Skink—No Surrender

At some point in a hero’s journey, the protagonist faces temptation to leave their path. Overcoming this temptation is critical in the hero’s journey. In Skink—No Surrender, this arrives in the form of Richard’s mother’s e-mail. Due to her discomfort with the situation, Richard’s mom tries to lure him back home, effectively ending his journey. Skink offers to take Richard to a nearby airport, where he can depart from their path. When they find the bridge in Panama City, Richard finally commits to his journey by saying simply, “No airport” (81).

Escalating obstacles follow Richard’s commitment. His mother calls him and establishes a time restriction for the journey: “you’ve got exactly seventy-two hours […] Then I’ll be notifying the authorities” (87). This adds pressure to the completion of his journey.

Another obstacle arises when the semi injures Skink. As Richard’s mentor, Skink’s role is to shepherd Richard to his goal. After saving the skunk, Skink is “in a world of pain, grunting and cussing as he hopped along. I found a sturdy stick for him to use as a walking cane” (90). Richard still depends on Skink, but he loses the strength of his greatest ally as time starts to run out. This puts more pressure on Richard to play a larger role in his quest.

Because Skink can’t drive, Richard must grow stronger. In this case, he needs to learn how to drive—a skill possessed by his mentor that he must now learn. Driving is another tool passed on from mentor to hero. It is also a common trope in coming-of-age stories. Skink—No Surrender contains themes related to the struggle between dependence and independence in adolescence. For many young people, a driver’s license represents greater personal freedom. This is no different for Richard. Learning to drive is a step toward his immediate goals and a symbol of his imminent adulthood.

Richard does not receive the benefit of driving easily. As with any other hero, he must earn it. While driving with Skink in the passenger seat, Richard “came up behind a truck, and that’s when I got the shakes. It was a tall brown UPS delivery truck, the same kind my father had crashed into” (103). This puts Richard “in a weird half-hypnotized mode” (103). When Skink instructs him to pass the truck, Richard can’t.

Until this point, Richard has discussed his father’s death in a glib manner. Now, though, readers understand the depth of his trauma. His grief affects his growth as an adult and as a hero.

Skink suffers similarly. As he sleeps one night, Richard sees Skink grow restless. Richard “wondered if the pain from his broken foot was giving him a nightmare, or if it was something left over from Vietnam […] post-traumatic stress disorder, they call it” (97). When he wakes up, Skink talks to Richard about some of his harrowing experiences. They find more common ground through their trauma: “We agreed that it sucked to lose somebody you love at a young age” (98).

Skink’s role as an environmental activist persists. When he sees someone in another vehicle littering, he follows them to a restaurant and “poured an entire six-pack [of beer] into the fuel tank. Then […] he jammed the empties up the tailpipe” (76). As he did with Olney, Skink shows a strong reaction to someone who hurts the natural environment. He sees himself as a protector of those who can’t defend themselves. This includes the baby skunk, for example, but also explains why he is eager to help Richard in his quest for Malley. It also foreshadows Skink’s eventual confrontation with the Talbo imposter, which Talbo exacerbates by threatening an animal’s life.

Environmental themes continue. Richard clearly respects nature based on his excitement for sea turtles. However, his mentor, Skink, gifts him a deeper knowledge on the subject. Richard reads a book that belongs to Skink “about a horrible pesticide called DDT […] which killed off bald eagles and lots of other wildlife” (99). Skink passes his values onto the novel’s hero. In doing so, Hiaasen explores the central themes and foreshadows the tools that Richard will need in the future. In this case, his anger at past use of DDT gives him a deeper need to protect animals and nature.

In an environmental vein, Richard further discusses the ivory-billed woodpecker. He narrates a brief history of the bird and what led to its extinction. More importantly, Skink insists that he “saw one of those woodpeckers with my own eye” (85). As the action of a story rises, mythological and supernatural elements play a larger role. Richard actually compares the search for the woodpecker to “the same fanatic determination that some people hunt for Bigfoots,” a famous American mythological creature (82). In this case, the unconfirmed extinction of the bird provides literal and figurative parallels.

Literally, the possible existence of more ivory-billed woodpeckers mirrors Malley’s safety. While Richard knows that she is alive, he doesn’t know if she is hurt. Until he finds her in person, he can’t be certain that her life is safe. The woodpecker also parallels Richard’s dad. While Richard’s father died years before, the effects he had on Richard ensure that his legacy continues to live. Similarly, the accepted death of the woodpecker has unexpected nuance.

Richard is skeptical of “A famous video that supposedly shows an ivorybill flying in an Arkansas swamp” because “top ornithologists […] said the bird was most likely a pileated woodpecker” (84). Richard believes this theory, as well. It is similar to the way he sees himself: Whereas others see him as a smart, driven young man, Richard questions his own abilities. When Skink tells Richard that he will have to start driving, Richard makes excuses: “Tonight? No way. In the dark? I don’t think I can deal with that” (92). Skink recognizes Richard’s greatness, even if Richard thinks of himself as common.

Richard and Skink continue to grow closer as friends. When Richard drives, Skink allows him to play newer music. This illustrates Skink’s flexibility as a mentor and his growing affection for Richard. The fact that Skink “actually liked several artists on my playlist” (103) supports his growing admiration for Richard.

Richard and Malley’s closeness as friends pays off. Their coded phone call gives Richard the clues he needs to get closer to his goal, but it is only possible because of their friendship. For example, Richard uses their shared knowledge of the ivory-billed woodpecker to narrow his search.

Tile arrives in person to provide aid to Richard. He is a mysterious man to Richard and, consequently, the readers. In the novel, Tile is a somewhat godly figure. He watches the big picture of their journey from afar, manipulating their situation in advantageous ways. In the case of the fake driver’s license, Tile shows up at the best possible moment. He provides Richard with a useful tool while also distracting him from the UPS truck.