Space Case by Stuart Gibbs Book Analysis

Motivations are created every day. Although someone may say there is no motive, there’s always a reason there that can be deciphered through actions, for all actions affect others. In the novel Space Case, Gibbs uses events and dialogue to reveal the motivations of Dashiell and Garth Grisan.

To begin, Gibbs utilizes Dashiell’s dialogue and events to reveal his motives for investigating Dr. Holtz’s death. To further prove this, on page 9 of the book, he mentions the event of Dash’s family moving onto the moon with the “greatest explorers of all time.” This can be followed up by Dash, on page 6, stating that “You can’t go outside, the food is horrible, it’s always cold- and the toilets might as well be medieval torture devices.” It is apparent from this dialogue that many things on the base restrict its residents from doing everyday fun tasks. As a result, the event of moving to the moon could cause boredom, especially for a 12-year-old kid from Hawaii used to hot outdoor temperatures instead of the cold base on the moon. This could cause him to go against rules looking for something of interest that might make him feel more at home. The author also states that Dash “hadn’t been able to go back to sleep after overhearing his [ Dr. Holtz] conversation in the bathroom.” This took place two minutes before “[Dr. Holtz] was found dead.” This evidence also reveals another motive for Dashiell which, according to the dialogue, is being intrigued with new exciting information. Especially considering he was the only one hearing the conversation, he might feel the need to prove that it was really heard, or even share the information with others. In conclusion, Gibbs uses all of these events and dialogue to reveal that dash’s boredom and fascination also factored into his motivation to investigate the death, rather than him just doing it because he wanted to.

To continue, Stuart Gibbs also uses this strategy to reveal the motives of Garth Grisan wanting Dr.Holtz dead. For example, on page 17 the author states that “The news was going to be revealed. First thing in the morning.” Next on page 318, Grisan says “Now think about what would happen if the citizens of the world learned that real aliens were coming.” This dialogue suggests that he knew what the conversation was about the whole time even though it is pointed out in the writing, Grisan wasn’t on the phone. However, connecting it to the event, it is apparent that Grisan was afraid of what the information might do to the public, or rather how they might react. The reading also points out on page 194 that Grisan was “a bit self-conscious.” The reading then states on page 14 that “Ronald Holtz was one of the most brilliant men.” That evidence suggests through dialogue that Mr. Grisan might have also been worried about where his status would stand considering both were famous scientists. Dr. Holtz revealing such information would draw much more attention, making Grisan self-conscious toward how others might view him as a scientist compared to Dr. Holtz. Therefore, it can be concluded through the events and dialogue that Mr. Grisan’s emotional state along with his discovered information on Dr. Holtz’s news, led to his found motivation to kill Dr.Holtz, and remove the problem.

Ultimately inside the novel Space Case, Stuart Gibbs uses all his events and dialogue to eventually reveal the motivations of his characters, especially the main ones like Dashiell and Garth Grisan. Because the author includes the context in this way, the reader can reach conclusions or form opinions throughout the story, finally leading up to a good understanding.