42 pages • 1 hour read
Jack GantosJoey Pigza Swallowed the Key
Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 1998A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Chapters 13-15Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Chapter 13 Summary: “Moon Man”
Joey’s brain SPECT test is painless and completed within moments of his arrival at the Hospital. A clearly experienced nurse takes good care of him and gives him one Band Aid when he requests one from a glass canister. When alone in the room, Joey grabs another handful of Band Aids and stuffs them in his pocket. He is able to stay still for the imaging test, which he views as an accomplishment.
His mother brings him to the gift shop to select a small present, but the two quarrel when he requests very expensive items, such as an enormous stuffed giraffe and a big battery powered car. She tells him that her budget is limited. Joey is still anxious about the outcome of his brain imaging test and imagines that his brain “looked more like scrambled eggs than a honeycomb” (133). When Fran suggests a postcard, he spins the revolving rack wildly until all the cards fall on the floor. When his mother asks him to help pick them up, he gets down on all fours and puts the cards in his mouth.
The pair visit the Sky Deck of the PPG building at Fran’s suggestion. She gives Joey quarters to use the telescope. He aims it toward the sky and tells her he wants to see the moon because she had said that “Dad might be living up there” (135). Joey then asks if they might call his father on the phone, but his mother responds that Joey would dislike him. When Joey pursues the point, she tells him to look in the bars for someone who is drunk. His mother explains that she is concerned because his father’s behavior is random: he might be nice and sober, or drunk and mean. Joey checks a phone book in an attempt to find a listing for his father and grandmother but is unsuccessful. He thinks about the fact that he wanted his father to be sober and to be interested in seeing his son. When his mother announces that is it time for them to go home, Joey realizes that his current home will never include his father; seeing his father would involve going to “[…] his home, wherever that was” (138).
Chapter 14 Summary: “The Patch”
Joey and his mother receive good news when they have a follow up visit with Dr. Preston and Special Ed. The doctor advises them that Joey’s problems are “not neurologically severe” (139 and that he will prescribe a transdermal patch, which is like a Band Aid, to provide a steady dose of medication throughout the day. The doctor tells them that the new medication, coupled with behavior therapies and positive family conditions, should help a great deal. Both men laugh when Joey raises his shirt to put on the patch, and they see that he has used Band Aids to create a dog’s face on his stomach. Everyone seems happy, and Joey notes that “Now that I was getting better, people could like me more” (141). Although the doctor warns that the medication dosage may require adjustment, he feels that things will improve for Joey.
Joey’s mother becomes very emotional when both the doctor and Ed tell her that they will be available to assist in any way necessary. When they leave the office, Joey asks if she would like to date one of them, but she responds that she just likes people who like her son; she is not interested in dating anyone. Joey finally has the sense that perhaps he has reached a positive turning point in his life. He remembers that Special Ed had given him advice indicating that not all problems were the result of his being “hyper,” and that it is important for Joey to maintain a positive attitude.
The pair visit a pet store to buy Joey the promised Chihuahua, but the owner does not carry this breed because they are nervous and noisy. The owner suggests a larger breed that looks like a wolf, and Joey wonders aloud whether this dog could devour his grandmother whole were she to return. His mother reminds him that “Grandma took care of you when I couldn’t” (45) and Joey realizes that he still loves his grandmother, despite the mistakes that she had made.
Joey finally finds his puppy in a free newspaper ad—the dog is half Chihuahua and half dachshund. He names the dog “Pablo Pigza.” Pablo sits at the window waiting for Joey and barks at all the passersby. Although his barking annoys Fran, she comes to love Pablo, too.
Chapter 15 Summary: “Picture Me Here”
Although Dr. Preston infers that the new medication may not “kick in” immediately, Joey sense a feeling of “winding down like I was on a swing that was slowly stopping” (147) from the first day that the patch is applied. He is able to work very hard in his classes during his last two weeks at the Center, but he notes that he will “always be wired wrong” (149). Special Ed advises him to make the best of his situation and not to allow his problems to overwhelm him.
Charlie, who was friendly to Joey during his first bus ride to the Center, has been fitted with a prosthetic arm. When Charlie shakes Joey’s hand in parting, it is a wonderful moment for both boys. Charlie awaits his second prosthesis, and Joey invites him to come to see his new puppy, Pablo, at his home.
Principal Jarzab and Mrs. Maxy agree to allow Joey to be readmitted to his old school, as long as he “live[s] by the rules and [takes his] medication” (149). Joey has become very fond of rules and finds them useful. He imposes rules upon Pablo regarding housebreaking and chewing inappropriate household items. Upon his return to school, Joey asks Principal Jarzab to allow him to lead the students in the Pledge of Allegiance. She agrees, although she turns off the volume when he adds the words, “My name is Joey Pigza, and I’m back!” (151) to the end of the Pledge.
Joey is to spend a week in Mrs. Howard’s Special Ed room prior to returning to Mrs. Maxi’s classroom. Everyone is very pleased to see him. Joey is sad that his birthday wish for Harold has not come true. The boy is still in a neck brace and a wheelchair and Joey had wished that they would be able to play football together. Joey shows Harold’s mother his patch and explains that he has new medication. She tells him that Harold has been looking for him ever since Joey blew out the candle on his birthday cake, and she says that Joey is “naturally good” and that he has “a good heart” (153). Joey is so touched by this that he cries. He is feeling calm and happy, and he selects a book to read in the Big Quiet Chair.
Chapters 13-15 Analysis
The author presents a realistic portrayal of Joey’s behavioral improvement in these chapters. While things improve, they will never be perfect, and Joey is aware of this. For example, he is able to remain motionless during the medical scan of his brain, but his anxiety manifests itself subsequently when he becomes angry in the Hospital gift shop, scatters postcards on the floor, and then gets on all fours and holds one in his mouth. While his daily quality of life is much improved by a transdermal patch, Joey reflects that, despite the best doctors and medication, there will always be a part of himself that is “wired wrong” (148); yet he comes to be accepting of this fact.
Joey does not remember his father, whom his mother describes as suffering from alcohol abuse; however, he has a natural curiosity and wants very much to see him. Fran’s concern is that her estranged husband, Carter, is mercurial by nature: she is unsure whether he will be sober and kindly or intoxicated and mean when he does meet Joey. The boy realizes that if he is to connect with his father, the meeting must take place at his father’s house rather than the one that he shares with his mother.
The prescription for a transdermal patch helps Joey immediately, and he experiences an unprecedented sense of optimism. Joey is kindhearted by nature, but his appreciation for the opportunity to live a less tortured life results in his ability to forgive his grandmother, who cared for him but often administered inappropriate punishments. Similarly, Joey’s joy in Charlie’s prosthetic hand and his delight when Harold’s mother’s comments that he was always a good person reflect a sort of happiness that has previously been unattainable. He realizes that he will always have a need for rules and structure and embraces the opportunity for a better life.
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