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Chapter 11
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in This Tender Land, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Family, Community, and Home
Hardship, Injustice, and Compassion
God, Fate, and Choice
Coming of Age and Personal Growth
Storytelling, Music, and Hope
Acceptance and Forgiveness
Summary
Analysis
The children paddle down the river for much of the night. Despite his guilt over killing DiMarco, Odie feels he has left his old self behind and welcomes his newfound freedom. They camp on the riverbank near the lights of a small town. Emmy falls asleep holding Odie’s hand, but Albert remains awake. Unlike Odie, he feels they are in more danger than ever, certain that Mrs. Brickman will come after Emmy. In response to Odie’s surprise at Mr. Brickman’s involvement in the bootlegging, Albert calls Brickman a “con.” The next day, Albert takes a dollar and goes to buy food in town. Odie counts $249 from the safe in the pillowcase.
The act of killing DiMarco represents a major shift in Odie’s life as he transitions away from childhood and toward adulthood. Despite his willingness to become a fugitive with Odie, Albert remains pessimistic and concerned with logistics. Still, Albert’s involvement in Brickman’s shady dealings suggests that he is more aware of the world of adults than his younger brother.
Themes
Emmy suggests they use the money to buy new shoes, as Lincoln only provided cheap pairs. Odie flips through the stack of letters from the safe, all of which are addressed to the superintendent. They are all from the families of kids who stay at Lincoln year-round, sending money to their children for gifts or trips home. There is even a letter from Billy Red Sleeve’s parents, begging for help in bringing their son home. Understanding that this is where the money came from, Odie resolves not to tell Albert, afraid his brother will refuse to use it. Albert returns with food. After eating, the children hear a farmer and flee to the canoe once more.
This scene displays the scope of the Brickmans’ abusive policies at Lincoln. Not only have they neglected the students’ safety by providing subpar footwear, the letters reveal that the Brickmans have actually been stealing money meant for the students. The letter from Billy’s parents is particularly heartbreaking—it shows that Billy’s family wanted him to come home, but instead he was removed from their care and murdered. Odie’s decision to withhold this information from Albert is born of the worry that Albert will prioritize personal ethics over their survival. This also characterizes Odie as crafty.
Themes
The next day, Albert goes into another town and brings back food and a newspaper reporting Emmy’s kidnapping. The article features an old photo of Emmy and a picture of Odie’s inscription on the water tower. The story reports that three masked assailants robbed Mr. Brickman, tied him up, and then kidnapped Emmy. Fremont County Sheriff Bob Warford insists the criminals will be captured quickly. The children cannot understand why Brickman lied, but Albert frets over their fugitive status. The paper also reports DiMarco’s disappearance. Odie insists that Emmy can disguise herself as a boy with her short hair and a cap. Begrudgingly, Albert admits this might work.
The fact that the Brickmans are intentionally concealing the boys’ identities suggests they do not want to draw attention to the runaways, presumably because doing so would expose crimes of their own, though the children can only speculate what these might be. Here, the novel briefly touches on the lengths to which powerful people will go to protect their own status.
Themes
After they eat, Odie tells a story about a girl named Emmy who lives with her mean aunt and uncle, the Brickmans. Emmy discovers a mirror that holds the ghost of another girl, Priscilla. When Emmy touches the mirror, she swaps places with Priscilla and becomes trapped. Soon, Priscilla begs Emmy to switch back because Mrs. Brickman is so terrible, but Emmy enjoys living in the mirror and reading. Odie hopes that they are on the safe side of the mirror now. That night, a sleepwalking Emmy instructs Odie to hide two five-dollar bills in his shoe, saying he will know what they are for “[w]hen the time comes.” Odie finds this strange, but he does not tell Albert or Mose.
This time Odie tells a story, he does so to comfort Emmy and give her hope that the life they are heading toward is better than the one they’ve left behind. It is worth noting that the group is more like Priscilla, the girl who trades the life she knows for the life she doesn’t know—and may live to regret her choice. Nevertheless, Odie’s optimism persists. Emmy’s sleepwalking here suggests she is capable of seeing the future during her strange episodes, as she seems to warn Odie of future trouble.
Themes
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