77 pages 2 hours read

Kate DiCamillo

The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane

Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 2006

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.

Character Analysis

Edward Tulane

Edward is the protagonist of the novel. Although he is a three-foot tall china rabbit and is unable to move or speak, he has sentience. He is unable to directly interact with the world around him, but he has thoughts about the people and experiences he encounters. At heart, the novel is about Edward’s change from self-centered to loving. In the beginning of the novel, Edward is best characterized as egotistical and materialistic. However, by the end, he not only knows what it means to love, but he yearns for it.

While Edward can’t talk or move, he is really great at listening. Each character he encounters seems to intuitively know that he listens, and they end up telling him their life stories. In this way, Edward is a cathartic character for the people who encounter him. For Lawrence and Nellie, they treat him like the son they lost, which allows them to work through the pain of that loss. For the vagabonds, Edward becomes a way to vocalize and therefore memorialize the people they left behind. And for Sarah Ruth, he becomes her source of comfort amidst her illness. In this way, Edward’s character changes according to the people he is around.

Related Titles

By Kate DiCamillo

Study Guide

logo

Beverly, Right Here

Kate DiCamillo

Beverly, Right Here

Kate DiCamillo

Study Guide

logo

Raymie Nightingale

Kate DiCamillo

Raymie Nightingale

Kate DiCamillo

Study Guide

logo

The Beatryce Prophecy

Kate DiCamillo

The Beatryce Prophecy

Kate DiCamillo

Study Guide

logo

The Magician's Elephant

Kate DiCamillo

The Magician's Elephant

Kate DiCamillo

Study Guide

logo

The Tiger Rising

Kate DiCamillo

The Tiger Rising

Kate DiCamillo