Logan A -- Blogmeister

Many people think of Mr. Halloway from the story Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury as a grumpy person. Even though Mr. Halloway sometimes can be grumpy, he can also be very calm and mysterious.

Mr. Halloway can be a grumpy man, but this happens mostly because he feels he is too old. He explains this to his wife, Mrs. Halloway the night Will finds out about the carnival (chapter 8). Mr. Halloway was also grumpy when Will and Jim came running home late in the night, just like any other father would (chapter 11). Mr. Halloway was also grumpy when he was trying to harm the Dust Witch (chapter 44). Even though Mr. Halloway was laughing a lot of the time, he was truly in an unhappy mood and didn’t know why he was laughing. Even though Mr. Halloway was in an unhappy mood when he harmed the Dust Witch, he was happy when he killed her, as he tells Will that he replaced the bullet with his own “smile” (chapter 49).

Even though Mr. Halloway is sometimes grumpy, he can also be calm. For example; when he talks to Will about how he shouldn't have stayed out so late (chapter 7). This not only shows that he cares, but it also shows he was calm for talking to Will in a calm manner. Mr. Halloway was also calm when he was going through the mirror maze with Will to find Jim (chapter 49). Will was worried most of the time (such as with wanting to light the match for light) while Mr. Halloway was completely calm, as he asked Will to put out the match he lit. Another example of how calm Mr. Halloway can be is when Will and Jim explained the carnival people to Mr. Halloway (chapter 23). While Will and Jim seemed to be worried, Mr. Halloway was completely calm. Even though he seemed completely calm when Jim and Will were explaining the carnival people to him, he did seem a little worried when the boys were hiding during the parade and Jim and Will told him about it. Mr. Halloway was completely calm when the Illustrated Man questioned him, though

Mr. Halloway can also be a mysterious man. A good example of this is when he was about to kill the dust witch (chapter 49). While Will seemed to be a little worried that something would go wrong, Mr. Halloway sounded as if he was excited about what was happening. Another example is when he kept the boys from being found from the Illustrated Man (chapter 41). While Will and Jim were worried they might be found, Mr. Halloway was pretending he didn't even know the boys. My final example of how mysterious Mr. Halloway can be is when he starts explaining information about the carnival people to Will and Jim (Chapter 37). Even Will, Mr. Halloway’s own son mentions how he didn't know he could be the way he was. Mr. Halloway can be predictable though, such as when he started to change in the mirror maze while trying to find Jim like Will expected (chapter 49). Mr. Halloway did recover from this, though.

Even though Mr. Halloway can be grumpy, he can also be very calm and mysterious. At one point he can be upset with his son for coming home late, yet he later on laughs uncontrollably at the Dust Witch, then later kills her by switching the bullet with his own.