Chapters 1-3 Summary

Vernon, the narrator and protagonist of the novel, begins the story by explaining that he writes about an event that happened two years previous, when he was in the seventh grade.

The Dobbs family consists of five children and his father. Vernon's mother died of a stroke years before. This is the first and only time Vernon sees his father cry. Mom made all of her children feel special, and treated everyone in the neighborhood with respect. Since mom's death, Vernon's father acts differently. He works a lot and seems to struggle with family and household management.

The Dobbs family lives, by Vernon's estimation, one block from the slum. The family seems uncomfortable around African-Americans at first, but they come to find out that those people are the same as themselves.

During Vernon's seventh grade year, he visits the slum for...