Chapters 7-8 Summary

Mitt died at his seventh birthday party when he and the neighborhood boys were playing and they made a “dog pile” on top of him as part of a game. He’d been smothered.

Henry listens to some recordings of Mitt’s voice. Afterward, he visits Lelia at Molly’s, and they talk about Mitt’s death. Lelia feels that Henry did not truly grieve for Mitt because he did not show emotion.

Henry has begun working for John Kwang. It is clear from the way Kwang comes into the office that he has charisma and can command the attention of a room. Something about Kwang reminds Henry of his father.

Chapters 7-8 Analysis

These chapters delve into the story of Mitt’s tragic death and how the fallout from it led to an ever-widening emotional gulf between Henry and Lelia. Part of the conflict arises from being an interracial family. Lelia seems to think there may have been a way in which Mitt was in danger, maybe because he was biracial, and that as parents, they had failed to protect him from this danger.

Real cultural differences between Henry and Lelia caused them to cope with their son’s death differently. Lelia displayed her intense grief openly, even publicly, while Henry remained contained. Lelia sees Henry’s stoicism as evidence he is refusing to deal with his grief, while Henry is clearly emulating the way in which his own father dealt with grief after Henry’s mother died. Henry notes how hard it is for him to put feelings into words, but he does manage to say plainly, “You’re the only one for me.” He is beginning to see the importance of sharing his inner life with Lelia.