Summary

Part 1, Chapter 2 – Tarwater must contact his only living blood-relation, he tells the copper flue salesman, Meeks. Meeks believes that Tarwater must be fleeing a horrible backwoods situation, and offers to bring Tarwater directly to his uncle’s, but Tarwater refuses. Tarwater plans to see his uncle in the daytime, and not so as to be beholden or studied for an article. Meeks tries to impress upon Tarwater the value and importance of hard work. Hard work, and loving thy neighbor, make the world go round, he argues.

Tarwater, meanwhile, tries to remember what he can of Marion and Marion’s sister, who had Marion put into an asylum for the insane for four years. Marion was released when he learned how to stop prophesying, and he used this experience to exercise caution in the world. This is why he resorted to kidnapping Rayber...