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Chapter 28: Tall for Her Age
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
Moose tries to avoid Piper the following week, but Piper seems intent on being around Moose. Annie even warns Moose that Piper is planning something. He learns on Wednesday that Piper gave Scout 105’s baseball and then stopped talking to Scout. Scout doesn’t seem to care, and he insists that Moose and Piper like each other. Moose denies this.
As Moose has no interest in getting in any more trouble with the Natalie and 105 situation, he goes out of his way to avoid Piper—who is, as Annie suggests, almost certainly working on a plan of some sort that will entail doing something against the rules.
Themes
Piper finds Moose after school, asks if they’re friends, and says that friends help each other: she needs help with 105, since Natalie has an in with him. Ignoring Moose’s obvious rage, Piper says that they can find out what happened if they let Natalie and 105 meet and spy. Moose can beat up 105 if the convict tries anything. She insists they got close to getting in the cell house with Mrs. Capone; the guards could’ve asked Theresa or Jimmy to translate. Moose insists that’s not true.
While Piper is clearly off-base in saying that the kids almost got into the cell house with Mrs. Capone (it’s laughable to think that the guards would’ve let children translate while they strip-searched a woman), Piper also makes the point that Moose won’t be able to avenge his sister if he doesn’t find out what happened. She tries to play on his responsible nature in this way.
Themes
Piper admits that she’s tried to talk to 105, and he won’t talk to her. She looked in the warden’s files and she doesn’t know what he’s in for, but he has less than a year left (this is why he gets to garden) and has been really good. People call him Onion because of his greasy hair. Piper says she found him in the garden; if Natalie could find him, she knew she could. Moose insists that Natalie isn’t stupid, and Piper concurs. But Moose can’t help but think that Piper makes some sense—that is, until Piper tries to assure Moose that everything will be fine because Natalie isn’t pregnant.
Again, Piper has good information and makes valid points, but she’s offensively flippant about things too—even if Natalie doesn’t get pregnant, of course it's still not okay if Natalie is suffering sexual abuse, for instance. Moose doesn’t know quite what to do with Piper’s information, given his desire to be good and responsible while also figuring out what happened—ideally without having to let Piper help.
Themes
Moose says he has to keep Natalie safe until her interview for the Esther P. Marinoff, but Piper asks what happens if Natalie doesn’t get in. Moose insists Natalie will get in, but Piper just raises an eyebrow and says 105 and Natalie can get married after he gets released. Ignoring Moose’s objections, Piper asks if he’s curious and insists that it’ll be safe for Natalie, since they’ll be right there. She says she wants to meet Al Capone and 105 could be her in. Studying Piper, Moose says she just likes being close to “all this criminal stuff.” Piper doesn’t deny it.
Piper is obnoxious, crass, and in some ways wildly immature. Yet, she perhaps has a more realistic view of Natalie’s prospects than the Flanagan family does—or, at least, she suggests that the family should perhaps come up with a contingency plan, just in case Natalie isn’t accepted.
Themes
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