Ben Finney Character Analysis in Walk Two Moons

Ben is Sal’s classmate and love interest. He lives with his cousin, Mary Lou Finney, and for most of the novel, it’s unclear where his parents are. Ben regularly draws silly cartoons of things like a lizard sitting on a chair made out of its hair, or two moons sitting in moccasins. Sal realizes he has a crush on her when one day, after she looks at one of his drawings, he attempts to kiss her—and accidentally kisses her collarbone. Ben makes several attempts to kiss Sal over the course of the novel, most of which end with him kissing her anywhere but her lips. At first, Sal finds Ben’s attention annoying. This is mostly because Ben points out that Sal flinches any time anyone tries to touch her, which makes Sal fear that she’s becoming uptight. Ben makes a point to touch Sal whenever possible, something that Sal eventually comes to appreciate. Sal finally solves the mystery of Ben’s mother on the day that she accompanies Phoebe to track down the lunatic. Ben rides the bus with the girls, and Sal later finds him at the hospital in town visiting his mother, who’s in the psychiatric ward. At this point, Sal and Ben finally kiss. Ben is the only person in Sal’s class who doesn’t tease her for her journal entry about Momma’s “blackberry kiss” that their English teacher, Mr. Birkway, reads to the class. In fact, Ben gets Sal a chicken as a gift and names her Blackberry. Ben and Sal’s romance continues even after Sal moves back to Bybanks at the end of the novel. He sends her a valentine in October, and during his upcoming visit, Sal is looking forward to kissing him some more.

Ben Finney Quotes in Walk Two Moons

The Walk Two Moons quotes below are all either spoken by Ben Finney or refer to Ben Finney. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:

Judgment, Perspective, and Storytelling Theme Icon

Ben touched Phoebe’s arm. She flinched. “Ha,” he said. “Gotcha. You’re jumpy, too, Free Bee.”

And that, too, bothered me. I had already noticed how tense Phoebe’s whole family seemed, how tidy, how respectable, how thumpingly stiff. Was I becoming like that? Why were they like that? A couple times I had seen Phoebe’s mother try to touch Phoebe or Prudence or Mr. Winterbottom, but they all drew back from her. It was as if they had outgrown her.

Had I been drawing away from my own mother? Did she have empty spaces left over? Was that why she left?

Related Characters: Salamanca “Sal” Tree Hiddle (speaker), Momma/Chanhassen “Sugar” Hiddle, Phoebe Winterbottom, Ben Finney, Mrs. Winterbottom, Mr. Winterbottom, Prudence Winterbottom

Page Number and Citation: 62

Explanation and Analysis:

All through dinner, I kept thinking of Bybanks, and what it was like when we went to my grandparents’ house for dinner. There were always tons of people—relatives and neighbors—and lots of confusion. It was a friendly sort of confusion, and it was like that at the Finneys’ […] Maybe this is what my mother had wanted, I thought. A house full of children and confusion.

Related Characters: Salamanca “Sal” Tree Hiddle (speaker), Momma/Chanhassen “Sugar” Hiddle, Phoebe Winterbottom, Ben Finney, Mary Lou Finney, Mr. Finney, Mrs. Finney

Page Number and Citation: 150

Explanation and Analysis:

If there had been a vase, would have squashed it, because our heads moved completely together and our lips landed in the right place, which was on the other person’s lips. It was a real kiss, and it did not taste like chicken.

And then our heads moved slowly backward and we stared out across the lawn, and I felt like the newlY born horse who knows nothing but feels everything.

Ben touched his lips. “Did it taste a little like blackberries to you?” He said.

Related Characters: Salamanca “Sal” Tree Hiddle (speaker), Ben Finney (speaker), Momma/Chanhassen “Sugar” Hiddle, Mr. Birkway, Ben’s Mother

Related Symbols: Blackberries

Page Number and Citation: 225

Explanation and Analysis:

Ben Finney Character Timeline in Walk Two Moons

The timeline below shows where the character Ben Finney appears in Walk Two Moons. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

...Mary Lou Finney, keeps saying odd things like “Beef brain!” or “Omnipotent.” A boy named Ben draws cartoons all day, and Sal’s English teacher, Mr. Birkway, is “peculiar.” (full context)

Parents, Children, and Growing Up Theme Icon

...to Mary Lou’s house, Phoebe explains that Mary Lou’s family isn’t as “civilized” as hers. Ben is living there too, but he’s Mary Lou’s cousin, not her brother. The Finneys’ house... (full context)

...about the lunatic while Mary Lou’s brothers run in and out of the room, and Ben is on Mary Lou’s bed. He’s staring at Sal, and out of the blue, he... (full context)

Phoebe looks suspicious, but Sal assures her that Dad isn’t leaving the messages. When Ben comes in, Mary Lou asks him what the phrases mean. He draws two moons in... (full context)

...and Mary Lou walk to the drugstore. Tommy and Dougie invite themselves along, as does Ben. Tommy and Dougie run around making noise and chasing each other, and Phoebe asks how... (full context)

...home, someone runs up behind them. Phoebe is convinced it’s the lunatic, but it’s just Ben. He offers to walk the girls home to protect them from lunatics and then suggests... (full context)

Then, Ben asks where Momma is. Sal says she’s in Lewiston, Idaho, and she doesn’t feel like... (full context)

Ben touches Phoebe’s arm, making her jump. He laughs, but this bothers Sal too. Phoebe’s family... (full context)

At Phoebe’s driveway, Ben excuses himself. But just then, Margaret pulls up in her yellow Volkswagen and starts pulling... (full context)

The girls look back and see Ben picking up a shiny new axe. Mrs. Winterbottom greets the girls at the door and... (full context)

Later, when Sal talks about Ben asking after Momma, Gram and Gramps give each other a look. Gramps says that once,... (full context)

Sal is preoccupied as she walks home with Phoebe, Mary Lou, and Ben. She’s barely paying attention as she and Phoebe part ways with the others—and the lunatic... (full context)

Phoebe leaves early for a dentist appointment, so Ben walks home with Sal. As they walk, Ben asks if Sal would like him to... (full context)

...inside must be Phoebe’s. There are two drawings that are exactly the same: Sal and Ben’s. They both drew maple leaves inside of circles. (full context)

...terrible. Kids continue to pepper Phoebe with questions throughout the day. Walking home after school, Ben tells Phoebe to talk. But instead, Sal says, “everyone has his own agenda.” (full context)

...that Phoebe looks like a whole family of “birds of sadness” are in her hair. Ben gives his report on Prometheus in English class that day, and after school, Mary Lou... (full context)

Sal and Phoebe go to Mary Lou’s after dinner. Sal sits down with Ben while Phoebe goes to look for Mary Lou, and Ben observes that Phoebe is driving... (full context)

...Monday, Phoebe gives her report on Pandora. She says that in his report on Prometheus, Ben got some things wrong: Zeus sent Pandora to humankind as a reward, since humans seemed... (full context)

...the poem seems peaceful, but Sal says it’s terrifying. Phoebe says it’s about a murder. Ben suggests that maybe the traveler died “like normal people die,” not by drowning. But Sal... (full context)

Now, Sal also thinks about Ben—she wants to ask him where his mother is. Sal lies in bed thinking about the... (full context)

...clue—Mrs. Winterbottom might be in a well. During a passing period, Sal walks right into Ben. He rubs a spot off of her cheek, and Sal leans forward to kiss him—just... (full context)

...from is about a girl named Jane, who’s smart, cute, and smells good. Sal’s arms prickle—Ben might have written this, and he definitely didn’t write it about Sal. He didn’t know... (full context)

...to feel the same way about symbols. Mr. Birkway pulls out a picture and asks Ben what the picture is of. Ben says it’s a vase. When Mr. Birkway shows the... (full context)

...apologizes for reading people’s private thoughts and sends everyone to the library. There, Sal notices Ben trailing her—seemingly to kiss her. Finally, the bell rings, and Phoebe and Sal race to... (full context)

The next day, Saturday, Phoebe and Sal find Ben waiting at the bus stop. He’s also going to Chanting Falls, but to a hospital... (full context)

...that’s family only. The receptionist sends Sal outside when Sal says she’s actually looking for Ben. There, Sal finds Ben sitting with a woman in a pink robe. Ben introduces Sal... (full context)

Ben and Sal follow Ben’s mother. The woman reminds Sal of Momma right after Momma got... (full context)

...the university and finds Phoebe sitting at the bus stop. She doesn’t say anything about Ben or his mother but explains that she was afraid. Phoebe insists it doesn’t matter. Nothing... (full context)

When Sal gets home, Ben is sitting on her steps. He explains that there’s a present for her in the... (full context)

...maple tree, Sal discovered that she’s jealous of three things. First, she’s jealous of whomever Ben wrote about in his journal. Then, she’s jealous that Momma wanted more children. It makes... (full context)

Ben and Phoebe write to Sal regularly—Ben even sent Sal a valentine in October. Ben, Phoebe,... (full context)