Character Analysis
Dreaming Big
As Matthew's younger sister, Callie has lived through all of the tough stuff, too, but unlike Matthew, she's never had to do it alone. Because of this, she knows that she'll always at least have her brother and sister's support, which enables her to have the mental energy to focus on something other than just survival. She harbors secret dreams of being someone who is more than just an abuse victim. When Matthew finds her doodles, he realizes that she wants to be very successful in life:
Dr. Callie McIlvane.
That was when I understood that Callie dreamed bigger than I ever dared. I only wanted us to survive. (10.10-11)
And as time goes on, Callie is able to let this side of her grow. When Nikki loses custody, Callie immediately takes the opportunity to go live with her father and focus on school and excelling academically. She doesn't look back, and she doesn't waver. Instead, she just works hard. One of these days, she'll get out of this city and become the wildly successful woman that she wants to be. Go, Callie, go.