Chapter 8 Summary

Hagar describes the cannery as a place where the remnants and debris of an old sailor's quarters have been left, including an old fishing boat and piles of old seashells. She is convinced that she has everything she needs, using old crates for a table and a chair. In a moment of pure fancy, she picks up the shells of dead June bugs and decorates her hair with them. She begins to feel the pain in her chest and slips onto the floor when she notices that a sea gull has gotten into the room. Remembering an old proverb that says a bird in the house means a death in the house, Hagar is alarmed, and throws a crate at it, making it fall. Since she doesn't want to get near the injured bird, Hagar wishes for Marvin, who always knows how to...