Because Of Winn-Dixie Character Analysis

Kate DiCamillo’s novel, Because of Winn-Dixie, is a story of never judging a book by its cover, love, and newfound friendships through the adventures of Opal and Winn-Dixie. I chose to write my essay on Because of Winn-Dixie because it is an inspiring tale of a young girl who faces and overcomes every obstacle in her life through positivity and acceptance. The novel is relatable to people from all different backgrounds because everyone has a challenge in their life that they have had to face and Opal serves as a reminder to love everyone for who they are inside and not judge them for what they look like on the outside. Because of Winn-Dixie impressed me because of the unforeseen friendships Opal makes because of her resilience, kind heart,

Each one of Opal’s actions were filled with kindness, sometimes intentional and other times unintentional, but all benefited the people she reached out to. I think Opal learned subconsciously through her mother leaving that ever action you make can affect those around you and Opal did not want her actions to have negative effects. When Opal learned of Otis’ arrest, “[she] swept the floor real slow that day. [She] wanted to keep Otis company. [She] didn’t want him to be lonely. . . it seemed like everybody in the world was lonely. [She] thought about [her] mama. Thinking about her was the same as the hole you keep on feeling with your tongue after you lose a tooth” (132). Opal knew what it felt like to be lonely and she didn’t want others to feel like she did so she took the time to care for them when they needed it. Opal’s friendship with Otis eventually led to him being able to form friendships with other people and overcome some of his shyness. Opal had the same effect on Gloria. While Opal was trying to fill her own voids, she learned that the old lady everyone deemed to be a witch was just an old lady trying to overcome her past and live a better life than she had been. By being able to get to know Gloria for who she was on the inside and not judge her character from the bottles hanging from her trees and her physical looks, Opal and Gloria are able to help each other learn from their mistakes, learn that they have value, and form friendships that they didn’t have the ability to make