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Chapter 7: Big for Seventh Grade
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
As Moose makes his way to the field after school, he can’t stop thinking about Piper. She’s so annoying. When he gets to the field, a few of the boys ask Moose about life on Alcatraz, like whether Moose gets to eat meals with the murderers and if he’s met Al Capone. Moose jokingly answers their questions and then borrows a glove from Scout. Del and Scout are captains, and to Moose’s surprise, Scout picks him third. Scout tells Moose to hit first. Seeing a group of girls walk past, he wonders if Piper will come. Moose hits the third pitch and manages to make it to first base. He makes it to third before it’s Del’s team’s turn to hit.
Though Moose is annoyed by Piper, his thought process also suggests he may be developing a crush on her—he seems to want to show off for her. This romantic interest isn’t wholly apparent to Moose himself, though, highlighting Moose’s youth and his innocence. He’s beginning to grow up, but he’s not entirely comfortable yet with that fact.
Themes
Moose usually plays first, but Scout says Meeger plays first and asks Moose to play second. The third batter hits a ball right to Moose—and Moose and Meeger manage to get two guys out. It’s Moose’s first double play ever, and he can’t wait to tell Dad. The guys are all looking at Moose now, and Moose wonders if maybe it won’t be so bad here. Moose’s team is winning by the time Moose has to go, and Scout invites him to play again every Monday. Moose is thrilled.
It’s extremely fulfilling for Moose to not only have fun playing baseball here, but to participate in a pretty impressive double play. This again helps Moose feel more at home, and like the move to Alcatraz is, perhaps, less of a death sentence than he thought.
Themes
