CHARACTER
Gregor the Overlanderby Suzanne Collins

Boots (Margaret)

Boots (Margaret)

Quick Facts

Bold, curious, and only two years old, Boots (Margaret) is the deuteragonist of Gregor the Overlander and the spark that sends the story underground. Her tumble into the Underland pulls her brother after her and sets the Prophecy of Gray in motion.

  • Role: Two-year-old Overlander; catalyst for the descent; revered “princess” among the crawlers
  • First appearance: Chapter 1 (Brooklyn laundry room)
  • Also called: “Boots,” “Princess” (by crawlers)
  • Key relationships: Her brother, the crawlers (especially Temp), Luxa, and her father
  • Physical snapshot: A curly-haired, chubby toddler—often sticky and dusty—with a beaming, sweaty face, purple-marker hands, and a sagging diaper; her open grin and outstretched arms mirror her welcoming spirit (Chs. 1–2)

Who They Are

Boots is the book’s beating heart—an embodiment of unfiltered kindness in a world organized by fear and old grudges. Underlanders read her as a figure of destiny, but the real power behind her “princess” aura is simpler: she treats everyone as a person, not an enemy. That radical innocence builds bridges where strategy and strength fail, binding together a fragile coalition that the “Prophecy of Gray” needs to succeed—placing her squarely within Prophecy and Destiny. Her perspective cuts through centuries of bias, making her a living argument for the possibility of peace that underpins Prejudice and Alliances.

Personality & Traits

At once fearless and toddler-chaotic, Boots is a case study in “innocent diplomacy.” Her curiosity makes her rush toward danger with a delighted squeal, yet that same openness disarms hardened warriors and wary creatures alike. Even her most toddler-like impulses—shrieks, pokes, stubborn claims of “Mine!”—become plot-shaping tools that save lives and reshape alliances.

  • Fearless and curious: She greets giant cockroaches with “Beeg bug!” and cheers at a diving bat (Ch. 2). What terrifies adults reads to her as wonder, and that wonder invites trust instead of escalation.
  • Innocent and unprejudiced: Boots engages everyone—crawlers, bats, even the feared rat, Ripred—as potential friends. By refusing the story’s inherited enemies, she models the cross-species trust the quest requires.
  • Keenly observant: She notices what others miss, from Luxa’s eye color—“Pu-ple!” (Ch. 3)—to picking Temp out from a sea of nearly identical crawlers (Ch. 14). Her attentiveness validates her status among crawlers and quietly guides the group’s decisions.
  • Affectionate and social: Waving to Regalians, hugging crawlers, and greeting everyone she meets, she broadcasts goodwill that lowers defenses and humanizes the mission’s stakes.
  • Toddler volatility as power: When Gregor eats her cookie to create a diversion, her “Miiiiiiiiine!” tantrum becomes a literal weapon that buys the team’s escape from the spiders (Ch. 17).

Character Journey

Boots does not “grow” in conventional ways—she remains a constant, bright force—but everyone around her grows because of her. Dragged from a Brooklyn laundry room into the Underland, she never abandons her intuitive ethic of welcome. That constancy changes others: it speeds her brother’s transformation into a protector and leader, anchoring his Coming of Age; it wins the crawlers’ loyalty, culminating in sacred honors; it softens Luxa’s flinty, regal edges; and, in the end, it calls her fractured father back to himself. In a world defined by War and Conflict, Boots becomes the party’s moral compass and emotional ballast. Her presence turns survival into responsibility—an ethic of care that grounds Family Responsibility and Sacrifice and reframes “victory” as protecting the vulnerable, not defeating an enemy.

Key Relationships

  • Gregor: Boots’s “Ge-go” is her anchor, and her dependence becomes his duty. Protecting her is the engine of his choices—from risking alliances to confronting enemies—and her safety gives his bravery meaning. She humanizes his heroism, turning feats of combat into acts of care.

  • The Crawlers: Boots’s scent, gentleness, and attention earn the crawlers’ reverence—she is their “princess,” honored with the secret Ring Dance. Her ability to recognize Temp from a crowd (Ch. 14) cements her status and moves Temp and Tick to risk everything for the quest, an alliance no Underlander negotiation could have secured.

  • Luxa: Boots treats the queen as a playmate—poking her eye, demanding the ball—and in doing so exposes Luxa’s youth beneath her crown. That irreverent affection lowers Luxa’s guard and opens space for trust, nudging her away from rigid hostility toward genuine connection.

  • Gregor's Dad: Boots has no memories of him, only photos. When they reunite, her joyful “Da-da!” slices through his disorientation and trauma, grounding him in the present and transforming a rescue into a homecoming.

Defining Moments

Boots’s scenes are small in action but enormous in consequence. Each turns toddler impulses into turning points for the quest.

  • Meeting the Crawlers (Ch. 2): Her delighted “Beeg bug!” flips terror into curiosity, prompting the crawlers to ask, “Be she princess?” Why it matters: It seeds a sacred bond that later furnishes guides, protection, and credibility the Overlanders alone could never earn.
  • The Ring Dance (Ch. 15): The crawlers bestow a secret ritual performed previously only for Bartholomew of Sandwich. Why it matters: The honor formalizes their loyalty and ensures Temp and Tick join the mission, transforming vague goodwill into concrete aid.
  • The Cookie Tantrum (Ch. 17): Gregor’s gambit—eating her cookie—triggers an eardrum-piercing shriek. Why it matters: Boots’s toddler outrage becomes a tactical tool, distracting spiders long enough for Luxa’s “Coiler” to free the group.
  • Reunion with Her Father (Ch. 25): She runs to him, shouting “Da-da!” and knocks him flat with joy. Why it matters: Her unconditional acceptance helps pull him out of shock, reframing the quest’s success as healing, not just survival.

Essential Quotes

“Ge-go!” squealed a little voice. A curly head popped over the side of the crib. “Me out!” (Chapter 1)

This introduction fuses dependence and initiative: Boots needs her brother and also audaciously asks for what she wants. It establishes the sibling bond that will drive every risk Gregor takes.

“Beeg bug!” cried Boots again, and Gregor managed to close his mouth. (Chapter 2)

Delight replaces fear in Boots’s world. By naming awe instead of danger, she resets the tone of first contact and opens the door to alliance rather than conflict.

Boots looked up at the girl, registered something, and poked her right in the eye. “Pu-ple!” she said. (Chapter 3)

The poke is pure toddler, but the observation is sharp. Boots’s disarming honesty punctures Luxa’s regal distance and hints at how she will humanize those around her.

“Mine!” screamed Boots. “Mine! Mine! Miiiiiiiiine!” It was an eardrum-piercing shriek that rattled his brain. (Chapter 17)

A tantrum becomes strategy. The scene reframes “immature” behavior as lifesaving resourcefulness, underscoring how the group’s survival depends on accepting Boots as she is.

“Da-da?” said Boots curiously… “Da-da!” She wiggled out of Gregor’s grasp and ran straight into his dad’s arms, knocking him flat on his back. (Chapter 25)

Her innocence closes the gap that trauma opened. By naming and claiming her father without hesitation, Boots anchors him—and the story—in the possibility of restoration.