The protagonist of Walk Two Moons, Sal, is full of fears, but she doesn't always tell people about them. Instead, she keeps her fears bottled up inside until they're just about to burst. And she's not the only one. Almost all the other characters have their own fears, and it's interesting to see how those fears make them behave. For example, as Sal learns to grow up, she learns to voice her fears and to share them with the people around her. In doing this, she is able to move on with her life and make peace with her past, which is no easy task. A character's fears can tells us a lot about them – so pay careful attention.
Questions About Fear
- What is Sal most scared of? What is she not scared of? What happens when she meets the things she is scared of?
- What does Phoebe fear the most?
- Do you think Sal's mother and Phoebe's mother were scared of the same things?
- How would this story be different if Sal had listened to the story of how her father met Mrs. Cadaver the first time he tried to tell her about it?
Chew on This
If Sal weren't so scared of things like death and buses and pregnant women, she wouldn't be able to learn as much as she does.
Sal learns to embrace her fears.