The Lunatic/Mike Bickle Character Analysis in Walk Two Moons

“The lunatic” is a young man of about 18 who appears on Phoebe’s doorstep one day asking for Mrs. Winterbottom. Phoebe starts to call him “the lunatic” because with her wild imagination, it’s inconceivable that a strange man would show up on her porch, ask for her mother, and act nervous and suspicious about it. Sal and Phoebe see the lunatic several times over the next few weeks—and after Mrs. Winterbottom disappears, Phoebe becomes convinced that the lunatic kidnapped and murdered her mother. But Sal discovers that the lunatic’s name is Mike, and he’s actually Sergeant Bickle’s son. Ultimately, Mrs. Winterbottom reveals that Mike is her son whom she gave up for adoption before she met Mr. Winterbottom. A few weeks before she left her home, Mike contacted her. Once Mrs. Winterbottom shares this with her husband, Mr. Winterbottom accepts Mike as a member of the family.

The Lunatic/Mike Bickle Quotes in Walk Two Moons

The Walk Two Moons quotes below are all either spoken by The Lunatic/Mike Bickle or refer to The Lunatic/Mike Bickle. 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:

Instead, I lay there thinking of the poem about the traveler, and I could see the tide rising and falling, and those horrid white hands snatching the traveler. How could it be normal, that traveler dying? And how could such a thing be normal and terrible both at the same time?

Related Characters: Salamanca “Sal” Tree Hiddle (speaker), Momma/Chanhassen “Sugar” Hiddle, The Lunatic/Mike Bickle, Mr. Birkway

Page Number and Citation: 184

Explanation and Analysis:

“They sat there on the bench having a gay old time. If I could toss rocks like you can toss rocks, I’d have plonked them both in the back of the head. Did you notice her hair? She’s cut it. It’s short. And do you know what else she did? In the middle of talking, she leaned over and spit on the grass. Spit! It was disgusting. And the lunatic, do you know what he did when she spit? He laughed. Then he leaned over and he spit.”

Related Characters: Phoebe Winterbottom (speaker), Salamanca “Sal” Tree Hiddle, Mrs. Winterbottom, The Lunatic/Mike Bickle

Related Symbols: Hair

Page Number and Citation: 227

Explanation and Analysis:

The Lunatic/Mike Bickle Character Timeline in Walk Two Moons

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

...grandparents “an extensively strange story” about her friend Phoebe Winterbottom, Phoebe’s disappearing mother, and the lunatic. (full context)

...on the right road, Gram asks Sal to continue her story about Phoebe and the lunatic. She only wants to hear about the lunatic as long the story isn’t bloody, and... (full context)

Parents, Children, and Growing Up Theme Icon

...and Sal are sitting with Mary Lou in her bedroom. Phoebe is talking about the lunatic while Mary Lou’s brothers run in and out of the room, and Ben is on... (full context)

...on the couch. Mrs. Winterbottom insists she’s fine, so Phoebe tells her about the “potential lunatic.” This seems to upset Mrs. Winterbottom, and she suggests they don’t tell Mr. Winterbottom about... (full context)

...get scared at the drugstore. It feels like someone is watching her—and Sal notices the lunatic at the cash register, staring at her and Phoebe. Later, as Phoebe and Sal walk... (full context)

...her mother the latest message, which seems to worry Mrs. Winterbottom. Phoebe doesn’t mention the lunatic at the drugstore, and later, the girls watch Ben leave Mrs. Cadaver’s house in one... (full context)

...Ben. She’s barely paying attention as she and Phoebe part ways with the others—and the lunatic appears in front of them. Phoebe is terrified already, but then the lunatic asks her... (full context)

...the girls and says she thought she saw someone frightening. Phoebe says she saw the lunatic and they should tell Mr. Winterbottom. Sal realizes that Mrs. Winterbottom is more afraid than... (full context)

...and Phoebe pepper Mr. Winterbottom with questions. Phoebe wants to call the police, since the lunatic might have kidnapped Mrs. Winterbottom. Mr. Winterbottom says he has no idea where Mrs. Winterbottom... (full context)

...barely sleeps. Phoebe jumps in and out of bed at every noise. She’s sure the lunatic will return for her, and she spots Mrs. Cadaver in her garden at one point.... (full context)

...home, so Phoebe announces that she’s going to look for clues that will prove the lunatic dragged her mother away. Sal wants to tell Phoebe this is silly, but she knows... (full context)

...Phoebe to the freezer, makes her look at the casseroles, and asks if the kidnapping lunatic really would’ve allowed Mrs. Winterbottom to prepare casseroles before taking her. Phoebe accuses her father... (full context)

...Sal, and they discuss Phoebe and Mrs. Winterbottom. Dad insists that it’s far-fetched that a lunatic might’ve carried Mrs. Winterbottom off, but Sal asks how Dad knows that someone didn’t blackmail... (full context)

...nesting in your hair.” Phoebe brings the message to school and insists it was the lunatic—the messages are clues to help Phoebe find Mrs. Winterbottom. (full context)

...Phoebe’s family was fine, even before Mrs. Winterbottom disappeared. She knows that Phoebe believes the lunatic kidnapped Mrs. Winterbottom because she can’t imagine that her mother left of her own volition.... (full context)

...Sal doesn’t know why she went with Phoebe—maybe she was starting to believe in the lunatic, or maybe she just admired Phoebe for taking action. Sal wishes she’d done something when... (full context)

...not fine, and anyway, her father should tell the police that Mrs. Cadaver hired the lunatic. Mr. Winterbottom tells Phoebe she’s getting carried away, but Phoebe insists Mrs. Winterbottom loves her... (full context)

...his wife, and a young man who must be their son. Their son is the lunatic. (full context)

...Gramps about Gloria and then asks Sal to continue her story about Phoebe and the lunatic. (full context)

Sal races out of Sergeant Bickle’s office after seeing the picture of the lunatic. She runs all the way to Phoebe’s house and notices Mrs. Partridge on her porch,... (full context)

...to suspect, she doesn’t know where to look for Mrs. Winterbottom. Sal shares that the lunatic is Sergeant Bickle’s son, and the girls make a plan. (full context)

...plan in motion the day after Mr. Birkway’s visit. They plan to track down the lunatic and, hopefully, find Mrs. Winterbottom. Sal isn’t convinced that Sergeant Bickle’s son is a lunatic... (full context)

...because she lost it. Sergeant Bickle doesn’t seem convinced, but he gives Sal his son, Mike’s, address. (full context)

Sal and Phoebe discover that Mike’s address is at a freshman dormitory. There are lots of college girls outside, and they... (full context)

...praying, they might have a chance. Gram asks what happened with Mrs. Winterbottom kissing the lunatic, and Sal resumes her story. (full context)

...Phoebe insists it doesn’t matter. Nothing matters. She says that nothing happened; Mrs. Winterbottom and Mike just sat and laughed. Mrs. Winterbottom has cut her hair, and at one point, she... (full context)

...goes to answer the door. From the kitchen, they hear Mrs. Winterbottom introduce Prudence to Mike. Mr. Winterbottom goes red and tells Phoebe she shouldn’t be around for this, but he... (full context)

...Mrs. Winterbottom now has short hair and is stylish, with makeup and earrings. And second, Mike Bickle is standing in the living room. Sal briefly wonders if Mike did kidnap Mrs.... (full context)

...a secret that Mr. Winterbottom might not forgive her for. Finally, Mrs. Winterbottom says that Mike is her son. She had him before she met Mr. Winterbottom and had to give... (full context)

...him more that Mrs. Winterbottom didn’t feel like she could tell him anything about this. Mike gets up and says he knew this wouldn’t work, but Mr. Winterbottom says he has... (full context)

...weeks ago to the wrong house and let her feel his face—that’s how she figured Mike was Phoebe’s brother. Then, Mrs. Partridge totters away, and Phoebe spits in the street and... (full context)

...things they don’t understand—such as why there’s evil in the world. Remembering Phoebe and the lunatic, Sal says that if she were in Phoebe’s position, she’d have to believe in a... (full context)