65 pages • 2 hours read
No Great Mischief
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BetaChapters 16-18Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Chapter 16 Summary
When Alex was a student in Halifax, he goes for a beer with one of his professors. The professor warns him that he will make no money in the Maritimes, though he could make a fortune elsewhere. Alex drinks nervously, worried that he cannot afford the drinks and that he may endanger his nascent career.
Alex graduates later that year, with all his grandparents present, as well as other family members. At the same time, his sister is graduating in Alberta, which is deemed too far away to attend. As his grandparents discuss Scottish history on the ride home, Alex’s Grandma speaks about a letter she received from her sister in California. Her son has received a draft letter in the midst of the escalating war in Vietnam; the letter asks that the boy be allowed to flee to Canada. They agree to take the boy in.
While they drive home, Alex’s uncle tells him a story about the time he and Alex’s father took a job working in the area through which they’re passing. They worked in a lumber yard for months and then, while celebrating in the nearby town, came across a couple of clann Chalum Ruaidh, with whom they stayed for the night. While recalling the story, Alex’s uncle pauses and confesses how much he misses Alex’s father. In response, Alex’s grandfather admits that he thinks often about his own father, who died young. They sing old songs to pass the time.
Chapter 17 Summary
On the way home, they first drop-off Alex’s grandfather. The old man has two presents for Alex, so beckons him into the house. The first is a hand-carved chess set, the other is a hand-carved plaque bearing the family motto: “My hope is constant in thee.” Alex’s sister has received the same presents, mailed to Alberta.
They arrive home to find a crowd waiting. Alexander MacDonald, Alex’s cousin, has been killed while working in a mine. His body is being brought home by Alex’s brothers.
Chapter 18 Summary
The remains are brought home. Alex collects relatives from the airport, making the 100-mile trip to Sydney. When he meets them, many are already drunk. Because they were all working the same job, the foreman had been reluctant to let the family leave. So, they quit en masse. Alexander MacDonald had been working in the same mine when he died, a bucket falling accidentally on his head. They rent other cars to fit all of the people. Calum, Alex’s older brother, leads the convoy but speeds off into the distance.
They meet up again at home, though Calum’s car arrives later. Calum is not driving; he is asleep in the front seat with his hand bandaged. As told by the other passengers, a routine police stop turned violent, and Calum punched a police officer. They take Calum inside to tend to his wounds, and later, three police cars arrive at the home. When the policemen are told of the death in the family, they quietly withdraw.
The wake begins the next day. On the third day, a letter sent by the dead man arrives home. It contains general chat and a check for $245. The police close the roads on the day of the funeral as the procession makes its way to church. Bible verses are read and hymns are sung; a piper outside plays a lament.
Chapters 16-18 Analysis
In these chapters, Alex is confronted with death once again. Unlike the death of his parents, he is old enough to comprehend the weight of the death. Alexander MacDonald, the cousin with whom he shares a name, dies in a freak accident. The two had fought over their relationship with their grandparents, and this memory sticks in Alex’s mind.
The fact that the dead relative also shares his name forces Alex to confront his own mortality, especially at a time when his future is so undecided. After graduation, he has been warned that he stands to make little money by staying in the area. He will have to make a choice, between leaving behind his family and being successful. The death of Alexander MacDonald throws this issue into sharp relief, and Alex will soon be forced to make a big decision about his future, a decision made more important by its proximity to death.
Additionally, these chapters foreshadow Calum’s later run-ins with the law. The incident, which happens away from the narrative and is only related by others, involves Calum punching a police officer. This lack of control and this resentment of authority will form a major part of Calum’s character. At the wake, he has the full force of his family backing him up when the police arrive. But away from Cape Breton, when Calum is alone, this protective shield will not be available to him.
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