Nightmares

The nightmares Jarrett experiences as a child are a symbol of the theme of ghosts. They demonstrate how an uncertain childhood and home life can manifest. They also give Krosoczka an opportunity to put the reader in Jarrett’s perspective as a child. Krosoczka writes about the nightmares in Chapters 2, 3, and 4, roughly until Jarrett reaches middle school and puberty. Krosoczka first, in Chapters 2 and 3, depicts the monsters as huge, with Jarrett in the middle, small and surrounded. He explains how eventually they would all “loom over me” (49). In Chapter 3 the images evolve to show him larger and running away from nondescript monsters. In Chapter 4, the images show him fighting monsters but also seeing his grandparents heads as disconnected and turning into monsters, or sitting in his chair and it in turn becoming a monster.

As Jarrett ages, his nightmares evolve. They show how his subconscious dealt...