111 pages • 3 hours read
A List of Cages
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BetaChapters 7-9Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Chapter 7 Summary
Chapter 7 is narrated by Julian as he is sitting in the back row of his first period Physical Science class with Miss West. Julian describes Miss West as being unhappy and mean. He compares her meanness to Jared's. As soon as the class begins, Miss West confiscates a girl's phone and yells at a boy for whispering. She tells a girl who has cerebral palsy to have her aide bring her in early because she disrupts the class by being transferred from her wheel chair to a desk. While West passes out recent exam papers, she says every student's numerical grade out loud as she hands the tests back. She stops in front of Julian and calls out his score out: Julian has received a forty. Then she turns to her favorite students, Alex and Kristin, and asks them how it’s possible for any student to make a forty on the test. Alex says she doesn't know; Miss West agrees she doesn't know, either. Miss West says the score is "'pitiful'" (41). Julian closes his eyes and hopes if he concentrates hard enough, he can teleport or just disappear.
Chapter 8 Summary
The first part of Chapter 8 is narrated by Julian. His narration opens as he's headed towards his secret room in the attic of the theater department, instead of going to see Dr. Whitlock. Adam comes up from behind him as he's walking to her office, initiating a conversation with Julian about his old art class with Miss Hooper. Julian tells Adam that Miss Hooper says his drawings are good, but Julian doesn't think they are. Julian’s anxiety is telling him to flee, so he tells Adam he has to go to the bathroom and waits for Adam to leave, but he doesn't. Adam continues to walk with him because Dr. Whitlock has explained to Adam that his assignment is to bring in Julian. Adam tells Julian he heard that Julian "'got lost […] the last ten times'" he was supposed to go to Dr. Whitlock's (44). When Julian confesses he didn't get lost, Adam tells Julian he didn't really think he got lost, and he makes a joke about being Julian's escort, as he accompanies Julian to Mr. Whitlock's office.
Once Julian arrives, Dr. Whitlock reminds Julian her office is a safe and confidential place. She asks him to pick out a board came to play, and he picks out a game he is familiar with. Julian hesitates to play the board game because "board games were not something [he] ever did at home" (50). Dr. Whitlock frowns when she asks for him to pick a color he'd like and Julian tells her any color will do. She looks unhappy again when Julian sacrifices his own chances of winning by choosing to take one of her pawns farthest from her home "so it wouldn't be as mean" (51).
Adam narrates the second section of this chapter as he remembers Julian in grammar school. Julian said he had dyslexia and to get Julian interested in a fun book, Adam introduced him to the Elian Mariner books, which Julian loved (and continues to love throughout the novel).
Chapter 9 Summary
This chapter is narrated by Julian, and it focuses on Russell’s second thrashing with the switch. Julian had cleaned his shoes in the early afternoon with some bleach, but there was some bleach still on the soles, and the bleach got on the floor. Russell tells Julian the hardwood floors are "'spoiled,'" and Julian needs to learn how to respect other people's things. Julian says he's sorry, and that it was stupid of him to do it, and Russell agrees. Julian's stomach turns into knots; his uncle tells him to go get the switch. Julian goes to the living room and takes it out of the drawer. Julian wishes he had super powers to turn off the pain. He states that the hardest part is that he can't run, and he has to be still. Julian endures the punishment until he is screaming.
Chapters 7-9 Analysis
In these chapters we gain a deeper understanding of what Julian was like as a child living with his parents. Adam remembers Julian being "a naturally cheerful kid–always singing and wearing crazy glasses you'd get at joke shops," (49), that Julian was care free and confident, and that he even burst into song in front of his classmates. Adam remembers Julian was a good singer, and the stories he wrote were "not just little-kid good, but really good" (49).
The reader is also introduced to the details of Julian's mother's green spiral notebook. When Julian is hiding in the theater attic room, he believes that a group of entries on one of the pages in his mother's green notebook are a list of fears because all of the words end in “phobia” except for one phrase:“kayak angst.” Julian researches kayak angst and finds out it's a disorder of Inuit sailors in Greenland who panic once they head out from shore in their boats and the land starts to disappear.
Roe highlights Julian's intellectual curiosity in these chapters. As Julian mulls over the Inuit sailors, he speculates that Elian Mariner doesn't feel scared or angsty like the Inuit sailors because Elian doesn't experience loneliness for prolonged periods. Mariner doesn't feel pain because he is always being transported somewhere:"One moment [Elian Mariner's] sailboat is airborne in the stratosphere with a beautiful view of a tiny earth, and all the stars. Then, flash, like fireworks and a sonic boom, you turn the page and he's there. In another country or another world" (42). Julian is curious where Elian goes between the time he was in his ship and the time he was transported, but his father didn't know. This intrigued Julian, "because when you're between two shores and no one can see you, you don’t really exist at all" (42). Julian's reflections of the Elian Mariner books are important because when he feels uncomfortable, he wants to disappear or teleport himself like Elian Mariner is capable of doing.
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