A Long Way from Chicago

Chapter 6 shows more powerful examples of how the Great Depression influences daily life in Grandma’s town. The friend who leaves does so because she could not keep up with her house payments due to lower income: a common issue during that time. As with the previous problems that Grandma has solved, she uses a bit of wit and trickery to get the results she wants. Her comment about how people will believe what looks real following the Dracula movie foreshadows her plan to trick the bank into giving back her friend’s house. Although the items that Grandma brings to the rummage sale cannot be verifiably linked to Abraham Lincoln, she creates a believable effect by adding his initials to old, worn items, making the items appear as if they could feasibly date to the era when Lincoln was president. After that, the people see what they want to see, offering $17 (a large amount of money at that time) based on what they hope is true. Grandma never definitively states whether the items are from Lincoln, which means no one can blame her for falsifying details.

Upon donning Grandma’s old-fashioned clothing, neither Joey nor Mary Alice realizes that the clothes are of special significance. Seeing their grandmother’s emotional reaction makes them realize that she has an entire past that happened before they were born, and this broadens the novel’s ongoing theme of The Supportive Power of Family to include the impact of multiple generations and the different stages that make up a person’s lifetime. The clothes also symbolize just how far both Mary Alice and Joey have come in their Coming of Age. Joey is amazed to see how grown-up Mary Alice appears in the dress, and when she wears it in the talent show, he suddenly realizes how quickly they are both growing up. Joey is also astounded by his sister’s dance skills and is confused by the idea of her dancing with boys, partly because these things are new and partly because he has failed to fully process similar changes in himself. Altogether, these events represent how deceptive the passing of time can be until key moments force people to acknowledge the myriad ways in which they have changed and grown.

Chapter 7 features more town drama that highlights the differences of Urban Versus Rural Lifestyles, and the attitude of entitlement that often blinds upper-class individuals to the needs and sensibilities of those who hold a lower social status. Similar to the county fair, the well-to-do people of the town want to make sure they are represented during the Centennial Celebration. Although Grandma went along with the plan to use her gooseberry pie to win a blue ribbon for the town in Chapter 4, here she refuses outright to help with preparations for the celebration, an action that emphasizes her rejection of the wealthier woman’s unspoken assumption that Grandma, as a lower-class individual, would be much more suitable for the menial tasks of making sure that the privies are clean. Faced with the reality of this class-based arrogance, Grandma turns her considerable ingenuity to finding a way to thwart the other woman’s attempts to win the various contests. Thus, she circumvents the divisions of class by sneakily tarnishing the other woman’s claim of a higher social status. In the process, she makes a whole host of fond memories for her grandchildren to cherish and remember for years to come.

In a philosophical extension of The Supportive Power of Family, the kitten that Mary Alice takes home is her way of bringing Grandma with her. Both siblings know that this will be their last summer trip to Grandma’s, and though neither child openly admits it, both are going to miss the antics of their grandmother and the town as a whole. Just as Grandma does whatever she sees fit to achieve her goals in life, Mary Alice likewise shows little concern over whether their mother will allow them to keep the kitten, indicating that she has thoroughly learned an important life lesson from all of Grandma’s antics: If one really wants to make something happen, there’s always a way to get it done. Thus, her reply to Joey’s question about keeping the kitten is designed to mimic their grandmother’s tone and mannerisms, showing just how powerfully their grandmother has influenced them both as they go forth to experience a new era in their lives.

The final chapter of the novel brings all the stories together and circles back to the Prologue. In the Prologue, Joey observed that his memories of his grandmother were getting more true as he aged, and the final chapter shows Joey acknowledging how profound and legendary a figure his grandmother has become in his life. Although Joey’s train does not stop in her town, he still wants his grandmother to know that he is passing by and thinking of her. Their last poignant almost-meeting speaks to the many changes that life brings even as people attempt to hold onto certain things as long as possible. Thus, Grandma’s act of standing with all the lights on represents a beacon in the night for Joey and a remembrance of all the love and memories they have shared over the years. In a final embodiment of The Supportive Power of Family, she wants to make sure that he sees her wishing him well on his journey into unknown dangers and adventures. To this end, the house itself is also a metaphor for the guiding light and force that Grandma has been in Joey’s life. Grandma has no way of knowing if Joey sees her or waves back, but it doesn’t matter, because supporting those she cares for—with or without recognition—is one of Grandma’s highest priorities in life. This unspoken truth is implied multiple times throughout the book, from the long summers of hospitality to the ways she helps her friends and even her habit of feeding the desperate drifters who wander through town. As Joey continues to wave long after Grandma’s house disappears from view, Peck uses this image to emphasize the strength of his connection to her, for even in the midst of what may be a final goodbye, her benevolent presence stands larger than life in his mind and his heart.