Part Three: Chapters 16 & 17 Summary

When Florence sees Daddy waiting for her outside the camp, she can tell from his expression that Mama hasn't come home yet. She hugs him in the middle the way she saw the other girls hug their fathers, but he doesn't hug her back. He comments on the weight she's gained, but offers to take her out for dinner, a rarity in Florence's childhood. There's something about the way people whisper and point when Daddy's around that makes Florence uncomfortable. She tries to say that she's not hungry, but Daddy accuses her of acting "too good for a hamburger" (p. 317). He drives her to a fast-food restaurant but can't figure out how to work the intercom speaker to order their food. His frustration rises as teenage boys in the next car snicker as he fumbles with the box. Trying...