SUMMARY:
On page 107, Toby is in the middle of chatting with some other friends during his paper route he picked up. While they are talking Toby notices Arthur, the uncoolest boy in sixth grade, walking his dog towards them. Toby then describes Arthur is being very clever and smart and one of the boys that Toby feels he should be friends with, but Toby thought too much about what others would think of him. Arthur passes by and since he knew they were talking about him, he said a sly remark about Toby's pee colored hands from the nuts he had to husk. In response Toby called him a fatso and Arthur came back with another comment. It was Toby's next response when things escalated because Toby called him a sissy. This was a word that Arthur affiliated with bad memories and so he snapped. Arthur gave a right hook to Toby's ear and the fight began.
Toby fell on the gravel and Arthur came up and kicked Toby in the stomach. Toby was stunned, but he got up and saw Arthur running at him. Toby was surprised when he hit Arthur in the eye which started closing up instantly. They both rushed each other and wrestled until they fell down a muddy embankment. They rolled down into a wet boggy swale and wrestled around. They both grew tired and Arthur began walking up the hill and so did Toby. At the top Arthur turned around and impaired that Toby take it back, and eventually Toby concurred.
Unlike most fathers would react when they here the news of their son getting in a fight, Dwight was triumphantly pleased with Toby and made him retell the stories multiple times. Dwight was so proud that he took Toby into the utility room to teach him some fighting skills. Dwight taught Toby two techniques in which he can defend and inflict pain on his opponent. A little while later one afternoon, Toby was on his paper route again and saw Arthur walking his dog. When they got close Arthur stopped and said hello, and instead of confrontation, Arthur let Toby pet his dog and showed him some cool tricks.
In the next chapter Toby describes his step brother Skipper's car. It was a 1949 mustang. Skipper would work on that car every night and put a lot of hard work into it. He would show Toby all the new parts he was putting in and what his ideas were for the finished product. Skipper finished it all except the leather interior and told Toby he was going down to Mexico to get it finished. Toby was excited about possibly going to Mexico with Skipper, but instead, Skipper took his friend Ray. When Skipper left Toby began to have other things on his mind. He though about cars, his father, and hitchhiking. Toby began hitchhiking down to nearby towns and would try to go farther every time. He would be home in time for dinner though so his parents would never know. One day though Skipper returned from Mexico. When Toby and the family looked outside they saw Skipper's car, but the paint was dull and all the metal utilities were beaten up. Skipper explained that they had gotten caught in a sandstorm and it ruined the car. Toby said this was one of two times that he had seen Skipper become emotional.
RESPONSE:
This section was much more action packed than the other readings I have done. The fight that Toby gets in makes me sort of want to get in a fight. I've never gotten in a fight, but I have always thought that just one "friendly" fight outside of school wouldn't be that bad. It's kind of an irrational thought, but it has always been something I have thought about. I found it also pretty humorous when I learned Dwight's reaction to the fight was that he was proud. My dad wouldn't be too mad but he would not be proud about it. I felt like Dwight was trying to live his past back in Toby's story. The car also intrigued me because I think it's a real skill to be able to fix something up like that. This section was an easy read because I found myself having similar thoughts and ideas as the main character Toby did.
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