Summer of the Monkeys

“That’s the most important monkey of the whole works. He’s worth his weight in gold. They’re offering a hundred dollar reward for him.”

Grandpa’s line about the prize for catching and returning the escaped circus monkeys adds to Jay Berry’s excitement. The reward money raises the stakes; if Jay Berry can capture the monkeys, especially the big one (who is a chimpanzee, not a monkey), he can get the .22 rifle and pony he covets. The line also demonstrates Grandpa’s use of hyperbole with the phrase “weight in gold,” and characterizes Grandpa as expressive, fun, and a little dramatic.

“I didn’t say anything—I didn’t have to—my old grandpa knew how I felt about him.”

This line of interior monologue from Jay Berry’s first-person perspective illustrates the closeness between Grandpa and Jay Berry. The two work conspiratorially on the monkey traps, and Jay Berry shows his reverence for Grandpa’s skills and expertise by never questioning his ideas. Grandpa looks out for Jay Berry, reminding him that his expected purpose in visiting the store is to collect items for Mama.

“I was the happiest boy in those Ozark hills, and I figured I was pretty close to being the richest boy, too. All I had to do was catch those monkeys. Right then that didn’t seem like any chore at all.”

Jay Berry sets off for home, intending to set up the traps as soon as he can. His mood in this interior monologue is jubilant; his high spirits will soon contrast with his first encounter with the monkeys. These lines also demonstrate character voice with subtle dialect; “in those Ozark hills” and “[r]ight then” show regionalism in Jay Berry’s speech.

“Now, I never did like to wait for anything. It seemed that half of my life had been wasted away waiting for things. I had to wait for Christmas and Thanksgiving. Then there was a long spell of waiting for spring and fishing time. Now I was waiting for a monkey.”

Jay Berry’s interior monologue is rich with characterization and voice, but it also introduces situational irony. Jay Berry impatiently waits for the monkeys to fill his traps, thinking that capturing them will be easy, over, and done with readily. What actually occurs is the first of many foiled attempts to outsmart the creatures. He will soon realize that the monkeys will keep him waiting much, much longer.

“Just remember there never was an animal that couldn’t be caught.”

Grandpa prompts Jay Berry to keep his spirits up even if the latest attempt to capture the monkeys with the butterfly net fails. Grandpa’s message is upbeat, characterizing him as optimistic and steadily confident. Jay Berry is excited for Grandpa’s new idea, which shows the influence Grandpa has on him. Grandpa’s line here supports the theme of persevering in the face of frustration and failure. 

“Jay Berry, I don’t think your little sister is as happy as she lets on [...] I’ll bet if the truth were known, she’s probably in pain all the time.”

Grandma introduces the idea that Daisy’s leg and foot is a point of conflict, which Jay Berry typically does not acknowledge; he thinks she gets along well on the crutch and enjoys time in her playhouse. This line plants the seed for Jay Berry’s later choices regarding the reward money for capturing the monkeys.

“Rowdy, I don’t like this a bit. I have a feeling that something is going to happen.”

The author builds suspense in the scene in which the monkeys first circle, then attack Jay Berry and Rowdy. A dichotomy exists in this moment as well: Jay Berry must put his thoughts and feelings into complex, organized sentences in order to communicate an idea, but the monkeys communicate just as (if not more) effectively through rapid grunts and squalls or—at times—no sounds at all.

“For all we know, they may have hydrophobia.”

Daisy suggests that Jay Berry and Rowdy might have contracted hydrophobia (rabies) from the bites of the monkeys. Her concern and accompanying emotional behavior characterize her as overly worried and dramatic. This line also works to characterize the rural setting; Jay Berry’s interior monologue reveals the paranoia and fear of rabies among the locals. Rabies was first treated in 1885, with vaccinations and treatments improving over the next several decades, but the characters make no mention of curatives.

“From what you’ve told me, he’s about the only monkey in the bunch that hasn’t tried to bite you.”

After a battle with the monkeys in the bottoms followed by three days in bed nursing his wounds and pride, Jay Berry is ready for a new tactic and a return to the pursuit of his goal. This time, mentor Grandpa suggests befriending chimpanzee Jimbo, the largest and smartest of the group; when Jay Berry fears the danger of Jimbo’s teeth, Grandpa points out the irony in the quote above. Jay Berry then realizes that Jimbo might actually be the best in the group to befriend, as he is the one who considers himself the leader.

“The last thing in the world that I wanted was to make Jimbo mad.”

Jimbo has angry fits when Jay Berry refuses the first cup of sour-mash, then does not drink the second cup. Still hoping to befriend Jimbo and use him to capture the other monkeys, Jay Berry feels he must drink the sour-mash Jimbo offers. Indeed, Jimbo then hoots happily and somersaults. Paradoxically, the character roles are now flipped: Jimbo “trains” Jay Berry to perform the behavior he wants from him.

“Mama, Mama, come and look at Jay Berry! He’s as drunk as a boiled owl and naked as a jaybird.”

Daisy is the family member who greets Jay Berry unhelpfully once he makes it home from the bottoms. Her reaction strengthens the conflict between brother and sister and heightens the humiliation Jay Berry experiences after drinking too much of Jimbo’s sour-mash. The similes in Daisy’s line of dialogue lend themselves to the regionalism of the Lee family’s speech.

“I don’t care what kind of a problem a man has, he can always find the answer to it in a library.”

Grandpa shows his passion for learning as well as his confidence in overcoming a challenge. Moreover, with this line and the surrounding dialogue, the reader gets another piece of evidence regarding the remote rural setting in which the Lees live; Grandpa and Jay Berry will have to leave early for the long trip to town where the nearest library is, and neither has ever been to a library before.

“I had the time of my life.”

In his simple and sincere way, Jay Berry reflects on the adventure of seeing the town of Tahlequah with Grandpa. Compared to the rural settings of his home and farm, the many buildings, wagon yard, streets, shops, and university of the town are impressive and interesting to Jay Berry. This line also plants a notion about Jay Berry’s freedom of mobility and the good experiences that come of it, an unspoken reminder to readers about Daisy’s limited travels and disability.

“It had been a terrible day for me. Along with losing the coconuts, I had given up my calf, and I wasn’t any closer to having my pony and the .22 than I was the day Rowdy treed the first monkey.”

Jay Berry neatly summarizes his frustrations. Indeed, despite several run-ins with the monkeys, they are all still free, and Jay Berry’s hope is on the edge of dwindling. Jay Berry chooses to think of Grandpa in the next moment; he knows that if anything can help him to succeed, it will be Grandpa.

“I’m going down in the bottoms and see about the monkeys […] They could’ve drowned, or blown away in that storm. I’m worried about them.”

This marks a new dichotomy in Jay Berry’s feelings about the monkeys. After multiple attempts at catching them (each time a failure), Jay Berry faces the possibility that the storm might have erased his chances of making enough money for his coveted pony and rifle. However, he is also concerned about the monkeys themselves; he does not want them to be injured or afraid. This development in his empathy and tenderness toward the creatures will increase as he begins to search for them.

“I wanted my little sister to get that old leg of hers fixed up. I wanted that more than anything I had ever wanted in my life.”

Not a few minutes before, Jay Berry tells Papa that if he cannot get the money for his pony and rifle, it will mean “the end of the world” for him (192). Then Daisy discovers the fairy ring of white toadstools, and as he watches his family and hears the surrounding stillness, Jay Berry decides to wish for his sister’s well-being instead of success with trapping the monkeys. With this shift in priorities, Jay Berry moves further along his character arc; he does not, however, make the connection between the potential money and Daisy’s need for an expensive treatment.

“Mama! Mama! Come and look! Hurry, Mama! You won’t believe it! Jay Berry’s coming home with about a thousand monkeys.”

Daisy’s hyperbole signals to Mama and Papa that Jay Berry has finally succeeded. Her use of exaggeration contributes to the visual of the victorious moment as Jay Berry leads all the monkeys out of the trees and underbrush and through the field to the farm. Jay Berry gets all the monkeys safely into the corn crib, but his conflict will soon transition to a hard choice that is a matter of conscience.

“I dreamed all night and I didn’t sleep very good […] I’ve waited a long time for this day. I’m going after my pony and I don’t want anything to mess that up.”

Jay Berry repeats several times that he will be claiming his pony that day, feeling a quiet uncertainty all the same. When the Johnson Brothers arrive and pay his earnings, Jay Berry momentarily forgets any doubt in the excitement of holding that small fortune. However, this line foreshadows Jay Berry’s upcoming struggle and decision.

“I guess you’ve earned that right. Go ahead. Get your grandpa to help you pick out a good pony.”

Mama grants Jay Berry permission to go to Grandpa’s store and claim his pony. Neither Papa nor Mama ever says aloud that the monkey money would be an invaluable contribution to Daisy’s leg treatment. Here, Mama has every chance to; yet despite knowing it might be her last chance to tell Jay Berry, she does not. The subtext and tone of these lines suggest that while Mama knows how much the money would benefit her daughter, she cannot bring herself to ask for her son’s sacrifice, knowing how strongly he feels about the pony.

“If a pony is what you want, a pony is what you’ll have. You’ve earned that right. I won’t say more.”

Grandpa’s lines are filled with subtext. They hint at the emotion he and his family must be going through, knowing that Jay Berry’s windfall is enough to help Daisy. Grandpa stops just short of suggesting Jay Berry sacrifice it for her. Grandpa’s praise of Jay Berry’s actions when he returns the pony is sincere; a humble man himself, he reveals his uncertainty that Jay Berry would come to the right decision.

“That was a long, long walk for me.”

Jay Berry realizes almost too late that his money can heal Daisy’s leg. He comes to the idea on his own, without adult involvement (except for some hints from Grandpa that he does not process initially). Consequently, his choice to help his twin by sacrificing his coveted pony is completely organic and sincere. That does not make the choice easy, however, and the prospect of giving up the pony whom he already loves weighs heavily upon him the whole long way back to the store. Irony exists in this line, too, as Jay Berry’s first thoughts about the paint include how fast she will run. Daisy, after her operation, will run and gain mobility.

“As I stood there, looking at Daisy, I knew that I would never regret giving up my pony. It was all worth it.”

Jay Berry’s character arc is complete. While Mama and Daisy are away in Oklahoma City during Daisy’s surgery and recovery, Jay Berry experiences continued heartbreak over giving up his pony; he cannot stop thinking about the pretty paint mare and dreams about her frequently. Seeing Daisy as she walks without the crutch onto the train platform brings transformation; Jay Berry realizes with new insight that his decision was the right and only choice.

“I could see that she wasn’t limping at all.”

Jay Berry notices right away that the mare’s injury is healed, just as Daisy’s leg is healed. The narrative, consistently in Jay Berry’s viewpoint, never reveals where the money came from for the purchase of the mare; instead, the last chapter focuses solely on his happiness and appreciation for the miracle, suggesting the work of a higher power.