“I was plagued by wakeupscreaming nightmares so bad that I had to wear a mouth guard to keep from grinding my teeth into nubs as I slept.” (pg. 39) Night terrors, along with anxiety, become a way of life for Jacob Portman after the death of his grandfather. By all accounts, he is a “normal” teenager who spends the better part of a summer in an “abnormal” place trying to figure out what his grandfather meant before he died. Through the story, Jacob’s personality changes tremendously due to his relationships with other characters .
All throughout his childhood, Jacob’s grandfather, Abe, plays a huge role in his life. He is always sharing stories from his own childhood; stories that seem quite peculiar. Jacob listens to his grandfather’s tales intently and wants to believe they are all true, no matter how farfetched …show more content…
Under the influence of his dad and his friends, Jacob’s own belief in the stories begins to fade . It isn’t until the night that his grandfather dies and tells Jacob one thing before he dies, “ Find the bird. In the loop. On the other side of the old man's grave. September third,
1940.” (pg. 37) After hearing this, Jacob goes on a journey of self discovery, only to learn more about himself than he thought possible, along with confirmation of his grandfather’s stories.
During this journey, he meets a girl named Emma. Emma lives at the Home for Peculiar
Children run by the Headmistress Miss Peregrine. Jacob and Emma do not necessarily bond at the beginning. She is wary of him and his curiosity, and he is put off by her blunt, and freespirited, behavior. As time passes and Jac ob and Emma learn about each other and their past, their friendship forges. Jacob becomes courageous around Emma and learns to let down his guard. She welcomes him into the home, the place he hears so much about from