Flight Of The Puffin

Another of the four protagonists in Flight of the Puffin is Jack, whose journey differs from those of the other children in that he believes he should be fighting against an external force, like the government, but in reality, he’s fighting learned misconceptions and ignorance. Jack lives in a rural area near Libby’s town, and his life is quite isolated. His school has only 17 students, all of different ages, and is at risk of losing its state funding. Jack hears about this and the reasons behind it and takes a stance against what he believes are unfair and unnecessary changes. He makes claims that are untrue because he claims to know what he can’t know. His life of isolation led to him not understanding why a gender-neutral bathroom might be important. He cares deeply about his school and depends on it, and he thinks that he’s saving it by resisting the state.

Jack is the opposite of Libby in the sense that he’s a model student who seeks to impress others, primarily his father. In addition, the memory of his brother’s death plagues Jack, as does the fact that he tried to save him but couldn’t: “But then it was just me and my two hands trying desperately not to shake, and Alex and his head that kept insisting on bleeding” (148). He thinks of how their father bullied and shamed Alex for being himself and regrets that Alex died without ever getting to truly be himself. Rather than closing himself off to the world, however, Jack acts to protect and help the younger kids at his school. He takes on Joey as a sort of younger brother, and they develop a strong bond.

Jack’s persistence and determination lead him to successfully acquiring signatures for a petition, but when he takes it to the town hall meeting, everything falls apart. He’s judged as “transphobic” and narrow-minded, and he initially reacts with anger. Vincent helps change Jack’s mind by telling him about T and the need for acceptance and understanding of people who are often misunderstood. Jack realizes that he was wrong and writes a letter stating this, and doing so demonstrates strength and a willingness to concede and change. In addition, Jack starts honoring his brother by putting his butterfly drawings on the fridge rather than keeping them hidden. He meets Libby and discovers that they’re already connected through Vincent and through Joey, who received Libby’s first art card.

Another of the four protagonists, Vincent is a dynamic character who experiences a personal shift in confidence and resolves to live by the thematic values of Self-Preservation and Being Oneself. At first, he feels like “a point in space” whom no one in his school truly sees or likes (24).

While Vincent’s mother loves him, she doesn’t relate to him or understand him very well and finds his interest in puffins strange. She even inadvertently blames Vincent for the bullying he experiences by telling him to dress differently and taking away his favorite cereal. Vincent loves math and triangles in particular, and he admires mathematician Katherine Johnson. He sees her as a hero because she and others like her “kept having doors shut on them but found ways to open them because they could do all these complicated calculations in their head. Like math was their superpower” (26). Vincent sees triangles in everything and uses them as metaphors to describe how he sees the world and relates to others. While everyone else seems to be part of a triangle, Vincent feels like he’s in the middle of nowhere. Vincent lives in Seattle, across the country from Libby and Jack but in the same city as T.

Vincent’s journey, which thematically reflects The Importance of Standing Up to Bullies, begins rough when school bullies shove him into a locker, call him a girl, and take his favorite puffin shirt right off his body. Vincent wears the shirt to make a statement about refusing to be anything other than himself, and them taking it is like the world telling him to back down and conform. He continues to refuse and instead just buys a new shirt and draws a puffin on it. Vincent admires puffins for their strength, their sense of community, and how they seem to glide across the sea. He relates to them because, like puffins, Vincent lives in a harsh environment where the odds always seem to be stacked against him. He receives a postcard from Libby in the mail after she hears about the bullying he’s experiencing, and it reaffirms his sense of self. It also inspires him to reach out with kindness toward T, who needs support and something to eat. Through his friendship with T, Vincent learns to stand up to Cal by making his arms into triangles. Conversely, he helps T find the courage to call home and reconnect with family. Vincent likewise reaches out to Jack, trying to help him see the errors in his thinking, inspiring Jack to change his mind about the state’s demands for his school.

A nonbinary youth, T is another of the novel’s four protagonists, and while their story takes up the least space, it’s one of the most impactful because of their extreme circumstances. T lives on the sidewalk near a drop-in center, having left home due to feeling judged and rejected. T’s mother sent T to therapy to “fix” something that T never considered a problem. For T, the issue was never that they didn’t like themself but that they felt unaccepted by those who were supposed to love and support them most.

Self-Preservation and Being Oneself are thus thematically more important to T than anything else, and they refuse to change for the sake of others. T compares themself to the expiration date on a tub of ketchup, resolving to “keep going for longer than what anyone else would expect” (79). Although T’s dog, Peko, keeps T company, they’re alone and lack the family they need. T is never safe and only gets one meal a day, making it difficult to remain hopeful. T’s chapters are in poetry form and, despite their brevity, say a great deal in few words. T writes, “Why would anyone miss family?” (115), but it’s clear that they do miss their family and feel conflicted regarding feeling those emotions and also needing to assert who they are.

Upon meeting Vincent, T’s life and outlook quickly begin to change. Vincent not only becomes a friend for T when they need one most but also brings T food and helps encourage T to get in touch with family. Vincent is inspired to help T after getting the postcard from Libby and wanting to extend his own kindness to the world, thematically supporting The Great Impact of Small Acts. In addition, Vincent learns from T both about accepting and understanding people different from him and about The Importance of Standing Up to Bullies by staying strong. Upon receiving the art cards from Jack, Joey, and Jack’s mom, T is moved to finally call home. The resolution to T’s story is uncertain, but the outlook is hopeful.

An important secondary character in the story is Joey because he has shared a close bond with Jack ever since Alex died. Joey is a static character but is full of life and joy. He keeps Jack in high spirits and gives him something to take care of and look forward to. Joey is almost like a brother to Jack, and Jack is always there for him. When Jack is home sick, trying to mend the situation in his life, Joey leaves him an art card expressing how much he misses having Jack around. In a surprise twist, Joey turns out to be the boy who received Libby’s first art card when she saw him crying outside the dentist’s office. Joey kept that card and used the idea to make one for Jack, which ultimately led them back to connecting with Libby, thematically exemplifying The Great Impact of Small Acts.