Poppy

Chapters 13-16 encompass the final stages of rising action preceding the narrative’s climax. Poppy and Ereth arrive at New House, where Poppy discovers Mr. Ocax’s secret—and the truth about that secret that even Mr. Ocax himself isn’t aware of. 

These chapters revisit The Importance of Challenging Assumptions. After having learned about Mr. Ocax’s deceptions and gaining Ereth as an ally, Poppy’s perspective of Dimwood Forest shifts: “Poppy could only feel astonishment. This was not Dimwood the forbidding. This was Dimwood the beautiful, a luxuriant world that teemed with life, a universe that held more than she had ever seen or dreamed of, a paradise that filled her with an almost aching desire to dance through it and see more” (97-98). This moment follows directly from Poppy beginning to deconstruct some of Mr. Ocax’s manipulations; her transformed perspective of the setting foreshadows her impending development into a hero brave enough to confront Mr. Ocax directly. 

Chapters 13 and 14 develop the conflict between Poppy and Mr. Ocax, as well as Poppy’s evolving courage. In Chapter 13, Ereth proves to Poppy that Mr. Ocax is not as all-powerful as he seems; he openly confronts Mr. Ocax at the base of the owl’s tree, demonstrating to Poppy that the owl will not retaliate because he is afraid of Ereth. The conflict heightens between Poppy and Mr. Ocax when the owl spies Poppy with Ragweed’s earring and surmises that she took it from his waste. The earring, a symbol of courage and strength for Poppy, reinforces that significance here as it also becomes a symbol of Poppy’s defiance of Mr. Ocax. This signals her progress forward as she steps into a hero’s role to oppose the owl.

Chapters 15 and 16 push Poppy further in this direction as she must navigate a new setting alone, without allies (Ereth). These moments mimic an “approach to the innermost cave” of the conventional hero’s journey, where the stakes heighten and the hero progresses rapidly towards their final confrontation with the antagonist, coming to rely on themselves and the skills they’ve developed during their quest. This is reinforced by the symbolism of Ereth’s tail quill. As Poppy picks it up, she swishes it about “like a sword” (114). This moment communicates a clear image of Poppy as a classic hero, equipped with an instrument of honor, foreshadowing her full development into the hero’s role when, at the climax, she confronts and triumphs over Mr. Ocax. 

In Chapter 16, Poppy learns that the owl she spotted on the roof of the barn is actually fake. On the heels of the revelation about the fake owl is an important revelation about Mr. Ocax himself: He is just as ruled by fear as Poppy and the mice are. Poppy realizes that “in fact, the owl was full of fears!” (123). She realizes that Mr. Ocax’s fear drives his dictatorial behavior; although he might have blamed Ragweed and Poppy’s actions for his refusal of Lungwort’s request in Chapter 6, this new information reveals that Mr. Ocax’s actions are really driven by his own fear of losing power. This develops the theme on The Nature of Tyranny and Heroism, demonstrating that while heroes (such as Poppy) strive to overcome their fear for the greater good, tyrants act out of fear to maintain control for their own gain.  

Chapter 16 ends on a note of tension as Poppy, empowered by her discovery, sleeps and Mr. Ocax glares at the owl. This foreshadows the heightening conflict and battle to come in the final chapters of the novel, marking a shift in pace as the narrative progresses towards its climax.