Summary

Chapter 7 begins with Papaw’s unexpected death. Normally, J.D.’s grandfather would spend most of his day at Mamaw’s house, but the family became worried when he failed to appear. By the time Mom, Mamaw, and J.D. went to his house to investigate, Papaw had been dead for over a day. Papaw’s death was a tragic event for the entire family, but J.D. and Lindsay, in particular, experienced a level of guilt for taking advantage of Papaw throughout their lives. J.D. uses this event to explain that the ability to “take advantage” of someone was indicative of having a parent. Following Papaw’s funeral in Kentucky, Mom became increasingly emotional and erratic. Vance notes that she seemed offended that anyone other than her would grieve for Papaw’s death, given that he was her father. She also...