The War With Grandpa

Peter Stokes is the fifth-grade narrator and protagonist. He tells the story, so it’s from his point of view. The reader cheers for Peter and wants him to resolve the conflict with Grandpa amicably. Though he wages war against Grandpa, he’s not a bad person. He’s conscientious and thoughtful, and the war stresses him out. After he leaves the declaration on Grandpa’s pillow, he throws “a tennis ball against the wall about forty million times” (74). Rejecting the advice of his two friends, Peter doesn’t want to turn into a glorious, gory warlord. He goes to war because he loves his room and feels deprived of power and agency. As he tells Billy and Steve, “I’m trapped, don’t you see? I can’t let my grandpa know how mad I am at losing my room. And if I can’t even talk about it, what can I do” (63).

Like every child, Peter has positive and negative qualities. His grandpa calls him stubborn, like his mom. He refuses to stop the war until Grandpa gives him back his room. He’s also empathetic and kind. Once he steals his grandpa’s false teeth and sees how sad Grandpa becomes, he shows flexibility and ends the war.