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Chapter 7
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
Mrs. Frost’s body is recovered later that day. Mrs. Brickman returns to Lincoln, declaring she will adopt Emmy. Odie cannot believe the unfairness of this. The school holds a funeral service for Mrs. Frost. Emmy’s hair has been cut short because of the debris, and she looks like a boy. Odie surprises everyone by playing “Shenandoah” on his harmonica with Miss Stratton providing accompaniment. He cries for what has been lost, including his hope for a better life, but also for everyone whose life was better for knowing Mrs. Frost. Mrs. Brickman disapproves of the spontaneous performance, and she tells Odie to enjoy his harmonica while he can. When she leaves, Miss Stratton comments that the tornado “took the wrong woman.”
The contrast between kind Mrs. Frost and cruel Mrs. Brickman is so stark that Odie cannot believe the latter will replace Emmy’s mother. Odie’s performance showcases the depth of the community’s loss, uniting almost everyone in the act of mourning Mrs. Frost and celebrating her life. Despite the music’s obvious positive effect on students and staff, Mrs. Blackman threatens to take the harmonica again, showing that she is opposed to anything that undermines her power, regardless of its impact. Miss Stratton’s comment revisits Odie’s conviction that God (as the tornado) is unjust, rewarding the wicked and punishing the good.
Themes
Odie is assigned to work with DiMarco, but he sneaks away to the Frost farm instead. He is baffled by how the farmstead is destroyed, but the nearby trees along the river are intact. Odie digs through the wreckage of the house until he finds the Frosts’ family photo. Upon his return to school, Odie is accosted by Volz, Albert, and Mose. DiMarco now has an excuse to punish him severely. Odie gives Albert the photo and accepts his fate. DiMarco beats Odie in front of the other boys and promises more pain during tomorrow’s special assignment. Volz tries to intimidate DiMarco, but DiMarco threatens to expose Volz’s bootlegging operation if he interferes. DiMarco confiscates Odie’s harmonica.
Again, Odie highlights the arbitrary nature of the tornado’s destruction, noting how a slight shift in trajectory could have saved Mrs. Frost from her fate. That Odie knowingly risks his safety to save Emmy’s photograph displays his understanding of the importance of family, having lost his own parents. DiMarco’s violence, while expected, characterizes him as a depraved man who enjoys causing pain to others, particularly vulnerable children. It is possible to interpret Odie’s loss of his harmonica as symbolizing his loss of hope.
Themes
