Characters

Gibby – The main character – squirrel, causes numerous issues to both himself and his community due to his selfishness.

Chip – Opponent – Gibby’s neighbor, is in charge of their community, challenges Gibby to be a better version of himself.

Swiff – Enemy/Trickster – Local fox that attacks squirrels for food.

Hurricane – Opponent – Effects entire community negatively.

Archetypes

Gibby: I would describe Gibby to be the Rebel. Although his community has never hurt him or given him any reason not to trust them, he still goes out of his way to inconvenience them. Whenever Chip offers his help, Gibby does the exact opposite, which in turn always ends badly, like when he attracts Swiff, the neighborhood fox, to the town’s monthly meeting.

Chip: Chip is the mentor/teacher of my story. He’s older, and has been through the same conflicts as Gibby, and therefore has learned and grown through them. Chip tries to empathize for Gibby, even though its difficult when he constantly pushes him away, yet he won’t give up on him like other squirrels gave up on Chip. By the end of the story, Chip gets through to Gibby, teaching him that being alone isn’t the bet, easiest, or safest option.

Swiff: Swiff is the trickster. Since the majority of his diet is small rodents and animals, he is feared by the squirrel community. Noticing that Gibby is an outsider, he sneaks into his head and convinces them they they’re friends, when in reality he was just using him to find information about where the squirrels gather so that he can attack.

Hurricane: The hurricane that tears through Gibby’s community is the main opponent of the story, and is also the turning point of events. The hurricane is the opponent because it tears down trees, blows away nuts, and challenges all of the squirrels to basically change the way that they live amidst the repair of their homes right before winter.