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Chapter 12: What About the Electric Chair?
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
In the morning, Moose hears rustling outside and opens the door to find Piper stuffing clothes in his family’s laundry bags. He goes back inside, beet red. Mom then corners Moose and says that she met with Mrs. Kelly yesterday. Mrs. Kelly says they need to throw away the button box and stop Natalie from counting. Moose’s stomach tightens as Mom continues to say that they all have to change in order to get Natalie to change. Moose resents the implication that Natalie’s behavior is their fault and goes to Natalie’s room to look for his missing toothbrush. He finds it, surrounded by perfectly arranged buttons.
At first, Mrs. Kelly’s plan for Natalie seems inhumane and cruel: Moose knows Natalie loves her buttons, and that taking them away and forbidding her from counting will harm Natalie’s mental wellbeing. As Moose sees it, then, Mom is willing to make Natalie absolutely miserable—and her whole family, too (since she suggests they all have to change)—if it means that Natalie’s behavior might improve.
Themes
Mom says part of this effort requires Moose: Mom is going to be teaching piano lessons in the city in the afternoons, so Moose will need to watch Natalie. Mrs. Kelly said Moose can take her wherever he wants, and according to Bea Trixle, Alcatraz is the safest neighborhood in San Francisco. All the bad guys are behind bars. Moose argues that Natalie should stay inside since she can’t swim, but Mom just tells Moose to stay away from the water. He says he can’t watch Natalie Monday, since he plays baseball after school. Mom insists Moose just needs to talk to Scout about playing on Tuesdays instead, and she refuses to let Moose take Natalie to San Francisco on Mondays. Mom tells Moose to take Natalie out with him here; she needs to be around other kids. Moose walks away.
Mom’s insistence that Moose needs to take Natalie around Alcatraz is a huge blow for Moose. It damages his relationships with his classmates at school, he believes Natalie isn’t safe on Alcatraz, and he generally sees this request as a lot to ask of him. It asks him to take on a very mature, adult role in caring for his sister, one Moose is pretty sure he doesn’t want. Just as Moose ignores his crush on Piper, a sign of his burgeoning maturity, here he resents any request to take on more responsibility and an adult role in the family.
Themes
