Summary

In Chapter 14, state officials schedule an inspection of the Nickel School’s grounds and facilities. In the days leading up to the inspection, the staff and administrators organize the students in cleaning and organizing the school to look presentable and habitable. While working, Elwood thinks about Martin Luther King’s idea that loving one’s oppressors is the only way to overcome oppression. Elwood is unable to fully accept this idea. Elwood decides that he will write a full report of the actual conditions of the school and will try to covertly give it to the inspectors when they arrive. Turner warns Elwood not to do that, as it could result in severe retaliation from the staff. A team of state inspectors arrives on campus on the date of the inspection, and they tour the school. They appear to be satisfied by their...