Part 2, Chapters 14, 15, 16 and 17 Summary

The school year has finished and Arun prepares to move for his summer stay with the Patton family in Massachusetts. As Arun walks to his temporary home, he is struck by the tidy houses sitting amidst the verdant landscape of a prosperous subdivision. Arun is particularly struck by how large the houses are in proportion to the small number of people residing in them. When Arun finally arrives at the Patton home, Mrs. Patton, who had been putting away groceries, greets him warmly. Mr. Patton grills supper on the back patio and Arun can tell from the smell that it will be some sort of red meat, a thought which disgusts Arun's sensibilities. Mrs. Patton shares Arun's disdain for meat but feels powerless to change the family's dining rituals.

Mr. Patton calls the family to dinner and, when Arun...