Chapters 54 through 59 Summary

Mama brings a Christmas tree home and the ladies decorate in Chapter 54. Papa heads to a railroad meeting. In Chapter 55, Papa does not come home that night because of a poker party. He loses $500. Arlene decides to leave him and head to California in January with Betty and Lark.

In Chapter 56, Mama tells Papa to get their train tickets to California. Lark and Mama get passes to travel because Papa works for the railroad. Mama will sell her car to pay for Aunt Betty's ticket. Papa threatens to kill himself and asks how Arlene would feel. She says she thinks it unusual, especially after he says that Hill went to hell for doing the same thing. Papa threatens to kill Arlene with a knife; she says she would rather die than stay. Mama says that when she gets the tickets, she...