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Chapter 23
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 group of children camps near the meadow. Odie can’t sleep, convinced—like the young drunk man—of his own wickedness, having murdered two men. He hears Sister Eve singing and crosses the meadow, peering into the tent. Sister Eve has taken off her white robe and wears jeans and cowboy boots. She, the trumpet player (Sid), and the piano player (Whisker) sing together. The trumpet player says Eve should be on Broadway, but she claims she is too busy “doing the Lord’s work.” They play a Gershwin song that Odie knows, and he joins in on harmonica, sitting outside the tent. Odie feels the song is feeding him, almost like a prayer.
Odie still feels immense guilt for killing DiMarco and Jack. Interestingly, his need to have his wickedness forgiven seems entirely separate from God, perhaps because of his continuing anger and disillusionment with God. Instead, Sister Eve and her music exert a significant draw on Odie, piquing his curiosity. The overheard conversation suggests that Eve puts on a stage persona for services, but her belief in God and her mission appears sincere. By joining in with the adults’ music, Odie nourishes the part of himself that feels despair, reviving his hope.
Themes
The next day, Emmy begs Albert to let them explore the town. Irritated, Albert obliges, but he tells Mose to stay behind since his Native identity will draw attention. Odie takes Emmy into town (which is called New Bremen) disguised as a boy. Sitting by a sweet shop, they encounter Sister Eve and her trumpet player (Sid). Sister Eve recognizes the children and questions them about their parents. Odie claims they are orphaned siblings. Taking Emmy’s hand, Eve asks her to return to the revival that evening for a special gift. She seems to see through Emmy’s disguise. Odie promises they will come. Sister Eve buys them candy, and Emmy says with conviction that they can trust her. Odie believes Emmy.
Albert’s demand that Mose remains behind unintentionally excludes him from their community based on his identity, fracturing the group’s sense of family. That Odie’s claim that he and Emmy are wandering orphans seems normal shows how dire the Depression has made American life. Sister Eve’s implied clairvoyance—if it is real—seems linked to the action of holding a person’s hand (she held the drunk man’s hand the previous night just before speaking about his mother). Now, something about holding Emmy’s hand makes Eve invite the children to another service. Emmy’s fits and sleepwalking episode also portray her as having possibly supernatural traits, making her kindred spirits with Eve. For this reason, perhaps, Emmy seems to possess infallible knowledge of Eve’s good will.
Themes
