Character Analysis
The narrator's sister, Kay, is his partner-in-crime and the other voice in the decision-making process for finding a new pet. Even though the narrator's happy to have her there, Kay's existence also complicates things; she makes it harder for them to decide on a single pet together. Whenever the narrator is on the cusp of making a decision, Kay excitedly points out yet another pet that she wants:
So I said,
"I want him!"
But then, Kay saw a cat.
She gave it a pat,
and she said, "I want THAT!" (3.4-4.3)
And it's not like the narrator can just ignore his sister. She's not complicating the process to be annoying; she really does want all these pets. She's filled with so much enthusiasm that he has to check out what she wants. Come on—look at how this girl reacts to a tank of fish:
Do you know what she did?
She said, "FISH!
FISH!
FISH!
FISH!
It may be a fish
is the pet that we wish!" (15.1-16.6)
We've never seen anyone that thrilled by a bunch of guppies before. If you're thinking her enthusiasm is fishy (bad pun totally intended), though, hop on over to the "What Is This Book Really About?" section. There you can read up on the ways this book is all about struggling to make sense of your family. Boom.