“Come, Scampi.”
“Scampi” refers to Kevin, the protagonist of the story. Mary is his mother. This quote comprises the entire fourth paragraph of the first page. This is not a novel where action and plot drives the narrative. It is a character study. The characters being studied are, for the most part, Kevin and his relationship with his mother. Things get a bit more complicated than that, of course, but this quote early on situates the deal that is going on here. If you are not interested in “Scampi” and his mom, you will not be interest in this novel. If you are interested, however, it is a fascinating relationship to study.
He already knew that even in Lockhartville there were two classes: the rich and the poor. Here, the rich were the half-dozen farmers and their families. These people possessed automobiles, electric lights, and telephones. When their children finished eighth grade, they were sent to high school in Larchmont. Some few even went on to college. One or two, over the years, had become doctors or lawyers. The farmers took trips to Ontario and to the United States. The wives of the more successful bought their clothes in Halifax. When they dined, their tables were covered with white linen and they used special knives to butter their bread.
There is nothing terribly unusual or extraordinary about this quote. And that, of course, is the very point. Lockhartville is a small township in Nova Scotia. It is Canadian, for crying out loud, not Silicon Valley in California or anywhere in Delaware. This quote just goes to prove that the negative truth and consequences of capitalism are insidious. They can worm their way into the farthest reaches of the Great White North. Class division would not seem to be a burning issue in such a locale. And yet, there it is.
When he grew up, Kevin told himself, he would be like the Scarlet Pimpernel or Prince Florizel of Bohemia. He would wear a black, red-silk-lined cape and carry a sword-cane, and he would go all over the world punishing bullies and rescuing the weak and despised. Someday — twenty or twenty-five years from now — his black limousine, driven by a Hindu chauffeur, would turn into the yard in front of a miserable shack on the Lockhartville road.
A lot can be gleaned about the fundamental character of a person in the story by reading about their fantasies rather than what they actually do. As previously stated, this novel is a character study, In another type of story—one focused more on plot and action—Kevin might grow up to become a heroic figure or, alternatively, be shown failing in a number of attempts to prove himself in reality the heroic figure he dreamt himself to be. This is the kind of novel where information such as this becomes background painting and serves a setting to be juxtaposed with reality, but not directly impact it.
