Chapter 9
Summary: We start off the chapter with Porky Logan dead and he is needed to put to burial as soon as possible. But Randy first needs to acquire a lead lined coffin from Bubba. Because Porky has jewelry that is dangerous. Bubba agrees, but only if 8 men help carry the casket. They head to the Marine Park to recruit. No one volunteers. So Randy pulls out his .45 and makes 5 men volunteer. They then bury Porky and his contaminated loot. Randy returns back to River Road and meets up with Two Tone. Who tells him about his corn whiskey. Which is valuable and needs to car parts to brew it. Later on, Randy and Dan pick up a message about outlaw activity. Helen then goes crazy for Randy, thinking he is Mark. Later on, Dan has been gone for awhile and didn't show up for dinner. Randy and Lib go searching, while the boys stand watch for the chicken thief. Randy and Lib discuss their feelings for each other, but decided its not the best time. They then find out that Dan was badly beaten by highway men and that the chicken thief turned out to be a wild dog.
![Picture](/uploads/3/0/5/3/30537162/3502160.jpg)
Analysis: The chapter sets up the rising action of the conflict of the highway men. They commit crimes outside the town that later brings Randy and other people involved later on in the book. The radio call with the criminal activity foreshadows what is going to happen to Dan Gunn. The jewelry that Porky had is a symbol that all beautiful things are dead. When Lib and Randy both tell each other they love one another, but it's not the right time. Means it foreshadows that later on when there is more stability in the town, they will both get married.
Chapter 10
Summary: This chapter opens up with Dan explaining how the highway men attacked him. He was making an emergency visit to some family to help treat a patient with Typhoid. After treating the patient, he makes his way back home. But as he is going back, he notices a woman on the side of the road. Dan believes she is injured and goes to help her. Turns out to be a trap, and he gets ambushed by the highway men. Three of them. He gets held at gunpoint and then is brutally beaten to death. But survives. The highway men take all his medical supplies he had, including the bourbon which he used as anesthetics. The highway men run off and Dan makes it back home barely. After discovering the incident, Randy decides to make himself the law/leader. He tell everyone to make aware of the typhoid going around. Along with naming the sole leader of the town. Then that whoever almost killed Dan, will not have right to a trial and will be hanged. Randy then hatches a plan to catch the highway men. By using a decoy and then jumping them. Easter Sunday rolls around and Randy and Lib both get married.
Summary: This chapter opens up with Dan explaining how the highway men attacked him. He was making an emergency visit to some family to help treat a patient with Typhoid. After treating the patient, he makes his way back home. But as he is going back, he notices a woman on the side of the road. Dan believes she is injured and goes to help her. Turns out to be a trap, and he gets ambushed by the highway men. Three of them. He gets held at gunpoint and then is brutally beaten to death. But survives. The highway men take all his medical supplies he had, including the bourbon which he used as anesthetics. The highway men run off and Dan makes it back home barely. After discovering the incident, Randy decides to make himself the law/leader. He tell everyone to make aware of the typhoid going around. Along with naming the sole leader of the town. Then that whoever almost killed Dan, will not have right to a trial and will be hanged. Randy then hatches a plan to catch the highway men. By using a decoy and then jumping them. Easter Sunday rolls around and Randy and Lib both get married.
![Picture](/uploads/3/0/5/3/30537162/1615473.jpg)
Analysis: This is still the rising action/climax of the conflict with Dan and highway men. He is hurt badly and this angers Randy. Which influences him to become the leader of the town and start a manhunt for the highway men. Randy symbolizes his old ancestor that started the town. Randolph Peyton. This is a major change for Randy becoming a leader. Because in the beginning of book, Randy didn't really go far in life. He tried running
Quotes:
" Nature is proving Darwin's law of natural selection. The defective bee, unable to to cope with its environment, is rejected by nature before birth. I think this will be true of man. It is said that nature is cruel. I don't think so. Nature is just, and even merciful. By natural selection, nature will attempt to undo what man has done." (pg 220, chapter 9).
Nature is demonstrating survival of the fittest. Whoever comes out alive will be strong and the weak will just be killed off. Everything will have to start over again from scratch. Mankind has messed up by creating a nuclear war. So mother nature is trying to fix what man has created.
"It was a wolf,' Randy said. 'It wasn't a dog any longer. In times like these dogs can turn into wolves. You did just right, Ben. Here, take back your gun." ( Pg. 244, chapter 9).
It times like this, a dog that once was a loving house dog, turned into a savage wolf. It shows you not only dogs can revert back to their more primitive side for survival. Because it gives you a picture that humans turn into savages too. The significance of this quote foreshadows a later part of the book. Of how a group of humans turn into a pack of wolves.
"You see, I confused the tactical with the strategic. I think we all did. The truth is this. Once both sides had maximum capability in hydrogen weapons and efficient means of delivering them there was no sane alternative to peace.' (pg 235 Chapter 9.)
The quote explains how bad nuclear war is. That there is no winner and both sides lose. There is only going to be a lot of casualties on both sides. There is no way getting out of the war once the first bomb is fired. Also there is no strategy, the only tactic was using a nuclear weapon for total damage.
" Nature is proving Darwin's law of natural selection. The defective bee, unable to to cope with its environment, is rejected by nature before birth. I think this will be true of man. It is said that nature is cruel. I don't think so. Nature is just, and even merciful. By natural selection, nature will attempt to undo what man has done." (pg 220, chapter 9).
Nature is demonstrating survival of the fittest. Whoever comes out alive will be strong and the weak will just be killed off. Everything will have to start over again from scratch. Mankind has messed up by creating a nuclear war. So mother nature is trying to fix what man has created.
"It was a wolf,' Randy said. 'It wasn't a dog any longer. In times like these dogs can turn into wolves. You did just right, Ben. Here, take back your gun." ( Pg. 244, chapter 9).
It times like this, a dog that once was a loving house dog, turned into a savage wolf. It shows you not only dogs can revert back to their more primitive side for survival. Because it gives you a picture that humans turn into savages too. The significance of this quote foreshadows a later part of the book. Of how a group of humans turn into a pack of wolves.
"You see, I confused the tactical with the strategic. I think we all did. The truth is this. Once both sides had maximum capability in hydrogen weapons and efficient means of delivering them there was no sane alternative to peace.' (pg 235 Chapter 9.)
The quote explains how bad nuclear war is. That there is no winner and both sides lose. There is only going to be a lot of casualties on both sides. There is no way getting out of the war once the first bomb is fired. Also there is no strategy, the only tactic was using a nuclear weapon for total damage.