53 pages • 1 hour read
Ali BenjaminThe Thing About Jellyfish
Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 2015A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Part 7Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Part 7: “Conclusion”
Chapter 58 Summary: “What If?”
Suzy reflects on the ability of humans to conquer their fears. She mentions the hopefulness that humans feel when young, and the fact that the human ability to pursue change makes humans different from other species like jellyfish.
Chapter 59 Summary: “The Only Thing That Ever Made Sense”
One Friday morning, Suzy’s mother allows Suzy to sleep in and miss school. When Suzy wakes up, her mother tells her that the airline will refund the full charge of the ticket. Suzy goes outside in her pajamas, thinking that, if she had made it to Cairns, it would be a summer night instead of a winter day; ultimately being there on her own porch is “the only thing that made any sense” (315). Suzy’s mother suggests Suzy call her father, but Suzy is not ready: “I mean, how does a person just begin again, especially after that?” (315).
Chapter 60 Summary: “Any Other Kid”
Suzy spends the day at home with her mother. Aaron and Rocco visit, and they all watch a soccer game. Justin calls for Suzy, but Suzy won’t talk to him. Mom gives Suzy his message that his costume is “awesomesauce” and that she should come to the dance. Suzy puts together a quick costume, donning a gray t-shirt over leggings and an old, paint-splattered ball cap. She places Aaron’s middle school photo in her pocket and goes to the dance.
Chapter 61 Summary: “What Remains”
In this brief flashback, Suzy recalls a scene that took place before the start of fifth grade, when she and Franny are still good friends. They sit outside under a tree, “together all day, in our cutoff shorts and bare feet” (320). They play a game; Suzy must yank her hands away to avoid a slap from Franny, and vice versa. They laugh and tease each other, playing over and over.
Chapter 62 Summary: “Heroes and Villains”
Suzy hesitates before she goes into the dance. Classmates enter the building dressed as a variety of hero figures and villains. Suzy’s mom convinces her to try the dance for five minutes, giving Suzy her cell phone so that Suzy can call for a pick-up if Suzy “really can’t stand it” (324). Justin meets Suzy on the way in, and Suzy tells him her costume is a plain, ordinary person: “Can’t a regular guy be a hero?” (327). Justin concurs. His costume is the Beast from Beauty and the Beast. Before she goes inside, Suzy calls her father. She asks if they can go to see the dinosaur tracks and bring Aaron and Rocco; her father agrees to make a plan. When he mentions their upcoming dinner at Ming Palace, Suzy suggests they try a new place. As Suzy hangs up, Sarah Johnston taps her on the shoulder, wanting to walk in together. Suzy realizes Sarah is “pretty okay, actually” (332) and they go in. The scene inside reminds Suzy of creatures swimming underwater. She decides to stay, and she and Sarah join Justin and a group of kids dancing together.
Part 7 Analysis
In Part 7, the last part of the novel, the main conflicts of the novel are resolved. Suzy stays home from school Friday and reconnects with her mother in subtle ways; they are both in their pajamas in the middle of a weekday morning when they should be elsewhere, and Mom convinces the airline company to reimburse the money Suzy spent on the ticket to Australia. Later, she makes peace with her father and allows for potential new relationships to grow with Justin and Sarah, which suggests that Suzy is able to move on from Franny’s rejection and from her untimely death.
Suzy displays maturity when she demonstrates that she is able to think about her own actions and those of others with a kinder, more generous attitude: “But maybe we can stop feeling so afraid. Maybe instead of feeling like a mote of dust, we can remember that all the creatures on the Earth are made from stardust” (312). The last flashback chapter dips back to a place early on in their friendship when they are young and carefree, which suggests that, at this stage of her coming-of-age, Suzy’s memories of Franny are positive and loving. Suzy’s acceptance of new friends at school and this flashback demonstrate the completion of Suzy’s character arc; now, she is able to recall her friendship with Franny in memories that are fluid and forgiving, as she realizes and accepts that they will only be able to start over in her memory: “Our knees touch. We begin again” (322).
