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Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Because of Winn-Dixie, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Storytelling and Listening
Sadness, Happiness, and Growing Up
Family and Loss
Openness, Friendship, and Community
Summary
Analysis
Opal spends much of her summer at the Herman W. Block Memorial Library, which is just a tiny old house full of books. The librarian is the elderly Miss Franny Block, and Franny becomes Opal’s first friend. Their friendship begins because Winn-Dixie is upset that he can’t go into the library. He stands in the widow, and Opal makes sure he can see her. One day, as Opal browses the shelves, she hears a scream. She runs and finds Miss Franny cowering behind her desk, insisting that the bear came back. Miss Franny points to Winn-Dixie in the window, and Opal explains that it’s just her dog. Opal helps the old lady up. Miss Franny is embarrassed but explains that she had a bad experience with a bear in the library long ago.
Even if Opal can’t always make Winn-Dixie feel loved in the way that he’d surely like, she nevertheless demonstrates how important it is to make her friends and family members feel as though their wishes are important. Staying in Winn-Dixie’s line of sight is a way of listening to him, and it means that Opal constantly thinks about how to best care for Winn-Dixie (something that makes her feel useful and purposeful). Opal’s kindness toward Miss Franny shows how easy yet meaningful it can be to extend this kindness to others.
Themes
Opal asks what happened. Miss Franny insists that it’s a long story, but Opal says that she’s like her Mama and loves stories. Opal asks if Winn-Dixie can come listen too, and before Miss Franny can really respond, Opal fetches Winn-Dixie. He flops down at Miss Franny’s feet. Miss Franny comments that he’s a large dog, and Opal says that he also has a big heart. Miss Franny pats Winn-Dixie and settles herself in to tell the story of the bear.
The fact that Opal mentions Mama when she says how much she loves stories reveals that Mama is on Opal’s mind much of the time. At this point, it seems that Opal isn’t interested in being her own person. She wants to exist in relation to her mother and doesn’t feel comfortable owning the fact that she loves stories, regardless of whether or not Mama does.
Themes
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