The Seventh Most Important Thing

Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 2015

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Chapters 19-23Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapter 19 Summary

Christmas day, Arthur doesn’t feel like celebrating. He misses his dad and reflects that Officer Billie was right about Christmas being a difficult season. His mom tries to make the day special, but it doesn’t feel quite real to Arthur, “Like they were actors in a play” (89).

Arthur gives his mother a flowerpot he found while collecting trash for Mr. Hampton and then fixed up. His mother gives Arthur his dad’s coin collection, which Arthur doesn’t really want. His dad’s hat means more to him, and Arthur realizes it’s difficult to tell “what things would be important to people and what wouldn’t” (92). He starts to understand Mr. Hampton’s list of important things.

Chapter 20 Summary

Though he doesn’t have probation scheduled, Arthur goes to the garage the Saturday after Christmas in hopes of figuring out exactly what Mr. Hampton does. The garage is locked up, and there’s no one there.

Arthur goes home, where Barbara tells him Mr. Hampton was in the neighborhood and that she talked to him. Barbara reveals Mr. Hampton has no kids and that he called his cart a chariot “but you just can’t see the horses” (96). Arthur doesn’t know what to make of this.

Chapter 21 Summary

When school resumes, Arthur forgets a book one day and runs to his locker during lunch. A group of ninth-grade jocks are there, throwing a basketball at a trashcan. Arthur doesn’t think much of it until he sees “the top of somebody’s head appear” out of the can (100).

Chapter 22 Summary

The scene angers Arthur for reasons he doesn’t understand. Arthur runs through the jocks and helps the kid out of the trash can. The kid’s name is Reginald (nicknamed Squeak for his small size) and is in the same grade as Arthur.

Arthur shoves the can at the jocks, making the whole thing fall over and balls go everywhere. He gets dragged to the principal’s office and reflects that Officer Billie “would probably count this as messing up” (104).

Chapter 23 Summary

At the office, Vice tells Arthur Squeak said Arthur helped but that the other witnesses claim Arthur was tormenting Squeak. Vice is sure Arthur was tormenting Squeak because Arthur went to jail and must be a troublemaker. He tells Arthur that if he goes near Squeak again, he’ll be “out of this school for good” (107).

Arthur prepares to follow Vice’s orders, but the next day, Squeak sits with Arthur at lunch

Chapters 19-23 Analysis

Christmas day showcases many of the book’s major themes. Arthur’s mother loves the flowerpot Arthur gives her. To her, it becomes a treasure, though someone else threw it away. Arthur isn’t interested in his dad’s coin collection. Though his mother kept the coins out of the trash, the collection is not treasure for Arthur. The motorcycle cap that his mother did throw away means more. Again, what was trash for one character represents a treasured item for another. Arthur’s dad took great care of his coin collection, implying it was important to him. Arthur’s mother assumes Arthur will have the same interest because he is like his dad. She gives Arthur something he should like, rather than something he truly wants. Arthur is not who he seems to his mother here.

The author introduces Squeak in these chapters. Vice warns Arthur to stay away from Squeak, but Squeak doesn’t know this. By joining Arthur at lunch, the text suggests that Squeak and Arthur will become friends and the importance their relationship will have for Arthur.

Vice continues to judge Arthur based on who he believes Arthur to be, rather than who Arthur is. The bullies use Arthur’s criminal history to place the blame for bullying on Arthur’s shoulders. Arthur recognized the bullies on sight, implying they have a history of causing trouble. Even though Arthur made only one mistake compared to their many, Vice sides against Arthur. Arthur’s otherwise clean history and the fact that he helped Squeak don’t matter. Vice has made up his mind.