Swallowing Stones

Fifteen-year-old Jenna Ward is the daughter of Charlie Ward, whom Michael inadvertently killed with his gun when he shot a bullet into the sky. Jenna’s story arc focuses primarily on her struggle with denial, grief, and acceptance of her father’s death and the anxiety that occurs when she sees her boyfriend, Jason. Immediately after her father’s death, Jenna has a difficult time wrapping her head around reality. She can’t convince herself that what happened is real, and she isn’t sure how she should feel.

A large part of Jenna’s internal conflict comes from denial. Jenna avoids interacting with people and things that remind her she’s experienced a tragedy, and she finds herself expecting her father to come home, even after weeks of his absence. Jenna’s recurring dreams symbolize this denial. She dreams she’s being tugged by vines, at first, toward the Ghost Tree, but she’s fighting it with all her might. After Amy’s letter helps Jenna begin to mourn her father, Jenna’s dreams begin to feature Amy escorting Jenna to the tree. In these dreams, the Ghost Tree symbolizes Jenna’s acceptance that her father is dead and she must go on without him. While she fights this acceptance at first in her fog of grief-stricken denial, Amy’s letter helps Jenna begin to acknowledge her grief and work on mourning her father properly.

Even after she begins openly grieving, Jenna still grapples with anxiety around her boyfriend, Jason, and Amy also helps Jenna with this conflict. In Chapter 23, when Jenna thanks Amy for her letter and asks about Joe Sadowski, Amy gives Jenna clarity on her situation with Jason. Amy describes her survivor’s guilt from the car crash, and the mention of guilt gives Jenna “the prickly sensation that preceded the panicky feelings […] around Jason” (224). Later in the chapter, Jenna recalls how she was on the phone with Jason and delayed getting off just before her father died. She begins to feel guilty, thinking she would’ve gotten her father off the roof sooner if she’d gotten off the phone. Jenna resolves that her anxiety around Jason stems from this guilt, and once she confronts her guilt, the anxiety dissolves. Jenna’s connection to Amy also helps Jenna connect Michael MacKenzie to her father’s murder, bringing Jenna a sense of closure before the novel ends, as the book ends before Michael confesses to Jenna himself. Jenna’s arc of denial, grief, and guilt ends as she visits the Ghost Tree in person to symbolize her acceptance of her father’s death.

Amy Ruggerio is an outcast teen girl in Michael’s grade and Michael’s love interest as he works through his guilt and fear. Amy also plays an important role in Jenna’s arc as she helps Jenna break through her denial and confront her grief. Amy’s character and reputation develop the theme of The Influence of Reputation. In Chapter 1, after hooking up with Amy in the garage on his birthday, Michael “told himself Amy Ruggerio was easy, because that was what everyone said” (8). Jenna, too, sees Amy in a certain light. The first time Jenna notices Amy in Chapter 8, Jenna acknowledges she “didn’t know [Amy] personally but, like everyone else, knew her reputation” (88), showing how Amy’s reputation precedes her wherever she goes.

Despite Amy’s reputation, Amy proves to be a deep, caring, and patient person, and her presence in both Michael and Jenna’s lives assists them in healing their denial and grief. Because Amy’s primary role is to nurture both main characters, Amy fulfills the caregiver archetype.

Amy provides Michael with a comfortable place to seek refuge from his tumultuous personal life in the wake of the shooting. She makes snacks for him, and the two play board games and watch movies. Although Michael wants Amy romantically, he’s cautious not to make moves on her, lest she get the wrong idea. Michael understands what a gift it is for him to have a person like Amy there for him during this time. However, Amy is not unaware of her reputation, so when a vengeful Darcy tells Amy that Michael has ulterior motives with her, Amy is inclined to believe her. This action cuts Michael off from his place of peace with Amy. However, in Chapter 22, having talked through some of their conflict, Amy once again provides a safe place for Michael and helps him accept his mistakes.

Amy also helps Jenna accept her new reality post-tragedy. Amy first helps Jenna recover from her anxiety attack in the bathroom of the movie theater, showing patience and understanding as Jenna works through her episode. Later, Amy writes a letter to Jenna explaining that she understands Jenna’s pain because Amy lost her parents in a car accident. Amy’s letter helps Jenna shift from denial to grief, allowing Jenna to finally open the floodgates for tears. Later, in the final chapters, Amy also helps Jenna recognize her feelings of guilt, which helps Jenna solve her problems with Jason.