, Rose will find that the emotional state of the class and herself has changed following the events of the storm.

“Behind me I hear Uncle Weldon clear his throat and say, ‘Rose does have a point, Wesley. What are you going to do for money? Rose needs new clothes—’ My father bangs the truck with his fists again. ‘Don’t tell me what Rose needs.’ He’s yelling with his hands instead of his voice.” 

Wesley feels threatened in this section by Weldon’s comment about Rose needing new clothes, which he feels undermines his authority with his daughter. His latent violence is expressed through his outburst and Rose’s comment that he’s “yelling with his hands.” This passage and Weldon’s comment about Rose’s clothes also draw attention to the fact that Weldon knows Rose better and pays more attention to her than Wesley does.

“I know I should feel happiness. If Parvani’s mother somehow got all her artwork back safe and sound, she would feel happiness. But I don’t feel happiness. Instead, I feel that something is wrong.”

Rose’s growing emotional maturity is demonstrated in this passage. She realizes that she “should” feel happy as she’s reunited with Rain and is delighted to have her back but is troubled by the fact that Rain has owners who might want her back. This mix of emotions illustrates that Rose is capable of and recognizes her own complex emotions.

“But Rain isn’t my dog. Rain is the Hendersons’ dog. She belongs to them. Or she used to. And they cared enough about her to have her microchipped. I don’t know how she got separated from them, but she did, and they probably want her back. Especially now. Especially if they’ve lost their home in the storm and are feeling very, very sad. I know what I have to do. I don’t want to do it, but rules are rules, and I must follow them.”

Rose’s empathy, even for people she doesn’t know personally, is showcased here. The experiences of her classmates who lost their homes in the storm and had to move is echoed here when she considers the possibility that Rain’s past owners might have lost their home as well. Rose doesn’t attribute her desire to help Rain reunite with her old owners to emotion but rather a desire to “follow the rules,” a view that affirms that Rose wants to belong and contribute to a feeling of community.

“Somewhere a family named Henderson is missing Rain. If they miss her as much as I missed her when she was lost, then they want her badly. And she belongs to them. I don’t know when the shelter will start their search for the Hendersons, but I need to start mine now. I have to find the Hendersons and give Rain back.” 

This passage describes the pivotal moment at which Rose decides to pursue finding Rain’s past owners. It marks a watershed moment for Rose, since her decision to unquestioningly accept Rain as her dog in the first place was driven by trust in her father and his logic. From this point on in the story, Rose’s willingness to doubt her father’s motives becomes more apparent.

“Mrs. Kushel nods. ‘I’ll explain that to Rose’s fa—’ She pauses. ‘I think I’ll explain it to her uncle, when he picks her up today.’” 

This passage occurs as Rose and her teacher are planning the newspaper article discussing Rose’s search for Rain’s owners. Mrs. Kushel’s comment about speaking to Weldon—rather than Wesley, which is what she begins to say—signals that Weldon is essentially becoming Rose’s guardian. Weldon knows more about what’s going on in Rose’s life than Wesley does and serves as a better representative for her in the eyes of the school, which implies that the balance of authority over Rose is beginning to shift toward Weldon.

“I have thought of that triple homonym before, but I know this is not the time to mention it. Instead, this is the time for the feeling of friendliness. Since a friend would probably not say, ‘I already thought of that,’ I grin at Parvani and exclaim, ‘That’s a great one!’ I put enthusiasm into my voice.” 

Rose’s ability to read social cues is shown to be highly developed here. She is willing to begin setting aside the “rules” of her homonym game when the situation calls for it, as when she wants to make her friend Parvani feel better. This decision shows Rose’s growing understanding of and ability to respond to the emotional subtext of a given scenario and shows that she wants to connect with Parvani more than play the homonym game the “right” way.

“I don’t want to sit near my father.” 

This simple statement of fear toward her father marks the beginning of a crucial exchange between them in which Wesley is physically aggressive toward Rose and then toward Rain. Although he has not yet physically harmed either of them, Rose understands that he is capable of doing so. This moment transforms the threat posed by Wesley from a potential into an actual one.

“Why are you looking for Rain’s owners? She was my gift to you. My gift. Not to mention that you got her twice. Once from me and once from the shelter. You should count your lucky stars.” 

Wesley’s attitude toward Rain is revealed here. He considers himself responsible for giving Rose the dog and wants his daughter to keep his gift at all costs. His stern warning to count her lucky stars and unquestioningly accept her dog’s return echoes his decision not to look for Rain’s owners when they got her and demonstrates that he attempts to hold on to his authority with Rose through force.

“My father slams his hand down on the table so suddenly and so hard that Rain and I jump. ‘Look, you little brat. I brought that home for you.’ He points to Rain. ‘I was trying to do something nice.’

‘Rain is a “she,”’ I inform him, ‘not a “that.”’

My father gets to his feet and stands over me.” 

Wesley quickly becomes more menacing and callous during this scene, calling Rose a “brat” for trying to go against his wishes. He calls Rain a “that,” showing that he doesn’t care about the individual characteristics of the dog, toward which he has displayed indifference and dislike throughout the story. His physical presence and Rose’s vulnerability is implied when Wesley gets up and looms over his daughter.

“He’s so much bigger than I am. I hadn’t noticed. I hadn’t noticed how thick and hard his hands are, how wide his shoulders are. […] My father takes two giant steps toward me, his arm raised, his fingers clenched into a fist. I can see each white knuckle, hard as a stone.” 

Again, Martin calls attention to Wesley’s physical power over Rose in this passage. She calls his hands “thick and hard” and compares them to a stone, all words that evoke hardness, power, and inflexibility. These are all traits associated with Wesley’s character, making them apt metaphors in this passage, and underscore how Wesley plans to use his body as a weapon against his daughter.

“Everyone calls me brave. Is this what bravery feels like?”

Rose’s feeling of confusion over being called “brave” is telling. People are describing her willingness to part with her beloved dog so that Rain’s old owners can be reunited with her, but there is a further emotional subtext following the violence described in the previous quote. Rose is trying to protect Rain from Wesley’s violence and is giving up the protection that the dog gave her in response to Wesley threatening her.

“I stand at the window in Happy Tails and watch Rain climb into the Hendersons’ car. Then I watch the car pull out of the lot and turn onto the drive. I can see Rain’s head in the window, her long proud snout, and her pink nose that is the exact color of an eraser. Jean Henderson leans over and whispers in Rain’s ear, and Rain cocks her head to the side. The car turns a corner and disappears.” 

The scene describes Rain’s departure from Rose’s life as her previous owners drive away with her. Rose’s deep knowledge of her dog is alluded to when she calls Rain’s nose “the exact color of an eraser.” Her use of the word “proud” when describing Rain’s snout evokes a sense of dignity and grace that is intended to reflect Rose’s sacrifice of her beloved pet as well.

“There is an ache inside of me, a pain. Is this what bravery feels like? Or loneliness? Maybe this is an ache of sadness.” 

Rose struggles to name her emotions after she gives up Rain. The weight of relinquishing her beloved companion is implied as it pushes Rose into new emotional territory. Rose cannot choose a single category that her feelings fit into, likely because she is experiencing a mix of all of them—bravery, loneliness, and sadness.

“Every evening we make dinner together and every morning we talk about homonyms. On the weekends we go for rides in his truck—to the state park, to the museum in Ashford, to an outdoor music festival. When we were at the festival, we spread a blanket on the ground and lay on our backs, listening to an orchestra. […] The notes soared into the sky, up to the stars.” 

This passage describes Rose and Weldon’s new routine, which contrasts with the one Rose experienced with Wesley in many ways. Rose helps Weldon make dinner rather than cooking alone, and he helps her think of new homonyms. The two go on outings together that enrich Rose’s life, in contrast with Wesley’s disinterestedness.