Chapters 31–36 Summary
Chapter 31
U-Haul takes Demon over to the Peggots’ house; he is surprised to see Maggot’s make-up and piercings. Mrs. Peggot tells Demon about Betsy’s involvement in his birth. A few weeks before, Betsy and one of her girls drove up to the trailer. After this visit, Demon’s mom was defensive and told the Peggots to mind their business. Mrs. Peggot eventually learned that the woman was Demon’s paternal grandmother. Damon had written to his mother to make amends and announce he would have a child. Demon is shocked that Mrs. Peggot knew all of this.
Maggot is aloof at first, knowing Demon was upset that the Peggots had not adopted him, but Demon assures everyone he is doing well. Maggot’s mom was recently denied parole, because she talked back to a prison guard. Demon learns that June’s boyfriend, Kent, works in pharmaceuticals, and they live in a strange house that the Peggots promise to show Demon. When they go to visit, Demon learns that Emmy hates Kent. Maggot plays with Emmy’s make-up and asks about her boyfriend, but she redirects them to June and Kent and all the perks doctors get from pharmaceutical companies for prescribing their drugs.
Chapter 32
As Christmas approaches, Demon worries that Coach will get tired of fostering him. Angus admits they don't celebrate Christmas, because Coach gets depressed. Angus and Demon bond over the loss of their moms. Demon wants to decorate for Christmas and tells Angus that presents are exciting because they are surprises.
Demon and Angus go over to Creaky farm to cut down a Christmas tree, and Demon feels invigorated by this small revenge on Crickson. Demon and Angus throw random items on the tree to decorate, and they watch Christmas movies on repeat. They buy each other gifts. Angus gets Demon a manga series, a silver jacket, and a tiny ship in a bottle that amazes him. Demon finds a black velvet hat for Angus at a pawn shop, which she loves. He also makes her a hero drawing: Angus as “Black Leather Angel.” After Christmas, Coach says Demon will make a solid tight end on the JV team, and he praises Demon’s humility and willingness to help the team. Demon realizes that Coach intends to keep him in the house for a while.
Chapter 33
Besides his childhood with Maggot, Demon remembers 7th and 8th grades as the happiest of his life. He keeps thinking, though, that his luck will run out, because he doesn’t deserve this much joy. U-Haul starts spending time at the house, staying in Coach’s office after Coach goes to bed. One night, he summons Demon to help reorganize a playbook. That is a pretext for U-Haul to threaten Demon because he is afraid the boy is trying to take his place.
In school, Demon grows to admire Mr. Armstrong, who often subs his class. He learns that his teacher’s race, Black, is a capitalized proper noun, as is his own, Melungeon. Mr. Armstrong plays in a bluegrass band and is married to an artist, a white woman named Ms. Annie. Demon starts to work with her, and she asks him to explain his process of drawing faces. This leads to him spending part of his school days in her studio on the high school campus.
Betsy comes to visit and signs the foster paperwork. Demon’s grandmother is adamant that his athletics do not interfere with academics. Angus starts inviting friends to the house, mostly boys who play video games with her, while Demon has math tutors over, including high school girl Linda Larkins, to...
(This entire section contains 1293 words.)
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whom he is attracted. Mr. Briggs, the JV football coach, starts playing Demon at tight end, while U-Haul looks on angrily. Demon excels in some of the drills at practice and impresses his teammates.
Chapter 34
Demon experiences his first JV football game and his first dance. He carries Coach upstairs at night when he’s passed out in his office. Demon describes Mr. Armstrong as strict, but he also learns from him. The teacher tells them about the history of the coal industry in their region and the Great Migration of Black Americans to cities like Chicago, where he is from. He tries to inform the students about the systemic prejudices against people like them, but he is frustrated when they don’t take the lessons seriously. When a truck pulls up during dismissal flying both Confederate and American flags, Mr. Armstrong explains to Demon and some other students what the Confederate flag symbolizes and relays the history of people in western Virginia who either volunteered to fight for the Union or were forced to help the South, protecting other men’s plantations.
Demon has to do a “Backgrounds project” for English. He investigates the term Melungeon and works with Dick on his research. He learns that this name for his “race” means something like “mixed-up piece of shit,” a person whose background is an amalgamation of different races. Dick writes out a history of Demon’s “people,” including his father, which makes Demon emotional. Demon becomes more experienced with girls, but none will “go all the way.” The gifted kids take a trip to Virginia Beach, but Demon doesn’t make it there because one of the girls in the car he’s riding in gets sick and they turn back.
Chapter 35
Demon continues to go to his art classes with Ms. Annie, on whom he has developed a crush. He rides to the other campus with students who are going to the vocational school and notices the many military recruiters at “Tech.” Through the Backgrounds project, Demon and the others learn more about the coal industry in Lee County, becoming enlightened on the health consequences of working the mines and the inequality between those whose families worked the mines and those who owned them.
Mr. Armstrong teaches the class about the Battle of Blair Mountain, a huge conflict between miners on strike and their coal bosses. He even says the term “redneck” comes from the bandannas the miners wore in the battle, while trying to educate the kids on the calculated destruction of places like Lee County by those who used its people to turn a profit. Education suffered because mining didn’t require workers to have a traditional education, and coal companies owned everything in the towns. The kids start to slowly realize the forces that have been working against them.
Chapter 36
Demon reflects on how he has always dreamed big and wanted more than his life seems to want to allow him. As a freshman in high school and part of the Generals’ football team, he feels fulfilled. He thinks of Coach as a father figure, and the local paper runs a story on Demon’s Cinderella story. Demon can now take art as a real class, learning more techniques from Ms. Annie. He still sees military recruiters around, even more so after September 11.
Though Demon might have been happy going to vocational school and working in an auto shop, Mr. Armstrong encourages his academic education. Demon is in school with Maggot once more, as well as Emmy; both of his long-time friends inhabit different crowds than Demon does. Linda Larkins has now graduated from high school but starts calling Demon and saying lascivious things to him that lead to a phone sex relationship.
Demon has Sunday dinners with the Peggots, and sometimes Angus comes with him.
Mr. Peg is in poor health and has trouble walking. He asks Demon what to do about Maggot, but Demon has no answers. Demon thinks Fast Forward would be able to help them with Maggot.
