The Seventh Most Important Thing

Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 2015

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The Second Important Thing-Chapter 25Chapter Summaries & Analyses

“The Second Important Thing” Summary

Arthur tells Squeak to find another table because Arthur is dangerous and is supposed to stay away from Squeak. Squeak says, “dangerous is good” and sits down (108). Arthur rushes to finish eating so he can leave but stops when he sees everything in Squeak’s lunch bag is wrapped in foil, “important thing #2” (109).

Arthur tells Squeak he works for a guy who collects foil, and Squeak gives Arthur his foil pieces. When the bell rings, Squeak says he’ll sit with Arthur tomorrow.

Chapter 24 Summary

Arthur keeps eating lunch with squeak and taking foil to give Mr. Hampton. One day, Arthur writes out the list of important things and asks Squeak what it means. Squeak doesn’t know but suggests Mr. Hampton might use them “for building or making something” (115).

Chapter 25 Summary

On the seventh Saturday of Arthur’s probation, the list changes. It now reads: “FIND THRONE CHAIR” (116). Arthur spends his four hours looking for chairs. Toward the end, he finds an old chair that could have been a throne if fixed up. Arthur is sure “this was the chair Mr. Hampton wanted” (118). He brings it back to the garage and goes home, eager to hear what Mr. Hampton thinks of it.

“The Second Important Thing”-Chapter 25 Analysis

At the start of “The Second Important Thing,” Arthur wants to get far away from Squeak. After yesterday’s incident, Arthur can’t afford for Vice or others to perceive him as messing up (even if he’s doing nothing wrong). The foil in Squeak’s lunchbox stops Arthur from leaving. Initially, Arthur stays because this is an easy way to collect foil for Mr. Hampton. Arthur doesn’t object to Squeak sitting with him the next day because it means more foil. Arthur doesn’t see it here, but foil brings he and Squeak together. Arthur needs a friend to help him on his emotional journey. If not for the foil, he never would have even talked to Squeak.

Over the following weeks, Squeak and Arthur’s friendship grows. When Arthur asks Squeak about the list of important things, Squeak says the items might be for building, which foreshadows Arthur’s discovery of Mr. Hampton’s sculpture in Chapter 26.

Arthur’s assignment changes on the seventh Saturday of his probation. This change introduces the importance of the number seven. Arthur’s response to his new assignment shows how he’s changed since the book’s beginning. On his first Saturday of probation, Arthur lazily collected whatever he could find that was close enough to the items on the list, even though he had specific things to look for. On the seventh Saturday, Mr. Hampton’s instructions are vaguer and include only one item, but Arthur spends his entire four-hour session searching for the perfect chair. Arthur has grown in the last seven weeks. At the start of probation, Arthur would have given Mr. Hampton the first chair he found. Now, Arthur has a sense of what Mr. Hampton wants. Before, Arthur didn’t care what Mr. Hampton’s reaction to Arthur’s work was. Now, Arthur hopes Mr. Hampton likes the chair. Arthur partly uses Mr. Hampton as motivation to do well, but Arthur also takes pride in the chair he finds. Despite little interaction between Arthur and Mr. Hampton, Pearsall is using Arthur’s tasks to develop their relationship. Arthur’s eagerness to please others again becomes apparent in his search for the perfect “throne.”