The View from Her Corner

“Hattie…girl who can lift the corners of our universe."  Eleven year old Hattie, the main character in A Corner of the Universe by Ann Martin, is a curious and shy girl who lives in a world between two sides of society—her grandparents, who are strict, proper, and proud to be a noteworthy portrait of sophistication and elegance, and her parents, who live life on their own terms and with their own alternative (for the era, at least) rules. This blending of morals and expectations makes hers a great point of view into the actions of her autistic uncle, Adam, and the reactions of the people around her.

From the reactions of the children in the neighborhood to the “boarders” in her house, the author does a realistic job of showing how people are so often misunderstood and judged on sight. I particularly liked the comparison made between Adam and Leila’s family in the sideshow (and their lifestyle as traveling “carnival people”). When Hattie asks Leila if it bothers her that her family is on display as part of the sideshow, Leila replies, “I don’t know, I mean, if that’s how they want to spend their money... It’s better than staring and not paying… besides, it’s just an act.” (p 95-96) This is a beautifully natural contrast to Adam and his disability. It’s honest and relatable, without being distasteful in the slightest.

Through Hattie’s eyes, we see how people tend to react to anyone who is different; from being mentally disabled to having abnormal characteristics physically, we see her openly accepting people around her, and she grows in understanding about why people act and react toward others in various ways. Leila is very welcoming and patient about Adam because she, herself, knows what it’s like to be different or to have loved ones as such. Nancy and Janet, girls that Hattie goes to school with, portray the typical roles of people who don’t understand and are just quick to judge, and, even though they are children, this type of person or attitude can be realistically of any age. Angel, the beautiful free-living boarder that is Adam’s physical age, is shown to be understanding about the situation, but goes about her life naturally the way many people in her position would. Nana and Papa frustrate Hattie a lot because, while they can control their own actions and social character, they constantly try to hide Adam because his actions and life are the opposite of who they want everyone to think they are.

One way this novel to be so relatable to life is the overall parallel that could be pulled from Hattie’s experiences in that summer; Adam’s time in Millerton was similar to the carnival—with fanfare and excitement all the while it was there. Even in death, the town saw Adam’s exit just like the carnival—one day, it was just gone. Through Hattie’s speech at the funeral and her encounters with her grandma (as well as her vacation with her parents), though, we can see that it was more than that if you really knew what that time meant.

Overall, the message that the author seems to be saying is that there are many types of people out there that are equally important, if not more so, than the typical pinnacles of society and life. These are people Hattie is willing and eager to see, understand, and appreciate. Just as Adam had said to Hattie and also about himself, if someone could simply go beyond their own realm of societal constraints and expectations, they too can appreciate what is outside of their universe.

Work Cited

Martin, Ann M. (2002). A Corner of the Universe. NYC, NY: Scholastic Inc.