The Arm of the Starfish facts for kids
The Arm of the Starfish first edition
|
|
| Author | Madeleine L'Engle |
|---|---|
| Cover artist | Ellen Raskin (hardback) |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Series | O'Keefe family |
| Genre | Young Adult Science fiction |
| Publisher | Farrar, Straus & Giroux |
|
Publication date
|
January 1, 1965 |
| Media type | Print (hardback) |
| Pages | 243 pp |
| ISBN | 0-374-30027-5 |
| OCLC | 20191102 |
| [E] 20 | |
| LC Class | PZ7.L5385 Ac 1989 |
| Preceded by | A Wrinkle in Time |
| Followed by | Dragons in the Waters |
The Arm of the Starfish is an exciting young adult novel by Madeleine L'Engle. It was first published in 1965. This book introduces readers to Polly O'Keefe and her amazing O'Keefe family. Their story takes place a generation after the events of A Wrinkle in Time (1962). The book is a science fiction story about advanced body regeneration research. It also has elements of a mystery thriller.
Contents
What the Story is About
The story follows a young marine biology student named Adam Eddington. He travels to a faraway island called Gaea, off the coast of Portugal. Adam is excited to work for a famous scientist, Calvin O'Keefe.
Before Adam even leaves JFK Airport, he meets Carolyn ("Kali") Cutter. She is the beautiful daughter of a rich American businessman living in Europe. Kali warns Adam about another passenger, Canon Tallis. Canon Tallis is supposed to take Calvin O'Keefe's 12-year-old daughter, Polly O'Keefe, to Geneva. But bad weather and strange dangers change their plans.
Instead, Adam ends up helping Polly on a short flight from Madrid to Lisbon. During the flight, Polly goes to the restroom and seems to vanish! The flight crew even denies she was ever on board. Later, Kali's father, Typhon Cutter, helps Adam rescue Polly from her kidnappers. This makes Adam even more confused about who he can trust.
As the story continues, Adam learns that two different groups are very interested in Dr. O'Keefe's research. Dr. O'Keefe is studying how body parts can regrow. Adam faces tough choices as he tries to figure out which group is right.
Adam eventually realizes that the O'Keefes truly care about others. Their friend Joshua Archer explains it by saying they care about "the fall of the sparrow." This means they care about everyone, even those who seem small or unimportant. Adam wants nothing to do with Kali and her father, who seem very harsh. But the O'Keefes ask him to go on a date with Kali anyway. They want Adam to pretend to be on her side. He would give the Cutters fake research papers and secretly send the real ones to trusted people in Lisbon. Adam agrees, even though he doesn't want to.
The plan gets tricky when Kali suddenly claims she knows her father is doing bad things. She asks Adam to protect her and keep her secrets. Adam tries to help her, which makes it almost impossible to pass on the real papers. Spies from both sides are watching him. Finally, Joshua comes to help Adam, but he is shot. Adam then learns that Kali was working for her father all along. The Cutters are stopped, but their money helps them avoid serious consequences.
Later, Adam goes back to the Cutters' hotel to get his passport from Kali. Playfully, she makes him chase her into the ocean. There, a shark attacks her! Adam uses a special knife Polly gave him to fight off the shark and get Kali to shore. Dr. O'Keefe uses his special knowledge about limb regeneration to help Kali.
Main Characters in the Story
Adam Eddington
Adam Eddington is a smart and honest 16-year-old. He is a biology student who used to work at Woods Hole, Massachusetts in the summers. His mentor, "Old Doc" Didymus, sends him to work with Calvin O'Keefe. The Arm of the Starfish is the first time Adam appears in L'Engle's books. He later shows up in the Austin family novels A Ring of Endless Light and Troubling a Star.
Polyhymnia ("Poly") O'Keefe
Poly is 12 years old with red hair. She is smart, curious, and kind. Poly speaks many languages, including English, Spanish, German, Portuguese, Russian, and Gaean. This book is Poly's first appearance. Her mother, Meg Murry O'Keefe, was pregnant with her in A Swiftly Tilting Planet. Canon Tallis gave her the unusual first name. Later, Poly starts spelling her name Polly. This helps people say it correctly and avoids questions about being named after Polyhymnia, the Greek muse of sacred music.
Charles O'Keefe
Charles O'Keefe is Poly's older younger brother. They are very close in age and are good friends. Charles is quiet, thoughtful, and empathetic. He shows signs of having special mental abilities, much like his uncle, Charles Wallace Murry, whom he is named after.
Canon John Tallis
Canon Tallis is a bald clergyman with no eyebrows. He is said to have lost his hair due to difficult experiences in Korea. He is direct and sharp, and not what you might expect a priest to be like. At first, Adam finds him a little scary. Canon Tallis is an Episcopal Canon. He is surprisingly good at handling dangerous international situations. Canon Tallis appears again in the Austin family novel The Young Unicorns. He also appears in the second O'Keefe family novel, Dragons in the Waters. People sometimes call him "Tom" or "Father Tom" because of the old composer Thomas Tallis.
Dr. Calvin O'Keefe
Calvin O'Keefe is a marine biologist. He is married to Meg and is the father of seven children, with Poly being the oldest. Calvin first appeared in A Wrinkle in Time as a 14-year-old. As an adult, Calvin is a loving and caring father. He was also an ambassador.
Margaret ("Meg") Murry O'Keefe
Meg O'Keefe used to be Meg Murry. She helped rescue her father from the planet Camazotz in A Wrinkle in Time. In The Arm of the Starfish, she is a scientist and mathematician. She helps Calvin with his work and raises their large family. When she was younger, she was awkward. But as an adult, she is described as "a tall, strikingly beautiful woman."
Names in the Book
Many characters in The Arm of the Starfish have names inspired by the Bible or religious figures. For example, the tricky Dr. Eliphaz Ball's last name sounds like Baal. This was a name for "false gods" in ancient times. The name "Eliphaz" reminds us of one of Job's friends in the Bible. Canon Tallis is named after the English composer Thomas Tallis. And of course, Adam's name comes from Genesis.
The hotel manager is called Arcangelo. Doc Didymus shares a name with the Apostle Thomas. There's even a special dolphin named Macrina, who has two brothers named Gregory (like Saint Gregory of Nyssa) and Basil (like Basil the Great). Macrina's mended fin in the story reminds us of the historical Macrina's scar.
The book also uses names from old Greek stories. The fictional island of Gaea is named after Gaia, a Greek goddess connected to the Earth. And Typhon is the name of a very dangerous monster in Greek mythology.
Finally, the names of Kali Cutter and Joshua Archer are also meaningful. Kali is the name of a Hindu goddess of change and power. The girl's last name, Cutter, suggests that she and her father can hurt others. Joshua, on the other hand, has a Hebrew name shared by two important Biblical figures: Joshua, a leader who fought for God, and Jesus.
