Chapters 25 and 26 Summary

In chapter twenty-five, Jayber ruminates how war and the economy are Siamese twins. By the 1960s, Port William is beginning to suffer its own death. The general store is closed and empty, and the world has become "Ceceliafied." People are no longer interested in raising, buying or delivering local products, and the entire economy (and the war) is focused on getting people to purchase what they may not need or expect. Now in 1986, Jayber wonders how many shares people have all purchased in death. Farmers are aging, tireder, and the old integrity becomes broken. Jayber knows that all these farmers, men who worry about the economy, will die without being replaced. Troy Chatham despises the fear and worry of the old farmers and feels the answer lies in more technology and debt. The Port William school closes and most everything now...