Chapters 7 and 8 Summary and Analysis

Chapter seven begins in 1932, when Allen and Lucy's families move to suburban Belleville, which Russell likes. Aunt Pat hates the landlady and is horrified when she puts a poster for Hoover on her door. Pat raves to Russell about how Hoover is destroying people's lives. Uncle Allen barely stops her from pulling down the poster, convincing her to put up a Roosevelt poster instead. Russell goes with Pat to walk to the far-off campaign office. He is caught up in the excitement and becomes a Roosevelt Democrat, while too young to truly understand.

Russell, not thinking of himself as poor, enjoys Belleville and does well in school. He is unaware of the growing love between his mother and Oluf, and the tragedy of their breakup. However, with hopes of marriage dashed, Lucy begins grooming Russell to make something of...