Mrs. Margaret Cadaver Character Analysis in Walk Two Moons

Margaret Cadaver is, for much of the novel, an antagonist in Sal’s eyes. From Sal’s perspective, Margaret appeared suddenly in Dad’s life about the time that Momma died, and she’s the reason why Dad insisted they move from Bybanks, Kentucky to Euclid, Ohio. It also doesn’t help that because of her wild red hair, her last name, and her job as a nurse, Sal’s friend Phoebe insists that Margaret is, if not a witch, at least evil. Phoebe also suspects that Margaret cut up her husband, Mr. Cadaver, and buried him in her backyard. Though Sal finds all of this far-fetched, Phoebe’s stories give Sal a reason to hate Margaret. For her part, Margaret does her best to give Sal her space to grieve and takes Sal’s standoffish attitude in stride. As the novel progresses, Sal learns things about Margaret that start to change how she thinks of the woman: Margaret is Sal’s teacher, Mr. Birkway’s, twin sister, and he reveals that his sister isn’t a murderer. Rather, she was the nurse on duty in the emergency room when her husband and mother (Mrs. Partridge) were brought in on stretchers after being hit by a drunk driver. Her husband was killed, and her mother was left blind by the accident. Learning this makes Sal wonder how Margaret managed to get past her sadness and live her life again. Ultimately, Sal does seek out Margaret and learn how Dad met her. Margaret met Momma when they ended up on the same bus headed west to Lewiston, Idaho. Over the course of the journey, Momma told Margaret all about Sal and Dad. Margaret was the only person to survive the bus accident that killed Momma, and she met Dad while she was hospitalized in Lewiston for her injuries. She assures Sal that she’s not going to marry Dad, at least not any time soon—Dad, she insists, is still grieving for Momma.

Mrs. Margaret Cadaver Quotes in Walk Two Moons

The Walk Two Moons quotes below are all either spoken by Mrs. Margaret Cadaver or refer to Mrs. Margaret Cadaver. 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

I knew Phoebe was convinced that her mother was kidnapped because it was impossible for Phoebe to imagine that her mother could leave for any other reason. I wanted to call Phoebe and say that maybe her mother had gone looking for something, maybe her mother was unhappy, maybe there was nothing Phoebe could do about it.

When I told this part to Gram and Gramps, Gramps said, “You mean it had nothing to do with Peeby?” They looked at each other. They didn’t say anything, but there was something in that look that suggested I had just said something important. For the first time, it occurred to me that maybe my mother’s leaving had nothing whatsoever to do with me. It was separate and apart. We couldn’t own our mothers.

Related Characters: Salamanca “Sal” Tree Hiddle (speaker), Gramps (speaker), Momma/Chanhassen “Sugar” Hiddle, Gram, Phoebe Winterbottom, Mrs. Margaret Cadaver, Mrs. Winterbottom, The Lunatic/Mike Bickle

Page Number and Citation: 164

Explanation and Analysis:

I started wondering if the birds of sadness had built their next in Mrs. Cadaver’s hair afterward, and if so, how she got rid of them. Her husband dying and her mother being blinded were events that would matter in the course of a lifetime. I saw everyone else going on with their own agendas while Mrs. Cadaver was frantically trying to keep her husband and her mother alive. Did she regret anything? Did she know the worth of water before the well was dry?

Related Characters: Salamanca “Sal” Tree Hiddle (speaker), Phoebe Winterbottom, Mrs. Margaret Cadaver, Mrs. Partridge, Mr. Cadaver

Page Number and Citation: 207

Explanation and Analysis:

Mrs. Margaret Cadaver Character Timeline in Walk Two Moons

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

...and Sal arrive in Euclid, they stop at a house that Dad says belongs to Margaret. All the houses on the street are close together, each with a tiny bit of... (full context)

...wants to see Momma but that she’s afraid. And third, Dad wants to be with Margaret Cadaver—he’s already seen Momma on his own. There’s also a fourth, less important reason, which... (full context)

During that first visit to Margaret Cadaver’s, Sal sees Phoebe’s face in a window next door. She also meets Mrs. Partridge,... (full context)

Dad drives Sal two blocks away to their new house. Like Margaret’s house, it sits in a line of other tiny houses. There’s no swimming hole, barn,... (full context)

That week, Dad and Sal eat dinner three times at Margaret’s house. Sal sees Phoebe’s face in the window again, but Phoebe doesn’t wave back when... (full context)

...Sal over for dinner. Sal is relieved; she doesn’t want to eat with Dad and Margaret again. She wants to be back in Bybanks with the farm animals, and she wants... (full context)

...In Phoebe’s world, people are either perfect, or they’re axe murderers. So, after this conversation, Margaret does look spooky to Sal. Sal is relieved to have a reason to hate her.... (full context)

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

Dad acts different at Margaret’s house. At home, he reads old letters, stares at the photo album, and looks lonely.... (full context)

...her family if she doesn’t like it. At home, Dad hands Sal a package from Margaret. There’s a sweater inside, but Sal doesn’t want it. She tells Dad she doesn’t want... (full context)

...felt he had to leave the farm, and that Sal wanted nothing to do with Margaret. On the day Sal and Dad left the farm, Sal wished that Dad was meaner.... (full context)

...Sal studies Mr. Birkway closely. He’s a lively murderer. Sal hopes he’s in love with Margaret so they can get married, go far away, and let Dad and Sal go back... (full context)

As Sal steps onto Phoebe’s porch, Margaret calls to her—Dad is over, and they’re having dessert. Dad tells her to join them,... (full context)

...and Sal to dinner. Dad agrees that Sal can go and suggests he’ll eat with Margaret. (full context)

...does—and it’s Sergeant Bickle’s wife. Phoebe says she’ll call back later. While Dad is at Margaret’s later that night, Sal calls Sergeant Bickle. She asks for Sergeant Bickle’s son and says... (full context)

Sal is ready to tell Dad the news, but Margaret is with Dad when Sal gets home. When Margaret finally leaves, Sal tells Dad everything.... (full context)

...this message. Mrs. Partridge asks if the girls have enjoyed the notes. She explains that Margaret reads them from the paper, and sometimes, Mrs. Partridge asks her to copy them down.... (full context)

Phoebe heads back into her house, and Sal, feeling suddenly courageous, goes to Margaret’s. They talk for a long time, and Sal finally finds out how she met Dad.... (full context)