Summary

In the epigraph preceding Part 4, one twin spends all her money on red beads. Her hungry children eat the beads because they look like berries, and the twin chased them with a knife because “all she could think of was finishing her work” (213).

Chapter 19 opens with Klaus having a conversation with Sweetheart Calico’s dog. Klaus calls it the windigoo dog, representative of “out-of-control hunger” (214). Klaus begs him to bring Sweetheart Calico back to him, but the dog urges Klaus to let her go because she doesn’t love him back.

While walking down the street, Richard falls, hits his head, and wakes up in an ambulance. He considers whether he should “live as if nothing matters” and face the consequences of his actions (216). Once out of the hospital, he goes to a shelter but “can no longer bear the snores of...