Editor's Choice
There is a conflict between Abilene and her father, Gideon, over how they should express their love for each other. Abilene expects Gideon to express his love for her by staying with her. She is not happy about the fact that he leaves her in Manifest with strangers. Although she does not confront him about this issue, she expects that he will come back for her after the summer. She tries not to get attached to the people in Manifest; expecting to go back home in a short while. However, Gideon has a different way of expressing his love for his daughter. He believes that the best way of loving her is keeping her away from himself. Gideon believes he is cursed and blames himself for the death of Ned, his uncle. He also believes that if he stays with Abilene, something bad will happen to her. The conflict is...
Unlock This Answer Now
Start your 48-hour free trial and get ahead in class. Boost your grades with access to expert answers and top-tier study guides. Thousands of students are already mastering their assignments—don't miss out. Cancel anytime.
Already a member? Log in here.
resolved when Abilene finds out the truth about her father's fears. The two are reunited and are both happy to see each other, although they are not sure if they will ever live together.
Abilene's main conflict is her feeling of abandonment by her father. She doesn't understand why her injury made her father send her to Manifest. As she listens to Miss Sadie's stories about the past, she comes to believe that Jinx in the earlier stories is her father, Gideon. She learns from the stories that Jinx blamed himself for Ned's death. It is never spoken in the story, but readers can infer that Gideon felt responsible for Abilene's injury and was afraid that if she stayed with him, something bad would happen to her, and he might lose her as he lost Ned.
What is the climax of Moon Over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool?
The climax of a story is a very particular part of the plot that is the height of the tension. The climax happens at the end of the rising action, but prior to the resolution. InMoon Over Manifest, the rising action is the largest part of the plot involving the entire story from Miss Sadie, the diviner. Miss Sadie's story allows Abilene to figure out the truth about her father. The moment Abilene finds out the truth is the climax of the story.
This climax definitely needs some explanation. After Miss Sadie's story is told, Abilene is able to match the letters and different mementos to the story. Abilene finds out, even though she had always thought her father's name was Gideon, he really had the nickname of Jinx. Poor Gideon/ Jinx blamed himself (at least partially) for Ned's death and (later) for Abilene's sickness. Gideon/ Jinx also believed he could not properly care for Abilene and wanted her to live a better life. This devastated Gideon/ Jinx; therefore, he fled from the devastation and sent Abilene to Manifest. Before he left, however, he placed the mementos under a floorboard that is now in Abilene's possession and gave the compass to her with an inscription that reveals information about Ned's death. Miss Sadie's story is the catalyst that allows Abilene to piece the truth together in the book's tension-filled climax.
Of course, after this climax (when Abilene figures out the truth), comes the resolution: the reunification of Abilene and Gideon/ Jinx. Abilene sends a telegram, and Gideon arrives by rail. Neither is sure they will stay together in Manifest, but they know that looking into each other's eyes feels "like home."