The Great Gilly Hopkins

Gilly’s transformation from a withdrawn and angry person to a more mature and honest one is tracked in these chapters. Gilly’s emotional growth is especially evident in how her relationship with Maime Trotter has changed now that she has left her home: Gilly is finally able to express her feelings of love and care toward her. Using epistolary form, the author shows how Gilly maintains her relationships with the people that she grew close to in Thompson Park.

Gilly’s complicated feelings toward her grandmother and her biological mother are shown with tone, metaphor, and symbolism. At first, it seems like Gilly’s dislike toward her grandmother is rooted in anger that she caused Gilly to be removed from Maime Trotter’s home. When her grandmother apologizes, saying that she might have gotten a false picture of Maime Trotter from her short visit on Thanksgiving, Gilly feels “something dark and hot” begin “to bubble up” in her (131). Gilly’s anger toward her grandmother for taking her from Maime Trotter is expressed in the metaphor of a dark, bubbling rage that she hides from her. However, the author shows that Gilly’s anger toward her grandmother is not entirely her grandmother’s fault.

Gilly is disappointed that her grandmother showed up rather than Courtney. This emotional response foreshadows the difficult truth that Gilly learns when she meets her biological mother at the airport. Gilly is already sensing that her biological mother cannot be depended on when she thinks: “perhaps Courtney would never come. Perhaps Courtney did not want to come” (130). Gilly’s desperate letter in which she lied about Maime Trotter did not have the result that she expected. Instead of her biological mother coming to “rescue” her from foster care, it is her grandmother who takes her in.

Gilly’s disappointment about this outcome is shown in her terse replies when her grandmother attempts to make conversation with her. Gilly is silent for most of the car ride to Virginia, and during their first meal together, Gilly hardly says anything about herself. Gilly thinks to herself, “Stop hovering over me. I’ll smother” (134) when her grandmother tries to find out what she likes. However, Gilly does not act out as she did before in her other prior homes. Gilly holds back, which shows how she has changed due to Maime Trotter’s nurturing care. The pain that she feels about Courtney’s rejection is expressed in the symbolic action of placing Courtney’s photo on the dresser in her new bedroom, only to remove it quickly. This action foreshadows that Gilly is beginning to let go of her idealized view of Courtney.

Gilly’s increasing comfort with her grandmother begins with a feeling of sympathy during their first dinner when she focuses on the word “alone.” The author uses metaphor and diction to show Gilly’s realization that she and her grandmother have something in common: “The word ‘alone’ twanged in Gilly’s head. She knew what it meant to be alone [...] She looked at the person who was smiling shyly at her, who has lost husband, son, daughter. That was alone” (133). As a child in the foster care system, Gilly felt alone, and her grandmother, who has lost all her family, is also lonely. Later, Gilly is impressed when her grandmother expertly handles the nosy and judgmental questions about her sudden appearance in Jackson. When they put up the Christmas tree together in preparation for Courtney’s visit, Gilly feels a sense of accomplishment and happiness when her grandmother compliments how Gilly decorated the tree. This moment shows that Gilly and her grandmother are beginning to form a bond. Gilly’s growing connection with her grandmother is important for the character transformation, as it shows that Gilly can open herself up to new people and trust more easily.

The letters create a sense of continuity in the plot and allow the reader to feel happiness despite the overwhelming sadness when Gilly left Maime Trotter’s home in the preceding chapter. This gives a sense of comfort, as Gilly maintains a connection with the people in Thompson Park. The kind letter and Lord of the Rings books that Miss Harris sends to Gilly show that Miss Harris and Gilly mended their relationship, and Miss Harris expresses her forgiveness toward Gilly by remarking that she won’t send any “samples of [her] poetry” (137) to her new school. In addition, Gilly begins writing out her full name, Galadriel, in the signature of the letters, showing that Gilly is beginning to feel more self-confident. The humorous letters that Gilly sends to William Ernest show the warmth that developed between William Ernest and Gilly. The letter that Maime Trotter writes when she mentions that William Ernest defended himself in a fight makes Gilly feel proud. The author’s choice to include a chapter that is almost entirely composed of letters between Gilly and her friends in Thompson Park shows how meaningful the experience in Thompson Park was for Gilly, with each letter expressing the positive influence that the people of Thompson Park had on Gilly’s life and the positive influence that she had on their lives.

The sense of loss that Gilly feels when she realizes that Courtney did not come to visit of her own accord, but only came because she was bribed, shatters Gilly’s illusion that Courtney would come back and take her to San Francisco. The author shows how devastated Gilly feels using tone, metaphor, and imagery. Courtney’s emotional distance from Gilly is represented in how she talks about Gilly as if she was not there, and how she hugs her with a huge purse in between them. Courtney is “pressing the bag into Gilly’s chest and stomach” when she tells her mother that Gilly is “as tall as I am, sounding a little as though Gilly weren’t there” (145). The imagery of the purse between them and the tone of this dialogue shows that Courtney is distanced emotionally from Gilly. The argument between Courtney and her mother about the length of Courtney’s visit and the money that she sent her shows that Courtney is immature and selfish. Gilly realizes that Courtney cannot be relied on for emotional support.

The final chapter is titled “Homecoming” which connects the theme of home and the search for belonging to Gilly’s realization about what family truly means. Gilly realizes this when she calls Maime Trotter in tears after meeting Courtney. Maime Trotter tells her that she will always be there for her whenever she needs her. Gilly finally feels secure enough to tell Maime Trotter that she loves her. By giving up on chasing the illusory fantasy of her biological mother, Gilly can reciprocate the real love that Maime Trotter feels for her.