On page 166, Toby is at the fair for the Boyscouts and is playing one of the games at the fair. Toby's original plan was to use the money he had taken to go with Arthur to Alaska, but this plan was foiled when Toby gambled all his money on the game. Toby and Dwight left the fair and went home. In the next scene Toby is walking up to the house and sees a large dog in the utility room. Dwight let's Toby in the house. and when Toby goes to his room, he notices that his Winchester rifle is gone. He is angry at Dwight and Dwight claims that he'll get it back but he never did. Later that year Toby and Dwight take the dog hunting, but it turns out that the dog is far to afraid of the gun to provide any assistance. After the dog gets into some trouble with the neighboring people's cats, Dwight is forced to take the dog, Champ, on a ride up the mountains with his gun, and Toby never saw the dog again.
Then, Toby begins telling the reader that he is now a sophomore at concrete and after midnight would take Dwight's car out on joy rides. This plan was working well until one night he got stuck in a ditch. The car was stuck good and Toby began walking home. Toby got lucky though because on his way home a man drove by and was able to pull the car out of the ditch, and Toby got back home in time to not be noticed. His escape was ruined though when Dwight ran into the man at a meeting and the man told him the story of what he did earlier. Dwight made sure Toby learned his lesson by giving him a good beating.
Toby next goes into his sophomore year at Concrete. He tells the reader that he ended up once again getting involved with the wrong crowd. They intended to get him drunk and get with the ladies, as of which Toby accomplished one of. One night during a basketball game, Toby and his friends went outside and drank. Toby got drunk and ended up falling off a tree branch and down a long fall until resting in a field of ferns. His friends could not find him, but Toby stayed there all night because he enjoyed the harmony of nature. Time goes on and Toby describes how his brother is a student at Princeton. Toby devises to get to Princeton by writing a fake check while at a Boy Scouts meeting. After creating a library card Toby tries his I.D. and check at a local store. The woman becomes suspicious and Toby leaves, but the women follows him out and tries to chase him down. Toby escapes and changes into his Scout's uniform and returns to the banquet. Toby checks people in and notices the same lady approaching. He acted causal and the women didn't notice him as he ushered her into the hall. He knew he had gotten away.
RESPONSE:
This was definitely my favorite portion of the book that I have read so far. I say this because I feel that I can more directly relate to his stories now since I am of similar age. I can clearly picture him hanging out with his friends and fooling around as I do, although I do not drink myself, but I can understand his circumstances and actions. Another reason I found this passage so interesting is that for the first time since I starting reading This Boy's Life, a feeling of suspense is created. When Toby is being chased down by the store clerk I found it impossible to put down the book because I had to see what would happen next and if Toby would get away with it and continue his luck spree. I hope that the rest of the book is as exciting as this section.
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