Chapter 4, The Fight for Food Summary and Analysis

School became the only hope Dave had in his life. The fall after the burn incident, Mother sent Dave to school with new clothes and a new lunch pail. However Mother forced Dave to wear the same clothes week after week and they soon became soiled and torn. Mother never tried to cover Dave's bruises either; instead she forced Dave to memorize ready-made excuses for the marks.

Dave would be allowed his brother's leftover cereal for breakfast if he finished his chores on time, but he rarely was allowed dinner. Dave would be so hungry that he would fantasize about food at night. Dave began to steal food from school, at first stealing Twinkies and other desserts from the other children's lunch bags. When the children began to catch on, Dave would go...