"'You've turned things around for yourself. I've been watching. So that's why I was asking.' Tommy shrugged. 'I've grown up a bit, I suppose...A couple of months back, I had this talk with Miss Lucy...But she said something, and it all felt much better'" (23).
Although dynamic characters are probably best identified later in the story when they have had more time to develop, I think that Tommy' evolution so early in the novel makes him a dynamic character. Perhaps he will change even more as the story progresses, but I consider the shift from his angry behavior to a calm demeanor very significant. The purpose of this change is probably to highlight the significance of his conversation with Miss Lucy. Something incredibly significant or meaningful must have happened for Tommy to suddenly abandon his temper tantrums and calmly handle potentially aggravating situations. The explanation he offers for this somewhat bizarre and sudden change is the conversation he shared with Miss Lucy. Although Tommy tells Kathy what the guardian said, both are still puzzled at the true meaning behind her words. Since the characters cannot decipher Miss Lucy's intentions, the reader cannot fully comprehend what she means either. I think the author's purpose behind Tommy's behavioral evolution and his conversation with Miss Lucy is to establish more pieces of this mystery. The characters struggle to connect the parts of this puzzle formed by conversations- like with Miss Lucy- and various events. The reader struggles along with the characters, not knowing what the puzzle really is. The purpose of Tommy's role as a dynamic character will probably become clearer as the story progresses.
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