The Rock and The River

Fiction | Novel | YA | Published in 2009

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Summary

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapters 1-2

Chapters 3-4

Chapters 5-7

Chapters 8-9

Chapters 10-11

Chapters 12-14

Chapters 15-16

Chapters 17-19

Chapters 20-21

Character Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Chapters 3-4Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapter 3 Summary

Sam returns to school and faces even more questions and comments than he received at church. Sam has trouble concentrating but pays attention in math class since that is important for architects, which is what he wants to be when he grows up. Sam planned on giving Maxie the mittens today, but he decides against it when he sees her in the hall and she ignores him. Sam tells Stick about his situation with Maxie. Stick encourages Sam to give Maxie the mittens. The next day, Sam does just that. Maxie lets Sam walk her home. When Sam starts to walk home, he sees Stick on the street with another boy who gives him something. When Sam asks what the boy gave Stick, Stick says it was a book, and Sam thinks he’s lying.

Chapter 4 Summary

Sam starts walking Maxie to and from school. One morning, Maxie asks him to come early so they can go to a free breakfast before school. Sam is surprised to see that Stick is one of the people serving the breakfast. Maxie tells Sam the breakfast is provided by the Black Panthers. When they are walking to Maxie’s after school, Bucky sees Sam and asks him to tell Stick to stop by the auto shop where Bucky works the next day. Sam agrees, and Bucky rushes off to get back to work. As he hurries back, Bucky accidentally runs into two police officers as he makes a turn. The officers ask Bucky questions and beat him when he does not tell them his name. Sam is frozen as this happens but makes eye contact with Bucky as he is being beaten. The police put Bucky in the back of their car and leave.

Sam walks home, careful to not run into any police officers as he turns corners. He does not tell Mama what happened when he comes home. Father is curious about Stick’s whereabouts. Friends Fred and Leon come over and tell the family that Bucky has been arrested for assaulting a police officer and resisting arrest. Sam blurts out that Bucky did not start the fight and explains that he knows because he was there. He tells them other people where there, too. Fred and Leon then tell Father that the Black Panthers are staging a protest at the police station and that Stick is there with them. Father leaves with Fred and Leon.

Chapters 3-4 Analysis

In these chapters, Sam struggles to identify himself in comparison to Father and Stick. He says, “Out in the world, I was Roland’s son. Here at school, Steve’s little brother. […] I remembered that even though everyone knew my name, no one really knew me. It was probably just as well—I could never be as strong as Father or as smooth as Stick” (42). Sam again contrasts Father and Stick as representatives of conflicting ideologies. Magoon slowly reveals in these chapters that Stick is, in fact, involved with the Black Panthers.

Sam and Maxie’s relationship is complicated by pressures stemming from racism. Witnessing the officers’ assault on Bucky colors their interactions, with Sam explaining “This wasn’t how I’d wanted to hold her hand for the first time” (68). Maxie’s support of the Black Panthers requires Sam to become more familiar with the group and develop and question his own beliefs in order to get closer to Maxie. In this way, Magoon poses Maxie as integral to Sam’s coming-of-age arc.

Sam tries to overcome his tendency to freeze up or not act in situations where he wants to act. We see this first with Maxie and then with Bucky. Stick tells Sam, “you shouldn’t avoid doing something worthwhile just because you’re afraid of what might happen” (50). Sam is hesitant to give Maxie the mittens and decides against holding her hand many times, despite his desire. When Bucky is assaulted, Sam freezes and has no idea what he should do. By the end of the novel, Sam will have grown out of his inability to act.