The Eleventh Plague

In an empty classroom, Mr. Tuttle gives Jenny and Stephen copies of American history textbooks and orders them to copy chapters one through three. Jenny passes notes to Stephen, insisting he wanted to hit someone all along and that the fight wasn’t as serious as he is making it out to be. She finally sends a note telling him that she wants to break things to stop her own anxiety, and he has a moment of self-awareness. Jenny leaves the classroom without finishing; Stephen dutifully finishes, and then Mr. Tuttle hands him his pop quiz, which he got an A on. Mr. Tuttle asks if he is a “human being or savage” and insists that society relies on the educated (151). He gives him three textbooks to further his education; Stephen takes them and runs.

Stephen returns to the Greens feeling hopeful, but then he runs into Caleb on the porch. Caleb clearly just confronted the Greens about the fight. Stephen sneaks into the house and overhears Marcus and Violet discussing their refusal to let the community expel Stephen even though Marcus is wary of Caleb’s retaliation. Stephen panics and packs his things, determined to leave and not cause more trouble.