37 pages • 1 hour read
W.P. KinsellaShoeless Joe
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1982A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
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BetaChapter 3: “The Life and Times of Moonlight Graham”Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Chapter 3 Summary
As Ray and Salinger travel towards Minnesota, where Moonlight Graham died in 1965, Salinger tells Ray that he also received a message saying, "fulfill the dream" (98). Graham had played only one inning of baseball for the New York Giants, in the year 1905. Both of them pay a visit to the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. They read a newspaper obituary that reveals that Graham had worked as Chisholm, Minnesota’s doctor for many years and was much loved by the members of his community. At night, Ray dreams of Eddie Scissons, the “oldest living Chicago Cub” (110) and is surprised that Eddie has invaded his dreams. Years ago, Ray had bought Eddie’s farm.
Later at night, Ray goes walking, and meets Doc Graham, depicted as a seventy-five-year-old man. Graham and Ray walk together to Graham's office at the school, where Graham explains to Ray how he got the nickname “Moonlight Graham.” Graham confesses to Ray that his one wish was to hold a bat in a major-league game, something that he never did in his career. He asks Ray if he can fulfill his wish to have,“the chance to run the bases, stretch a double to a triple, and flop face-first into third base, wrapping my arm around the bag” (125).
The next morning, Salinger and Ray decide to go back to Iowa so that Salinger can see the baseball field. Ray tells Salinger that not everyone can see the field. Salinger tells him that he will give it a try. On their way out of Chisholm, they meet a young man who is wearing a baseball uniform without any insignia. The young man tells them that he is looking for a place to play and has heard rumors that every state in the Midwest has a team. He decides to drive along with them and tells them that his name is Archie Graham.
Chapter 3 Analysis
In the appropriately-titled third chapter, "The Life and Times of Moonlight Graham," Salinger and Ray investigate Graham while attempting to discover the meaning of the messages they’ve been receiving. Throughout their journey, Salinger fears being recognized: however, he slowly realizes that either no one knows who he is or no one recognizes him.
Stopping at the local newspaper, they learn that Graham is dead but that he was a doctor in the community for half a century. Ray and Salinger speak to many locals who praise Graham for his ability as a doctor, and kind to everyone he met.
The most fantastical character in Shoeless Joe is Moonlight Graham, whom Kinsella infuses with magic and metaphor. When Ray first encounters Moonlight, he does so in "the night air, sweet with the smells of summer…a high-country chill to it. The sky is cloudless and might be a lake reflecting stars and a golden sickle moon" (116). As he walks through the time-changed city, "a door closes softly and a figure moves smartly down the steps of the southernmost entrance and turns in the direction of the town-toward me. There is nodoubt in my mind that this is Doc Graham" (117). The frequent use of the stars, the moonlight, and the halo emphasize the magical quality of Ray’s encounter.
Destiny creates a collision between Ray, Salinger and Archie, as the two older men leave Chisholm: "somewhere in Chisholm, at that moment, a boy, a bat on his right shoulder, cap pulled down over his eyes, his glove hung on the end of the bat, walks off in search of summer. The boy is crossing toward a park. As we turn onto the highway near Longyear Lake, he appears, arm raised in a hitchhiker's stance, thumb out, with a grin as warm as July, as American as johnnycake, on his face" (129).
The men pick up the hitchhiker, whose three simple words identify his role: "I'm Archie Graham" (130).
