A Snicker of Magic

Felicity’s ability to see words acts as a guiding force for Felicity’s character arc as well as a motif to communicate the Power of Words theme. Throughout the plot, Felicity’s ability to see words helps her read situations, communicate with those around her, and unravel the mystery of her family curse. Not every word Felicity sees is powerful or worth collecting, but Felicity is regularly impacted by her ability to see words. On her first day of school in Midnight Gulch, Felicity sees the word believe in the sunlight. Felicity acknowledges that “Believe is a powerful word to see and to say. But that morning, I felt it” (8). As a result, Felicity stays optimistic during her first day, even after she messes up introducing herself to the class. Felicity continues to be guided by the words she sees as the book progresses. Before she knows that her family is related to the Weatherly brothers, she sees the word Threadbare above Aunt Cleo’s window, across the photo of the hot-air balloon and strung in Oliver Weatherly’s front gate. These words hint at important information that Felicity goes on to discover, illustrating a link between the Weatherly brothers, Oliver, and Felicity’s family.