# Thanksgiving Day explained — Driven Back to Eden

> Chapter companion for Driven Back to Eden by Edward Payson Roe.

## What happens

The family celebrates Thanksgiving with a festive dinner, reflecting on their rural life and the reformation of the Bagley family through neighborly kindness.

## Themes in this chapter

### Community and Neighborliness

The Joneses and other neighbors help provision the Bagley family, showing a shift from hostility to support.

### Family and Parental Duty

The narrator reflects on his mother's teaching about giving people a chance, and the family works together to prepare and enjoy the feast.

### Self-Reliance and Hard Work

The family grows and prepares their own food, and the narrator spends time on farm tasks like storing turnips and covering raspberries.

## Character check-ins

### Winnie

Helped as waitress during the Thanksgiving dinner and maintained interest in poultry.

### Merton

Assisted with stock and firewood, and went hunting with Junior after a quick lunch.

### Bobsey

Ate steadily after church and enjoyed the feast, including soup, turkey drumstick, and pudding.

### Mousie

Served as a waitress and decorated the table with blooming plants and dried grasses.

### Mr. Jones

Dined with the family and humorously summarized the past year, praising the reformation of the Bagleys.

### Mrs. Jones

Dined with the family, assisted with clearing up, and mentioned that the Bagleys had been provisioned by neighbors.

## Key lines

> Well, we owe you and Mrs. Durham a vote of thanks for reforming the Bagley tribe. That appears to me an orthodox case of convarsion.

Mr. Jones thanks the narrator and his wife for helping to change the Bagley family's behavior, calling it a true conversion.

_Mr. Jones humorously credits the Durhams with the Bagleys' reformation._

> my good old mother taught me that it was God's plan to give us a chance, and help us make the most of it.

The narrator recalls his mother's lesson that God intends for people to be given opportunities and supported in using them.

_The narrator reflects on his mother's wisdom in response to Mr. Jones's praise._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/driven_back_to_eden_se/chapters/xliii-thanksgiving-day
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/driven_back_to_eden_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/driven_back_to_eden_se/chapters