44 pages • 1 hour read
Marguerite HenryMisty of Chincoteague
Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 1947A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Symbols & Motifs
Natural Forces
Natural coastal elements are a motif developing The Natural World Versus the Human-Made World. Broadly speaking, Marguerite Henry uses elements like the wind and waves to develop the contrast between the wildness of Assateague and its ponies and the “domestication” of Chincoteague and its residents. However, just as some horses are tamer and some humans wilder, there are exceptions to this rule. Ironically, the heavy storm after the pony roundup helps Paul, the Phantom, and Misty bond as the three of them take shelter in the back of Grandpa’s truck. The storm, an uncontrolled natural force, creates a type of community that combines both the horse and human worlds.
Individual elements also symbolize specific horse characters. The Phantom is associated with wind, which evokes her untamable, ephemeral nature. Before Paul captures the horse, some people believe that she is not real but just the wind and sky of Assateague playing tricks on observers. When she enters the race, the Phantom’s speed ties her to the wind in a more literal sense. Misty, meanwhile, is linked to her namesake phenomenon. Mist gathers around Paul multiple times on his way to the pony roundup, and when he sees Misty’s small silver body running through the forest, he thinks it is an illusion caused by the fog. When he tells Maureen the name, she murmurs that like the mist, Misty arose from the sea.
Finally, the choppy sea is tied to the Pied Piper, the loud, sometimes violent stallion that is the leader of the Phantom’s band. Henry likens his long mane to whitecaps, and as he swims over to Chincoteague to rescue the Phantom from captivity, he visually becomes one with the surf.
Chincoteague Versus Assateague
Chincoteague symbolizes human society and community while Assateague symbolizes wildness and nature. The language used to describe the two islands differs greatly: Chincoteague is portrayed as a familiar, friendly place with which Paul and Maureen are intimately familiar, while Assateague is a mysterious wilderness of dark forests, misty shores, and ghosts. The Phantom and Misty serve as a parallel dichotomy, embodying the two islands’ symbolism. The Phantom, like her beloved home, symbolizes the many generations of freedom that the horses of Assateague have enjoyed. Meanwhile, Misty is a symbol of the instinctual bond that horses share with humans and the ever-expanding human world that has encroached on Assateague over hundreds of years. However, though different in many ways, the islands are alike in valuing Family and Community Bonds. Each location is home to a community with its own leaders, traditions, and way of life, and forms of caring for one another.
Independence
Independence is a motif that ties the novel’s two worlds together and develops The Relationship Between Humans and Horses. Paul and Maureen are defined by their independence. Although they are still children and are taken care of by their grandparents, almost everything they do is self-determined. They find many different types of work to raise money to buy the horses, they herd the Phantom to Chincoteague, and they train her well enough to enter a horse race with little to no help from the surrounding adults.
It is this independence that draws Paul and Maureen to the wild ponies, especially the Phantom, which are the most visible symbol of freedom and independence in the book. The horses are happiest leading a wild life on Assateague, becoming downtrodden and sad as soon as they realize they cannot escape being herded into the pony pens. When the Phantom is finally able to reclaim her independent life, her return to Chincoteague represents all of the young characters growing up and finding further independence of their own. This is especially evident in Paul, who makes the final decision to let the Phantom go so she can run to the Pied Piper. In that moment, he takes an important step toward adulthood as he realizes that the horse’s freedom is more important than their keeping her as a pet. He nearly let her escape when he first found her during the pony roundup, and a year later, he is mature enough to fulfill that lingering desire.
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By Marguerite Henry
