Character Analysis Of Mattie In 'Shoofly Pie'

Cameron Fooks
English 10 H, Period 2
Mrs.Ranieri
17 November 2014 Forming Ones Character A powerful message was written on an Irish headstone reading, “Death leaves a heartache no one can heal, love leaves a memory no one can steal”. A loss of a loved one can leave a scar in ones heart and may not be healed for a long time. In “Shoofly Pie” by Naomi Shihab Nye, the main character Mattie, suffers from the loss of her loving mother due to cancer. Because of this tragedy, Mattie becomes grief stricken and the only way she gains comfort is through cooking. While working at the “Good For You” restaurant, Mattie shows her grief, and compassion but also displays her strong will and independence as she fights her internal and external battle.
For most of the novel, Mattie’s attitude and her actions were led by her grief.
She was very close to her mother and spent a lot of time with her cooking together. After her mother died, “It was too hard to be home by herself for the summer” (Nye 186). It was too hard for Mattie to stay at home all day because of all the memories she would be reminded of about her mother throughout the day. Mattie needed a distraction from her grief as well as money, when she saw the Good For You restaurant she immediately applied to work there. At her own mother’s funeral Mattie spent a lot of time crying in the bathroom. She could not handle being at the funeral. She would weep in the bathroom because she felt safer there; removed from the grief that was taking place. Mattie was filled with grief wherever she went and it is her grief that helps her mold into the person she becomes at the end of the
story. Although Mattie’s grief was present, she displayed compassion and kindness to a random stranger. As Mattie was working at the restaurant she spotted a woman crying. She immediately felt compassion towards her and she “ took the girl’s bill and rang it up, whispering, ‘Is there anything we can do to make you feel better?’...The girl looked shocked” (190). Mattie saw this girl who was mysteriously grieving and asked if she could do anything to help. Mattie didn’t know why the girl was crying but she was compelled to help and the girl was surprised. Mattie also displayed her compassion towards Johnny. They were both arguing until Johnny mentioned his grandfather and began to tear up. Mattie felt his pain and grief that she too struggled with and replied saying, “I’m sorry… I know you really loved your grandpa a lot” (195). Johnny and Mattie didn’t see eye to eye for most of the story but they shared one thing, their grief. Through their shared grief, compassion was shown to one another. Mattie’s strong will was also evident in the story particularly during confrontations with Johnny.
When Johnny was gone, Mattie was doing well as the chef and was taking care of the restaurant just fine. When Johnny returned he was not too nice towards Mattie and when asking Mattie if she knew what the difference between a cook and a chef was she sassily replied saying, “I know the difference between lots of words. Between RUDE and NICE, for example” (191). Mattie wasn’t fond of Johnny’s attitude towards her and replied with sarcastic remarks, especially when being ordered around the kitchen. When asked what was in her shoofly pie, Mattie replied saying that niceness is what made them popular. Mattie’s strong will is a part of her identity that she seemed to lose because of the loss of her
mother. Mattie’s character grows exponentially over the story. Her grief, compassion, and strong will form her individuality. She matured from her past and found a new family that can never be destroyed. The new bond she creates and the experiences she faced formed her into a stronger person.

Works Cited
Nye, Naomi Shihab. “Shoofly Pie” McDougal Littell Literature, Ed. Allen. Janet. Applebee, Arthur. Burke, Jim. Illinois: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2008.188- 198. Print.