Part Three, Welch, Pages 183-241, Summary and Analysis

The spring that year was wet, and the house began to grow mold everywhere. The front porch also began to rot and fall apart. The family began using a back window as the front door. There was no bathroom, so when Uncle Stanley and Grandpa moved into an apartment after their house burned down, the family began going there to shower on the weekends. Jeannette refused to go, however, after Uncle Stanley tried to molest her. That same spring, Jeannette and Brian were foraging in the woods behind the house and found a diamond ring worth a great deal of money. Instead of selling it, however, Rose Mary decided to keep it to help raise her spirits. Rose Mary had become depressed over the winter. Jeannette tried to talk her into leaving their...