“The cat’s eyes narrowed, his tail twitched with annoyance.

‘Doesn’t [the name Whittington] mean anything to you?’

‘No.’

‘Then you don’t know history,’ he said. ‘Whittington is a person in history. He’s in books.’”

Whittington’s introduction of himself contains the first reference to the historical figure Dick Whittington (See: Background). This establishes the dual meanings of the novel’s title Whittington and foreshadows the central role that Dick’s story will play in informing character and thematic development in the novel.

“After a couple of days the horses began to smell like the children and the children began to smell like the horses. Abby and Ben rode over with Bernie every morning at five to help muck, feed, and water. Before the horses arrived it was hard to get the kids up for the school bus at seven. Now they had friends who needed them.”

Friendship between humans and animals is a primary vehicle for communicating the theme of Finding Healing Through Community and Cooperation. Grappling with their mother’s death, Ben and Abby find comfort in caring for the horses. This passage demonstrates how friendship catalyzes transformation and growth for the children, emphasizing this theme.

“The barn hummed with talk about the cat. Not the moving-in part, they couldn’t stop him from doing that. The family part. You can’t get rid of somebody once he’s part of your family. Whatever happens, you’re responsible. But who could say who belonged in or out of that family?”

The animals’ complex understanding of the concept of family illustrates the human-like community they have together in the barn, reinforcing parallels to human relationships and friendships. The responsibility and loyalty they feel towards one another reinforces the novel’s exploration of the support that family and community relationships provide.