Rules

Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 2006

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Summary

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapters 1-7

Chapters 8-15

Chapters 16-22

Character Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Literary Devices

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Character Analysis

Catherine

The protagonist and the narrator of Rules is 12-year-old Catherine, who begins the story at the beginning of her summer break. She lives with her family on the picturesque Maine seacoast in a small town. Catherine finds summer to be a dreary time. Her best friend, Melissa, has departed for her regular three-month visit with her father in California. Since Catherine’s mother works part-time from home and her father is a more-than-full-time pharmacist, the family has no vacation plans. Instead, she’ll be spending her time babysitting her younger brother, David, who regularly attends occupational therapy for his autism.

Though the summer seems to hold little promise for Catherine, she has high hopes for a newly arrived friend. Mrs. Peterson is moving in next door, and she has a daughter named Kristi who is Catherine’s age. Catherine makes a mental list of the fun things to tween girls can do: swimming in the nearby pond, riding bikes, working on art projects, and working out Morse Code on flashlight from house to house at night.

Catherine is also intrigued by a boy name Jason Morehouse who is a year or two older than she is. She sees him in the waiting room of the occupational therapy clinic when she accompanies David for his regular appointments. Jason uses a wheelchair and is non-speaking. He communicates with his mother by using a book that has words printed on cards. Catherine does not just notice Jason; he notices her as well and wants to communicate with her.

Catherine describes her basic appearance as she draws her picture for a word card to go in Jason’s communication book: brown ponytail, blue-gray eyes and a “too-pointy chin”. She is a fine artist, a person for whom drawing is a coping mechanism and a medium of communication. Though she is easily embarrassed and quite emotional at times, Catherine does not cry until the final chapters of the book. She worries about what others, especially people her age, think of her. Because of the attention paid to her brother, Catherine feels her family takes her for granted, though she seldom gets dramatic and demands what she wants.

David

Catherine’s brother is eight years old, with brown hair. He has autism and engages in repetitive behaviors, screams when frustrated, and frequently breaks Catherine’s rules she makes for him. His actions create issues and embarrassment for Catherine. David has regular sessions to work on his behavior at the occupational therapy clinic. Often, when their mother is working at home, Catherine must babysit David since he was expelled from his previous daycare. There are several locations David loves, especially the video store. Catherine’s dad regularly takes David to check out movies, a routine Catherine skips in that it guarantees she will be embarrassed.

The relationship between David and Catherine is complex and layered. She regularly complains about his autism and wishes he would wake up “regular” someday. At the same time, she is fiercely protective of David, attacking those who mock or tease him. Catherine has created and regularly adds to a set of rules she reads to David, insisting that he abide by them. The two have an intimate bond that is expressed at the most emotional moments when David calls Catherine “Frog” and she responds by calling him “Toad,” referencing David’s favorite Frog and Toad series by Arnold Lobel.

Jason Morehouse

Jason is another patient at David’s occupational therapy clinic. Jason cannot walk and uses a wheelchair. He is non-speaking and communicates using an expandable notebook containing white note cards upon which a word is written. Jason has regular sessions the clinic, often the same time as David, which is how he and Catherine meet and interact. At the clinic, a teacher is working to teach Jason sign language.

Catherine guesses Jason to be 14 or 15. He is also the younger of two brothers, loves music and has written songs on a piano in his room. Jason can be moody and temperamental. He argues with his mother, a situation inadvertently exacerbated by Catherine who makes him many new dynamic word cards for his communication book. Throughout the course of the book, Jason develops as an individual: acquiring a new musical instrument, a wider vocabulary, a new motorized wheelchair, and going to a dance for the first time with Catherine.

Jason relishes his budding relationship with Catherine. Unable to communicate with much nuance, Jason must be transparent in describing his feelings to Catherine, which totally surprises her. Their innocent relationship develops in fit and starts under the watchful eye of Mrs. Morehouse, who simultaneously desires to protect her son and yet let him experience a full, rich life.

Kristi Peterson

A greatly anticipated character is Catherine’s new next door neighbor Kristi. Catherine has been dreaming about their budding friendship since a departing neighbor told Catherine that a girl her age was moving in. The two girls see each other at a distance and communicate across the expanse of the front yard for the first third of the book before having a chance to speak in person.

Kristi is a beautiful, perfectly groomed, very stylish, and very polite girl. She is glad of Catherine’s presence next door since she is new to the community. Kristi’s mother, equally chic, is separated from her father, as the two are officially “taking a break” from one another. This is a source of real anxiety to Kristi, who yearns for them to get back together and be happy.

Kristi and Catherine are more unlike than like when it comes to their interests. Kristi is interested in boys and dating and wants Catherine to develop a similar interest. While Catherine loves to create art and to examine natural things closely, Kristi is much more interested in fan magazines and the latest fashion.