Chapters 3 & 4 Summary and Analysis

The chapter titled Mrs. Peavey provides insights into Ruth's early life. Although Mother cooks for parties, everyday cooking is left up to eight-year-old Ruth and the maid of the moment. By far the most interesting of these is Mrs. Peavey, a wealthy woman fallen on hard times due to her binge drinking. She shows Ruth how to make blackberry pie and brownies. Mrs. Peavey's three adult sons arrive in a chauffeured car and beg her to speak to them, but she refuses. The elderly woman does not want her sons to see her in reduced circumstances, working as a maid. Later, Ruth learns that Mr. Peavey left his fortune to his sons, who want to tell Mrs. Peavey how to live her life.

Ruth's mother pays her young daughter to stay alone at night and babysit herself, even on school nights...