Chapter 3 Summary

The description of the fish heads is elaborate and daunting, and allows the reader to feel he is stuck in the barn himself. Fear is visceral as Bud is stuck figuring out how he is going to escape this situation. The "vampire bat" he sees on the ceiling is revealed to be a hornet's nest when he bats at it and angers the nest's inhabitants. The description of Bud's constant stings and attacks from the hornets make the reader miserable for Bud, and make one hope the door could just become instantly ajar and he could be saved. Despite the stings, Bud insists on escaping and getting out from under the ruling of the Amos's.

Chapter 3 Analysis

The edgy teeth and stinging insects all seem to be symbolic of the painful dealings Bud has dealt with since visiting the Amos household. Trust issues...