55 pages • 1 hour read
Betty G. BirneyA 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.
“‘You can learn a lot about yourself by taking care of another species,’ she told me on the way home the day she got me. ‘You’ll teach those kids a thing or two.’”
“But she doesn’t know my secret: The latch on my cage door doesn’t work. It never has. It’s the lock-that-doesn’t-lock.”
The “lock-that-doesn’t-lock” plays an important role throughout the novel. It allows Humphrey a level of autonomy that would otherwise be impossible. If Mrs. Brisbane decides to get rid of him, Humphrey will leave on his own terms.
“‘Oh that’s right,’ he replied as if we were having a real conversation. ‘Mrs. Brisbane came back today. She is a good teacher, you know, Humphrey. Wish I’d had a good teacher like her.’”
This quote is the first indication that Humphrey gets that Mrs. Brisbane is indeed a good teacher. The perspective the book gives concerning Mrs. Brisbane is influenced by the negative perception she has of Humphrey. In addition, this gives some insight into Aldo’s educational past.