Chapter 25

Info

• page: 211-220
• place: Rainbow Club
• time: in the evening
• people: Grant, two bricklayers one of them named Claiborne

Content

• Vivian isn't in the Rainbow Club. So Grant sits down at the bar and has a drink. Not far from where he is sitting, two Mulattos are talking very loudly to each other and Grant more or less involuntarily hears everything
• The men think that Jefferson should have already been executed and are venting about the supposed injustice
• Grant initially decides to ignore the talk of the two guests. But after a short time, he loses his nerve and tells the men not to talk like that and to be quiet. The two Mulattos do not want to take this in their stride and, so it comes to a brawl between the two sides, to which Grant falls victim

Chapter 26

Info

• page: 221-228
• place: Vivians house
• time: later in the evening
• people: Grant, Vivian

Content

• When Grant regains consciousness, he realizes he is in Vivian's home. He learns that Claiborne, who was unable to finish the fight, had completely freaked him out and beat him up so badly that Vivian wanted to take him home to recover first
• Even though his girlfriend is far from pleased about the circumstances, she loves her Grant too and therefore asks him to spend the night with her
• Grant thinks staying overnight is a bad idea because Vivian's husband and their children could return home at any moment. His girlfriend, on the other hand, counters that Grant wouldn't be able to give her what she needed right now
• Grant then leaves the room, feeling unfairly treated by Vivian and angry about it. Despite his anger, Grant can't bring himself to leave because he realizes that he loves Vivian more than anything and therefore can't turn his back on her
• After Grant calms down a bit, the couple gets along again, and Grant spends the night there after all

Chapter 27

Info

• page: 229-237
• place: unknown
• time: one day
• people: Grant, Reverend Ambrose

Content

• Grant, along with Reverend Ambrose, has a conversation about Jefferson, which the Reverend wants to take advantage of to convince Grant to talk to Jefferson more about God
• The elementary teacher, who is not a believer himself, does not think this is a good idea and thereupon the two gentlemen quarrel because the Reverend feels offended in his honour, and Grant does not want to have anything to do with the machinations of the church
• For Grant, to try to convince Jefferson of the divine faith would be a lie since he does not hold it himself
• Ambrose is visibly upset and frustrated by Grant's failure to accommodate him, so he begins to confront him with unfair accusations. For instance, the Reverend believes that Grant is a liar and is renouncing the divine faith only because he would lie to himself and others
• The Reverend goes one step further and claims to Grant that Tante Lou is as much a liar as her nephew. Ambrose tells Grant that although Aunt Lou has worked her whole life to pay for his college, she has lied to Grant as well, pretending that everything is fine, as opposed to admitting that she struggled a lot

Chapter 28

Info

• page: 238-245
• time: a few days later
• place: jail in Bayonne
• people: Grant, Jefferson

Content:

• On Grant's next visit, the elementary school teacher notices that Jefferson has already filled the notebook he brought with him last time with a few lines. Among other things, Jefferson wrote about death and contrasted people with hogs
• Through Jefferson, Grant learns that Reverend Ambrose has also visited the prisoner and also finds that Ambrose has been trying to convince the prisoner to pray and believe in God. However, since Jefferson has no proof of God's existence, he refuses to pray
• When asked by Jefferson if he prays himself, Grant replies that he doesn't believe in God either. However, Grant then admits to feeling helpless at times. It is Grant's heart that Jefferson has faith in something it doesn't have to be God, for him to have something worth living for
• Jefferson can't understand what Reverend Ambrose meant by saying he should relinquish his possessions because he hardly owns anything anymore. Grant replies that one can also possess values like love and that no one can take away from him. Jefferson feels as if everyone around him has the right answers about how to deal best with his situation, but no one is in his shoes
• Jefferson doubts that any of the others would go to the electric chair to save him. Again, the prisoner asks Grant if he believes in God, and this time Grant answers in the affirmative. Jefferson says he prefers to die mute, like Jesus Christ. He feels cornered by Grant's forcing, noting that he has been submissive to whites all his life and has always gone through life considerate
• It is all the more difficult for the prisoner to understand why he should change now of all times. Suddenly, it's Grant who cannot look Jefferson in the eye, and the prisoner, on the other hand, straightens up and looks straight ahead. When Jefferson asks him how the execution will go and how it will feel, Grant has no answer and still can't look the prisoner in the eye