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Chapter 11: The Best in the Country
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Al Capone Does My Shirts, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Disability, Dignity, and Shared Humanity
Friendship and Community
Family
Growing Up and Doing the Right Thing
Summary
Analysis
The next morning seems normal, except Mom asks Dad multiple times how early he thinks she can call Mrs. Kelly. On Moose’s way to the boat, Theresa sticks her head out of the Trixles’ door and asks to go with Moose. Bea Trixle tells Theresa she can’t go, and Theresa asks in a whine how long it’ll take her mom to have the baby. She hisses at Moose to find her after school. Moose continues to the boat, where Piper apologizes to Moose for making him meet with the warden; she was just worried about Natalie. Privately, Moose is certain she knows Natalie is back on Alcatraz. Piper then says that helping with the laundry isn’t against the warden’s rules and reminds Moose that he promised to help her. She promises to be nice for a while if he helps. Moose laughs.
Moose is integrating into the community on Alcatraz: Theresa, annoyed at having to stay with the Trixles while her mom is having her baby, sees Moose as an ally who could break her out of what she sees as her prison. For her part, Piper tries now to ingratiate herself with Moose with apologies and promises to be nice—promises that Moose doesn’t seem to take seriously but finds charming nonetheless.
Themes
Piper invites Moose into the cabin and points out Weasel, an inmate on his way to court. He’s cuffed to a guard. Piper explains that he’s probably headed to another appeal; he knows as much about law as his lawyers. Returning to her laundry plan, she says Annie wouldn’t help if she thought she’d get in trouble. Moose refuses to help, but Piper asks if he’d help if she promised to be nice to Natalie. Moose makes her promise to be kind, not call her names, and not tell the warden anything. Piper promises and tells Moose all he has to do is talk about Alcatraz and shows him a sign in her notebook, advertising the only laundry facility run by criminals like Al Capone and Machine Gun Kelly. Moose groans, but Piper leads him to class.
Ultimately, Moose tries to make the most of his deal with Piper. He essentially uses it to ensure Natalie receives kind, respectful treatment from Piper going forward. This highlights Moose’s loyalty to his sister, as well as his firm belief that Natalie deserves to be treated like a person, not like something shameful or scary.
Themes
In Miss Bimp’s class, Piper motions Moose to follow her to the back, where kids are copying one another’s homework. She then asks Moose if he saw the shiv and slips away, leaving Moose to tell a wild tale about how someone got stabbed. Kids want to know more about Alcatraz. Moose insists that convicts are punished for overdue library books and for not saying please or thank you. Almost everyone seems to know he’s kidding, but still, Del excuses himself and returns wearing his sweater over his bare chest. He hands his shirt to Piper.
Moose and Piper’s classmates are hungry for wild tales about Alcatraz. This is partially because they’re intrigued by the trappings of a prison—cells, extreme punishments, and makeshift weapons—but they’re also, no doubt, intrigued by the criminals housed within. The criminals are celebrities, and Moose and Piper are profiting off of that fact.
Themes
All through class, Piper fields notes asking the price for socks and if anything will come back bloody. After class, everyone lines up at the bathrooms to take off whatever they can and hand their clothes and money to Piper. After school, Moose even sees some eighth-grade boys without their shirts. He will admit Piper is smart, but he’s certain she’ll get in trouble.
At this point, Moose can only shake his head at Piper. He’s played along with her scheme, but that doesn’t mean he thinks it’s right or good—or will be successful.
Themes
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