The Screaming Staircase

Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 2013

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.

Download PDF

Summary

Background

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Parts 4-5

Character Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Tools

Beta

Discussion Questions

Themes

The Importance of Planning and Preparation

Knowing how to adequately and properly prepare and plan, as well as knowing why such preparation is vital to success, is a skill that only one of the three Lockwood members possesses at the outset, for although George seems thoroughly aware of the need to perform research, double check supplies, and allow adequate time, both Lucy and Lockwood impatiently dive right into the thick of the action. This flaw becomes an obstacle that they both must overcome to make Lockwood & Co. a success and survive experiences that would otherwise surely kill them.

This interplay between preparation and recklessness is first introduced when the novel begins with Lucy and Lockwood entering a haunted house with the expectation of finding a docile Type One spirit of an elderly man. Instead, thanks to their lack of preparation, they find themselves blindsided by an angry Type Two spirit of a woman who was murdered by her lover. The spirit, Annabel, attacks Lockwood and Lucy multiple times, threatening their lives and forcing Lucy to make a decision that ripples out for weeks afterward: the throwing of the flare that sets the Hopes’ house aflame. Coupled with Lockwood’s lack of foresight in forgetting essential tools like iron chains, Lucy’s rash action is further compounded by the team’s later realization that had they only waited to learn the results of George’s research, they could have avoided the entire debacle. Instead, their lack of planning leads to a lawsuit that forces them to take on Fairfax’s dangerous case simply to make ends meet. In light of the cascade of disasters that ensues following Lockwood’s initial lack of planning, patience, or foresight, George’s reprimands are more than justified, and the team must alter their approach in order to keep the business afloat.

However, rather than allowing their mistakes to hinder them further, Lockwood and Lucy learn from their errors and spend the two days that Fairfax allots them in thoroughly preparing and planning for the battle to come, and as a result, they enjoy widespread fame as their efforts are rewarded by sheer success in the face of their greatest challenge yet. Reflecting upon how the team as a whole has grown, Lucy senses the changes in both herself and in Lockwood and knows that their willingness to do things George’s way has only brought them closer to him as well. In the end, Lockwood sees the mistakes that he and Lucy made as necessary events that led to their mutual growth as people, agents, and friends. As he says, “The past is for ghosts. We’ve all done things that we regret. It’s what’s ahead of us that counts—right, George?” (377).

Making a Name for Self and for Family

Lockwood’s primary goal and mission in life is to make a name for himself and his family, continuing the legacy that his parents began as psychic investigators. His parents died when he was young, leaving him the house and everything in it. Ever since, Lockwood has been surrounded by relics of his parents’ past and the ghosts they encountered in their investigations. Lockwood’s dream is to have a successful, child-run ghost-hunting agency. He wants to prove to the major corporations like Fittes and Rotwell, as well as to DEPRAC, that children are capable of handling their own ghost-hunting businesses and do not need to be under the supervision of corrupt adults. This mentality resonates with Lucy, who was originally recruited by a corrupt agency that showed no concern for the welfare of the children who worked there. After Lucy joins Lockwood & Co., Lockwood is so impressed with her talents that he is filled to the brim with confidence and hope for the future and wants the company to grow by taking larger cases: “No more of these measly Shades and Lurkers—we want something that’ll truly make our name” (139).

After the lawsuit, Lockwood knows he will lose the house and the business if he cannot find a way to earn the necessary funds. Still, he remains ever optimistic, a key ingredient in achieving fame and success. When Fairfax presents his offer, Lockwood agrees despite his intuition that this latest client is being less than forthcoming, for he possesses deep confidence in himself and his team and knows that the high-profile case represents a unique opportunity to not just save the business but also send its reputation soaring to new heights. Thus, Lockwood’s desire to make a name for himself becomes the drive that ultimately saves the business from ruin. In order to achieve success, Lockwood knows he must do what is necessary, even if the prospect is terrifying or dangerous. He is willing to contribute the hard work required and never declines a promising job opportunity. Additionally, Lockwood is willing to embellish the truth or even flat-out lie in order to bring his company further fame, as long as such actions do not cause harm to others. For example, after Lucy steals the necklace, Lockwood claims that the motive all along was to solve Annabel’s murder. Similarly, when he recruits Lucy, he describes the business as highly successful even though it is not, and when he is interviewed by the Times, he knows exactly how to word his responses to draw the most favorable attention, saying, “The tricky [cases] suit us best, because of our high professionalism and distinctly personal approach” (184). Lockwood’s resolve to build a name eventually influences both Lucy and George, who follow him into the heart of Combe Carey Hall at great risk of their own lives.

Navigating Complex Friendships

The trilateral friendship that exists between Lucy, Lockwood, and George is complex and often rife with conflict. Each of the three major characters is stubborn in their own way, but together they teach one another patience, compromise, and cohesion. The friendship that develops amongst the three is initially based on their mutual goal to hunt ghosts and rid London of its plague, but they are also all outcasts who lack families of their own, and this fact spurs them to form a close-knit unit that ultimately takes on the function of a family, in and of itself. Thus, these three strange characters find solace and understanding in each other when the outside world refuses to offer it.

This cohesion is not an immediate occurrence, however, for when Lucy first meets Lockwood and George, she feels certain that Lockwood is an admirable and trustworthy hero but harbors a strong irrational dislike for George, whom she finds off-putting and abrasive. It takes time for Lucy to understand George and realize that he shows his concern and affection for others in unconventional ways. All three children grow and develop as people, as Lockwood constantly tests the patience of his friends by implementing plans without their permission, exhibiting unpredictable moods and shifts in character and taking what George sometimes sees as unnecessary risks. Lockwood and Lucy both share an affinity for action and are often guilty of diving into adventure without foresight, and George is the friend who grounds them and teaches them to prepare. Lucy’s biggest flaw is her selfishness and her tendency to keep secrets from Lockwood and George. This fundamental mistake could have become a threat to her life if Annabel hadn’t chosen to side with her, as she unknowingly carried around the Source of Annabel’s spirit. Lockwood lectures Lucy for her omissions almost as if he is a father figure, and Lucy responds in kind with defensiveness and a fierce attitude. Every conflict the trio experiences, however, they find a way to resolve, further strengthening their complex friendship in the process.

The success of Lockwood & Co. in defeating the spirits of Combe Carey Hall and finding the Source of the haunting would not be possible without the bond that develops between them through their shared experiences of danger, survival, and isolation. By the end of the novel, they all learn to celebrate and utilize each other’s differences rather than disparage them, and it is Lockwood who sees this as the end result all along, for with his characteristic optimism, he declares, “There’s no ‘hope’ about it. With our combined talents, what could possibly go wrong?” (112). Between Lockwood’s optimism and strength of will, Lucy’s sheer talent in connecting with ghosts, and George’s resourcefulness and foresight, they ultimately become a united front and a light against the darkness. This fact is symbolized in the novel’s concluding moments, when Lucy ascends from the dark basement into the bright living room and the cheerful sounds of her friends’ laughter.