“A Long Way From Chicago” by Richard Peck consists of many stories about Joey Dowdel, Mary Alice Dowdel, and their grandma in one book. First, in 1929, Joey and Mary Alice found their grandma lying that a deceased man was a war hero. One year later, Grandma puts a mouse in the milk bottle as a punishment for the Cowgills boys’ wrongdoing. When they met again in 1931, Joey and Mary Alice ventured out with Grandma and gave fish to drifters that they caught using the sheriff's boat and illegal fish traps on private property. In 1932, Grandma lets Rupert wins a contest, but she claimed the prize of riding a biplane with a fake ribbon for Joey. Soon, in 1933, Joey disguised as the ghost of the brakeman to help Vandalia Eubanks and Junior Stubbs to escape on the train and live freely. Then, in 1934, Grandma finds a way to force the banker, Mr. Weidenbach, to return Mrs. Effie Wilcox’s home with rumors of Abraham Lincoln. Lastly, in 1935, Grandma has a contest with Mrs. Weidenbach at the Centennial celebration and she uses her granddaughter, Mary Alice, and Uncle Grady Griswold to defeat Mrs. Weidenbach's greediness. In the end, 1942, Joey sets out to fight in World War II while passing his grandma’s home.
The behaviors of a person may not always seem to be what they look like. Grandma Dowdel, Joey and Mary Alice’s grandma, appears to be a very unusual and wrong person. It is shown that Grandma had done bad choices like cheating, lying, and breaking the law, but actually, she does it out of a good heart. For example, Grandma purposely put a mouse in a Cowgills milk bottle to punish their sons for disrupting. Although it was a wrong choice, it shows that she is a very justified person. However, Grandma did something worse, which is using illegal traps and stealing the sheriff’s boat to catch fish. Yet, she risked her life to feed the poor, displaying her kindness and generosity. As part of her love for her family, Grandma faked a prize in order to let Joey ride a biplane, demonstrating how much she cared for him These actions reflect the goodness in her inner spirit and make Grandma seem more than the senseless person she appeared to be. She also used her own way to help others, serve justice, punish the bad, etc. Additionally, Grandma did these in order to help her children understand the nature of her work. She always took them together to encounter the situations instead of instructing them on morals. This shows Grandma’s true purpose in all her actions and her virtues.
The love of a family is essential as it gives a feeling of togetherness among each other. This is shown in every year’s summer vacation when Joey and Mary Alice spend with their Grandma. However, in beginning, Grandma was illustrated like a bad influence on her grandchildren as she would do things that were illegal and immoral. Joey and Mary Alice also didn’t have a close relationship with Grandma. However, soon after a couple of visits, they started to bond with each other through various adventures. Joey and Mary Alice also could spend more time together as they did activities together. Grandma also revealed her love for the family in different ways. For instance, to make Joey's first flight on an airplane, she lied that she won the pie-baking contest. Then, when she demanded a rich banker, Mr. Weidenbach, to give back her friend’s house, she also asked for two dollars as payment for Joey’s request. Instead of helping herself, she decided to fulfill Joey’s wish. As a result, these actions made Joey very grateful and understand his Grandma’s loving heart more. In the end, Grandma even secretly put a kitten as a gift for her grandchildren to remember her. Therefore, this displays the love Grandma has for her grandchildren and the importance of the family.
Growing up is demonstrated greatly in a couple of characters and also in us, the readers. Earlier, Joey had been a 9-year-old who did not understand much about grandma and her strange town. However, as he visited his grandma more, he became familiarized with the people there and even helped out his Grandma with her odd plans. Then, Joey soon flew a plane for the first time and even began driving lessons. His name also changed from Joey to Joe in between chapters, further presenting his growth. As years flash by, Joey turned from being a child who didn’t know much to being shipped into World War II. Mary Alice is seen to grow up during the years in the book too. Previously, she did not understand Grandma’s intentions but soon she became more mature and realized. The author also described Mary Alice’s growth with her clothing. Before, Mary Alice had been obsessed with Shirley Temple and brought her tap shoes everywhere. Towards the end, Mary Alice was thirteen and was grown up enough to wear Grandma’s old wedding dress. Throughout the story, the readers, us, also “grow up” as we know Grandma more. At first, we may have thought she was a very unusual person and a grandma we wouldn’t want to have. But now, we understand her better and her good virtues, to help others and have righteousness. This shows that even though people may not comprehend fully yet, when they learn more, they can mature and grow.
This novel displays many important aspects of the story that the readers should know. In the beginning, Grandma Dowdel had made an impression that she was a person who hardly had any moral sense. However, as the story unfolds, it is revealed that Grandma actually does all those bad actions out of fairness, kindness, and generosity. One example is when Grandma cheated to help Joey ride an airplane. She would do anything for her family to make them happy, demonstrating how much she loved them. The theme of family is crucial in the story as it is what unites them together. Throughout the story, Joey, Mary Alice, and we, the readers, also “grow up”. Joey and Mary Alice know Grandma more and become mature over time. We, the readers, also understand Grandma a lot better as we know her true virtues and goodness. Overall, this novel is a humorous tale that also depicts the growth of many.
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