Because of Winn-Dixie

“It’s hard not to immediately fall in love with a dog who has a good sense of humor.” 

Opal says this immediately after meeting Winn-Dixie, when he smiles at her in the grocery store. This statement proves to be true not just for Opal, but for all of the people Winn-Dixie meets. His smile is a symbol of the power of friendship.

“My daddy is a good preacher and a nice man, but sometimes it’s hard for me to think about him as my daddy, because he spends so much time preaching or thinking about preaching.”

Opal reveals this information about her father early in the novel, as a way of explaining her loneliness. Part of her yearning for her mother comes from the preacher’s dedication to his work. Opal must share the preacher with the community, and so often feels lonely.

“‘See,’ I said, ‘You don’t have any family and neither do I. I’ve got the preacher, of course. But I don’t have a mama. I mean I have one, but I don’t know where she is. She left when I was three years old.’”

Opal says this to Winn-Dixie soon after they meet. She is explaining the bond they have—they are both orphans, because they are both missing their mothers. This is Opal’s biggest loss, and one she returns to often.