Analyzing Sharon Creech's Walk Two Moons

Sharon Creech's Walk Two Moons (1994) tells the story of thirteen-year-old Sal, who is struggling to face the fact that her beloved mother, Sugar, will not be returning. Sal and her grandparents embark on a road trip, traveling from Euclid, Ohio, to Lewiston, Idaho, in hopes of reuniting with Sugar. At first, Sal blames herself for Sugar's departure, but as the story progresses, she learns that as much as she loved her mother, she is not responsible for her actions.

As the novel begins, Sal mentions her mother and how she was supposed to return after a bus trip to see sights like the Badlands and Mount Rushmore. However, Sal also mentions that she and her father now know that Sugar will never be returning. When mentioning this at the beginning, Sal feels at fault. She wishes that she could have stopped her mom from leaving. Before Sugar left, Sal begged her mom to let her come on the trip. However Sugar said that "she had to go alone...she had to" (p. 107). Sal begins to feel that her mother's departure is a result of something she did. Sal felt she was not lovable enough to keep her mother in Bybanks. She mentions that her parents always wanted to fill the house with many children; unfortunately, aside from a pregnancy ending in a stillbirth, Sal was their only child. She believes that if she could have been a better daughter, her mother would not have longed for more children. Subsequently, Sugar would not have felt the emptiness and confusion that caused her to leave Kentucky in the first place.

Also, Sal is regretful about the way she acted on the last day she saw her mom. Sugar had asked if Sal wanted to go on a walk. Sal did not want to leave the comfort of her bedroom due to the rain outside. She recalls,

"When she asked me for about the tenth time, I said, "No! I don't want to go. Why do you keep asking me?" I don't know why I did that. I didn't mean anything by it... and I wished I could take it back" (p.101).

This image haunts Sal, as it is one of the last things she ever said to her mother.

Additionally, Sal feels guilty about her aforementioned deceased sister, Tulip. Earlier on the day of the stillbirth, Sal fell out of a tree. Her mother "found [her] and carried [her] back through the woods, across the fields, and down the long hill to the house" (pp.141-2). Sal felt that the baby coming later that night was no coincidence; surely it was the excursion of carrying Sal that caused Sugar to miscarry. If only Sal had not climbed the tree, than her baby sister would have been fine. If only the baby had lived, than her mother would not have had to undergo a hysterectomy, and could have fulfilled her dream of filling the house with children.

However, as the story nears its end, Sal matures, gaining a new perspective on her mother's absence. For starters, she notices that her new friends in Euclid have mothers who are missing, too. Phoebe's mom leaves town for a few weeks, and Ben's mother is sick in the hospital. Sal learns that she can be happy on her own (p. 37). Also, she gains closure when she talks to Mrs. Cadaver about Sugar's last days alive. Sal is relieved to hear that her mother told Margaret all about her family. Sal figures this means that Sugar "must have been missing us, don't you think?" (p. 266).

Additionally, Sal recounts a story in which her dog, Moody Blue, had to wean her pups. Sugar told Sal that they have to learn to be independent and learn how to survive on their own (p. 253). This shows that Sal's life has reached a turning point; she is now ready to lead a life without constantly mourning her mother's death.

Finally, Sal realizes that people have "to go out and do things and see things", and that they cannot remain "locked up in the house" (p. 252). Whatever the reason, Sal's mother had to leave, and Sal could not have stopped her. A few words of wisdom from Mr. Hiddle show that Sal no longer holds herself responsible. When asking her dad why her mom had to leave, he replies, "A person isn't a bird. You can't cage a person," (p. 136).

References
Creech, Sharon (1994). Walk Two Moons. New York, NY: HarperCollinsPublishers.