Cody Splunk Analysis

Out of all three of the main characters, my least favorite would have to be Cody Splunk. I personally loved the overall melancholy feel of the book despite what the cover would have one to believe prior to reading it. The stories behind both Laura Freedman and Janice Gibbs flow seemingly concurrently and are almost poetic in nature. There are many similarities found between Gibbs and Freedman that are not found in Splunk. He’s the odd man out basically. But, of course, him being the odd man out and not matching the feel of what I find to be a somewhat depressing book is not the only reason why I find him hard to like or relate to. Cody Splunk is, as previously stated, the odd man out. He is optimistic in a world where things may never go …show more content…
He is what Ben is to Laura Freedman without the mutual feeling of love and like being returned; that is, of course, from what we know of the end of the book. Perhaps Ben was Freedman’s very own Cody Splunk and that information was left up to the readers to decide and decipher for themselves. It’s easy to draw the similarities between Freedman and Gibbs, both being effected by their religious beliefs and backgrounds, having formed their lives around them. But, as all equations go, where there is Ben and Laura Freedman, there is Janice Gibbs and the possibility of Cody Splunk. Of course, one could say that Danny would be an option but Gibbs had more correspondence with Splunk throughout the book than she did with Danny. As said before, Splunk can be seen as the bright light to Gibbs life and what may make her life just a little bit better. What I find troublesome with the view is that Janice Gibbs should be her own saving grace, by and on her own terms. While this is what I find most annoying of his character, this is also part of what makes Cody Splunk essential to the story.
Cody Splunk is the saving light to this melancholy story and that is why I believe Kathleen Founds added him to her main character roster. Being the odd man out, being the eccentric boy he is, being the weirdo that I may not be found of personally, Splunk adds color …show more content…
His mistakes, while absolutely creepy, add a small amount of humor. He is the ridiculous character every sad story with an ending such as this needs. His stories are eccentric and extravagated but they are, in a way, just as poetic as Freedman’s and Gibbs’. He’s the weird kid that perhaps nobody expected to succeed but does. In contrast to both Gibbs and Freedman, Splunk’s life is not so framed and dragged down by religious beliefs and tendencies as theirs. He’s the small caveat to two characters who question where God is in their lives and if he’s really there after everything has gone wrong. I think the author gave us just enough information for readers to decide that they like him, of course with my own personal exception, but perhaps left off information as to not drag the book down into an overall sad and depressing novel. After all this being said, my complaints about the character himself being head, how he presents himself to Gibbs, what he does for Gibbs, and how Gibbs feels about Splunk himself, my overall feelings about the character are still are the negative side but I can admit that he adds an overall spice to the