Inkling

“None of his pictures looked like what he was trying to draw. His dogs and cats and cows all looked the same; his people were weird and melty. So he’d stopped drawing altogether. When he was forced to at school, he’d just do stick figures. Everyone thought he was joking around, hiding his genius, that he could draw whatever he wanted.”

In Inkling, a big issue is that people persist in seeing what they want to see rather than what is truly present. This dynamic causes problems for Ethan, who struggles with art despite his artistically talented father. Even though Ethan stops drawing because of the social pressure to excel like his dad, everyone still thinks he is a talented artist.

“‘Have a good day, sweetie,’ Sarah told him. ‘Be safe!’ And Ethan felt a hard squeeze in his throat because this was what Mom used to say to them.”

Grief assails the Rylance family at unexpected moments. In this passage, Sarah repeats what Ethan’s mom, Olivia, used to say, and her words give Ethan a painful inner jolt as he is reminded of his own unprocessed grief over Olivia’s death. This quote demonstrates that no matter how much time has passed, grief does not go away completely. However, the events of the story will teach the characters that the more deleterious effects of grief can be mitigated if family members unite and face them together.

“Ethan’s dad hunched over the big sketchbook on his drafting table. The sight of that sketchbook sent a shudder through the ink splotch. It remembered pulling free, and how the thirsty pages had tried to pull it back.

The book seemed to frighten Mr. Rylance, too, because he kept leaning back and shaking his head and making loud grunts. […] He hadn’t yet drawn a single thing on the blank pages.”

This quote establishes several key plot points, delivering vital foreshadowing that will become relevant by the novel’s climax. Inkling fears Peter’s sketchbook, does not want to go back into it, and the sketchbook actively tries to suck Inkling back into it when he comes close. This moment also illustrates Peter’s struggles with writer’s block. In this rare moment of insight into Peter’s silent struggles, the author vividly portrays Peter’s frustration at his failure to reconnect with his own creative process.

“His sketchbooks were full of sketches, but he hadn’t finished anything in two years. And that was why, in the afternoons, Dad became Grumpy Dad.”

Peter’s writer’s block is a critical aspect of the story, for his failure to create represents the core conflict from which every other conflict in the book arises. Peter’s grief and depression obstruct his ability to craft a story, in turn making him more depressed and disconnected from both his family and his work. This stalled process leads, in turn, to the Worthingtons’ own financial struggles and Karl’s drastic measures to counteract the situation. On a more personal level, Peter’s writer’s block and depression jointly prevent him from acting as a responsible parent for Ethan and Sarah.

“Sometimes people die. That’s just the way it is.”

The deceptive simplicity of this quote hints at profound themes in the story, for Peter’s refusal to bring his most popular comic book character back to life mirrors his ongoing grief that his wife is also gone forever. Additionally, bringing Kren back would violate Peter’s artistic integrity. Peter’s refusal to sacrifice his artistic goals to gain more money and please his fans shows his determination to uphold his ethical standards.

“He looked at Inkling and wondered how a splotch of ink could seem so much like a someone instead of a something.”

Inkling graduates from a “something” to a “someone” when he consumes books and gains a deeper understanding of himself and the world. The more Inkling reads, the more he develops a unique personality and point of view. This quote also hints at Ethan’s loneliness, as he is desperate to connect with anyone at home.

“He’d never seen such a glorious jumble of color and movement. At first he could only stare, quivering at Ethan’s giant heap of comics. […] He poured himself into the pile, inhaling magentas and yellows, feasting on letters of all shapes and sizes. […] He’d seen so many incredible things in those comics, and he suddenly longed for a shape of his own! He wanted to be huge and powerful like the creatures he’d just read about.”

This moment of joy illustrates the power of comics. While Inkling has a purpose, the comics motivate him to move, explore, and make himself bigger. Inkling’s love of comics becomes a problem later in the work, but, at this point, the comics allow him another window into a wider world.

“For the first time, Inkling understood that he hadn’t just come from Mr. Rylance’s sketchbook; he’d come from Mr. Rylance himself.

How else could he be frantically sketching his dreams?”

The true nature of Inkling’s identity is pondered often throughout the novel. At first, Inkling believes that he is a product of the sketchbook, but he eventually realizes that he was born from Peter’s own imagination. This connects the two characters in intimate and crucial ways, for Inkling can see Peter’s dreams and relate Peter’s unspoken challenges and conflicts to Ethan in a way that the boy can understand. Thus, Inkling serves as a bridge to heal the gulf that has opened up between father and son. However, Inkling also embodies the idea that once created, a work of art is forever independent of its creator, for Peter has very little control over what Inkling chooses to say or do.

“‘This is making me crazy,’ Dad said as Sarah prattled on. ‘It’s like she’s stuck.’

Kind of like you, Ethan thought but didn’t say.”

The motif of being “stuck” appears several times in the narrative. This quote represents a shift in which Peter—who is deeply stuck himself—also realizes that Sarah is stuck in her own way. Ethan’s silent frustration at his father’s comment reveals the deeper issue at work: that Ethan is being forced to fill in for Peter’s own shortcomings and sense of being “stuck” in life. Although Peter’s observation of Sarah is valid, his failure to see the same pattern in himself underscores the deeper problems that plague the family.

“It was a feast of heroes and villains, machines and magic. […] People jumped and flew. They didn’t just hide under beds.

Inkling wanted to move, too. He couldn’t help it. He wanted to be as big as his noisy thoughts.”

This passage emphasizes that comics continue to influence Inkling even though he consumes a wide variety of media. In his first moments, Inkling only wants to find something and remain hidden from the sketchbook and Rickman, but the dynamic world of comics encourages him to explore and be adventurous, searching for a deeper meaning and purpose to his own existence.

“A few of the moms had offered to stay and help, but Dad said, ‘No, no, everything’s fine, don’t worry about a thing.’

Mom would never have forgotten the cake. Ethan was startled by how much he missed her all of a sudden. She’d always run the parties. Dad was doing an okay job. […] But there were also things he’d forgotten.”

This quote illustrates two main problems in the Rylance house: the fact that Peter refuses to ask for or accept help, and the overwhelming grief that the whole family feels over Olivia’s death. Peter’s refusal to accept help complicates the family’s lives as they all struggle to move on with life without fully dealing with their grief. This passage is essential for Ethan’s character development, for although he acknowledges that Peter is doing his best, he knows this state of affairs differs wildly from how things would be if his mother were still alive.

“Without Mom, the house felt emptier, every room of it. Some mornings when Ethan woke up, he had the same terrible feeling he’d had right after she died. It made him want to curl himself into a ball. Like if he made himself small enough, it wouldn’t hurt so much.”

Ethan is still struggling with processing his grief after his mother’s death. Worse, Ethan is generally so busy that he does not have the opportunity to work through his emotions. This is one of the first times in the story where Ethan feels grief and allows himself to feel the emotion rather than avoiding it with various tasks. Ethan takes a minute to acknowledge that he misses his mother without dwelling too much on his sadness. His behavior contrasts with Peter, who refuses to process his grief and, thus, struggles unsuccessfully to control his sadness.

“As Inkling drew, it wasn’t just a picture he was creating, it was a whole storm of feelings from Mr. Rylance’s sleeping mind. Loneliness and sadness and anger and regret. It was almost too much to bear.”

Throughout each day, Peter never mentions Olivia, but at night, his grief overwhelms him. While Peter struggles to express his feelings, Inkling shares these emotions in Peter’s dreams. This quote foreshadows the next day when Peter’s grief keeps him from getting out of bed. The resulting pressure on Ethan also highlights the many issues that the young boy is forced to deal with alone in his father’s emotional absence from his life.

“Dad’s shoulders lifted and fell heavily. ‘I’m sorry.’

Ethan didn’t know whether to slam the door or hug his dad. In the end, he just walked out.”

While the Rylance family members love each other, they still struggle to communicate effectively. Accordingly, this particular quote represents a deep tangle of unspoken words between Ethan and Peter. Although Peter apologizes, he does not explain to Ethan why he could not get out of bed to begin with. Similarly, Ethan yells at Peter rather than explaining his fear and frustration. This lack of communication only makes their relationship worse.

“Suddenly he was telling Inkling everything—how worried he was about Dad, and how angry. How tired he was of always being the one to play with Sarah. He even talked about how much better things were when Mom was alive, and how much he missed her.”

In this quote, Ethan’s character growth is significant, for this scene marks the first time in which he is willing to openly discuss his feelings and frustrations to anyone, and his choice to communicate shows how much he trusts Inkling. Inkling therefore provides the support that Ethan so desperately needs at home.

“His dad came over and gave him a hug. ‘Thank you. You don’t have to worry about me, you know. Everything’s ok.’

Ethan nodded, but he wasn’t so sure. He didn’t think it was okay to not work for so long or to stay in bed all day. But it felt good to be hugged. It felt good to see Dad grin and to be told things were all right.”

Ethan is dealing with mixed feelings but keeps them to himself again. Even though he doubts the truth of his father’s comforting words, getting a hug from Peter makes Ethan feel happy. This quote highlights the worsening relationship between Ethan and Peter. Ethan is so thrilled that his father is hugging him that he hides his worries, thereby highlighting the underlying strain in their relationship.

“It was such a relief to tell his father. A secret was a heavy thing to carry around for so long, and day by day it only got heavier. He realized that this was the most he and his dad had talked about anything in a long time.”

Throughout the story, Ethan struggles under the weight of unspoken words. The relief he experiences when he shares just one secret shows how hard it is for him to keep everything bottled up. This quote also points out the gap in Ethan’s connection with Peter, emphasizing that they have not had a real conversation for a long time.

“Ethan couldn’t help smiling back. It was good to have Dad like this, even if he was lost in his own thoughts. Maybe his own ideas were starting to flow-which was exactly what Ethan had hoped.

The whole way home, Sarah talked about Lucy crossing the stream on a big log. And Ethan thought, Hey, she has a new story to tell, too.”

This quote shows the initial changes in the Rylance family dynamics. The characters start to break free from their usual patterns, becoming “unstuck.” This shift leads to increased creativity, with Sarah and Peter exploring new stories.

“Something had been taken away from him. It was a small something, but its loss filled him with great sadness.”

Inkling’s story is filled with acts of sacrifice. From the very beginning, he sacrifices his time and energy to assist Peter and Ethan. In this quote, Inkling even sacrifices part of himself to return to the Rylance family. Despite not regretting these sacrifices, Inkling still mourns the loss of that part of himself. Ultimately, he will sacrifice his very existence for the well-being of the Rylance family, but his loss will also spur them to connect with each other and heal.

“Sure, Inkling liked superhero comics and the occasional explosion, but this was too much. And he felt angry-not at the splotch, but at Vika and Mr. Worthington. They should be feeding this new creature all sorts of things, beautiful books and magnificent artwork. It should have a healthy, mixed diet […] Mr. Worthington was going to ruin that ink splotch.”

Oppel delves into the “nature versus nurture” debate in this quote. He highlights the fact that Blotter, who originates as a severed piece of Inkling, has transformed into a distinctly different creature. Unlike Inkling, who has consumed a variety of materials and has fostered a generous and thoughtful nature, Blotter only eats violent and gruesome comics, and this results in his increasingly selfish and violent personality. Oppel therefore uses this contrast to stress the impact of different media on individuals’ personalities and attitudes.

“I wasn’t there when she died […] She was alone […] It shouldn’t have been like that. […] Toward the end I was just angry with everything. […] I worried she might think I was angry with her. I wanted to make sure she knew I wasn’t, and that I loved her, but I didn’t even get a chance to say good-bye properly.”

In this moment, Peter unravels the core of his grief surrounding his wife’s death. His issues extend beyond the pain of missing Olivia, for he also carries profound guilt for not being present during her final moments. He is tormented by the fear that Olivia might have died thinking that Peter was angry with her. For the first time, Peter expresses these emotions, unburdening himself and easing some of the weight of his guilt.

“You have so many wonderful stories to tell, but please don’t forget the most important story of all, going on under our own roof. […]

‘Haven’t been doing such a great job, have I?’

Ethan didn’t know what to say. On the floor Inkling wrote: You were just stuck.”

After Olivia’s death, she leaves behind a note that serves as a bittersweet moment for Peter. While most of the note alleviates some of Peter’s guilt, a specific aspect intensifies it. Olivia’s heartfelt desire was for Peter to prioritize his family amidst his creative efforts—a wish that echoes the neglect he unknowingly inflicted. While Ethan and Inkling do not lie to Peter, Inkling attempts to soothe him. Recognizing that Peter’s negligence was not intentional but a consequence of being trapped in guilt and depression, Inkling seeks to ease the burden on Peter’s conscience.

“You taught him well, giving him all my books and good stuff other people have done. But that’s what it felt like. A kind of mishmash of really great stuff that’s already been done. I need to do something truly new. On my own.”

Using the lens of Inkling’s creations, Oppel argues against the use of assisted art, for despite the technical proficiency of Inkling’s work, it lacks originality. Oppel therefore implies that Inkling represents both the benefits and the limitations of artificial intelligence, for although Inkling’s talents are considerable, he is incapable of true and original creativity. Thus, Oppel asserts that genuine innovation can only emerge from the mind of a human creator. Peter’s decision to pursue an original creation represents a significant transformation in his character, as he embraces the goal of authenticity over the convenience of assisted art.