Summaryy
Grace Windsor Wexler and her daughters arrive at the Westing house the next day at the appointed time—Jakehas refused to come. Grace always heard family gossip growing up about a rich uncle somewhere down the line—she believes that she is Sam Westing’s rightful heir. Crow, the religious Sunset Towers cleaning woman, opens the door—she is dressed in all black, as always. Grace, Angela, and Turtle take their seats in the library after handing Crow their coats. Turtle is shocked when she sees that Sam Westing’s waxy corpse is laid out in an open casket in the corner of the room. The silver cross Turtle stole from her mother and brought with her to the house to ward off evil spirits is clasped between the corpse’s hands. Turtle barely notices when Angela’s fiancé, Dr. Denton Deere, arrives and takes his seat with them. Grace Windsor Wexler marches into the Westing manor with an attitude of entitlement, revealing her individualistic nature and her focus on obtaining an inheritance. Grace is a woman focused entirely on appearances—her own and her daughters’ most acutely. Turtle, on the other hand, is genuinely invested in figuring out what is going on. The nervous Angela seems to be pulled along by the tides. All three Wexler women are more complicated than they seem to be. THEMES Flora Baumbacharrives and sits with Turtle. Otis Amberarrives next, followed by Doug Hoo and Mr. Hoo. Sandy arrives, then the Theodorakis boys. Chris grows excited when he spots snow falling outside, and as he collapses into spasms, Flora attempts to comfort him using baby talk. Theo reprimands her for talking to his brother in such a condescending way. Denton Deerehaughtily whispers the boy’s diagnosis into Angela’s ear. Angela hurries from the room. When Judge Fordenters, Grace makes a big show of shaking the woman’s hand—she wonders if the judge’s mother was once a maid at the house. There is a lot at play in this passage as the heirs come together for the first time. Flora speaks to Chris in a way that Theo believes is demeaning—yet he doesn’t stop to consider what Flora’s own experience with individuals with disabilities might be. Grace congratulates herself for treating Ford well—yet at the same time harbors racist assumptions about the judge’s past and the reasons she’s here. Every heir judges the others and jumps to conclusions without getting to know the others first. THEMES RELATED QUOTESMr. Hoo asks if they can start—he has to get back to his restaurant. Plumpoints out that many heirs have not yet arrived. Mr. Hoo says that his wife is not coming, and Gracesays her husband isn’t either. She explains he was called away for emergency surgery, but Turtle whispers to Flora that her father’s absence has something to do with a football game. Judge J.J. Ford—whose given name is Josie-Jo—wonders why Plum, a young, inexperienced lawyer, is handling Westing’s estate. Angela returns to her seat. Crow comes into the room, followed by Sydelle Pulaski, who thumps in on ornately painted purple-and-white crutches. Everyone asks her what has befallen her—she states she has been stricken ill with a terminal wasting disease. Deere tries to diagnose her as she struggles to her seat. As Sydelle sits down, the lawyer shuffles his papers.
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