The Middle Five · Chapters
Chapters explained
Chapter companions for The Middle Five by Francis La Flesche.
Chapter 1
Dedication
The book is dedicated to the universal boy, a figure representing all boys and their shared experiences.
Chapter 2
The Middle Five
The chapter introduces the experiences of Indian boys at a mission school, focusing on their daily lives, friendships, and the blending of cultural identities as they navigate education and discipline.
Chapter 3
I: The Mission
The narrator recounts his first day at the Presbyterian Mission boarding school for Omaha children, describing the overwhelming experience of entering a strange world of stone buildings, bells, and unfamiliar customs. He is comforted by an older boy named Brush, who becomes his friend and protector. The chapter explores the social dynamics among the boys, where fighting is necessary to earn respect, and introduces the gang of the 'Big Seven' that Brush aspires to join. The narrator learns to stand up for himself through a fight, gaining a measure of acceptance.
Chapter 4
II: Brush
Brush wins a horse race for the narrator's father, earning his respect. Later, a mother brings her two sons to the mission school, and Brush and Frank help them settle in. The chapter also includes a visit to the narrator's home, where they witness white boys stealing pemmican from a grave, leading to a discussion about mourning customs.
Chapter 5
Edwin
Edwin, a young Omaha boy, is brought to the mission school by his father. He is renamed Edwin M. Stanton, given new clothes, and struggles to adapt to the school's customs, particularly during prayer, which he compares to hiding in the grass. The chapter also includes a flashback to Edwin's parents discussing his education and his reluctant departure from home.
Chapter 6
Little Bob
After being punished by Graybeard for neglecting his arithmetic, Frank stays after school to complete his work. He is interrupted by a chase between a little boy and a larger boy, and Frank intervenes, getting into a fight. He later learns the little boy is Robert Brown (Little Bob), son of Ne-ma-ha, a poor and disgraced former priest. Frank befriends Little Bob, who becomes his devoted follower, and together with Brush, Edwin, Warren, and Lester they form the gang known as 'the Middle Five.'
Chapter 7
V: Warren
Warren Brush, a skilled whittler, finishes carving a wooden plough, which the Middle Five boys examine and critique. Their discussion is interrupted by Jim, a troublemaker, who provokes Warren into accepting a fight with Gideon. The boys train Warren in wrestling holds, and the fight ensues after school. Despite Gideon's dirty tactics, Warren wins with a decisive punch. Edwin then confronts Jim for causing the trouble, and Brush offers to help him fight Jim, but Jim backs down and is jeered as a coward.
Chapter 8
VI: Lester
The chapter recounts a summer afternoon at the mission school where a bee swarm disrupts class. Warren spots the swarm, and the boys, led by Graybeard, chase it with noise and mirrors. Lester is forced to climb a tree to saw off the branch where the bees settle, but he is stung. Later, the boys discuss the nature of bees and American history, with Brush explaining the queen bee and the American Revolution. Lester and Warren earn rewards for their roles and are sent to get the mail. The chapter ends with the boys spying from the belfry and witnessing Lester and Warren meeting two girls to give them candy, leading to teasing at breakfast.
Chapter 9
The Splinter, the Thorn, and the Rib
The boys exchange stories about creation, comparing an Omaha legend of a thorn turning into a girl with the biblical story of Adam and Eve. Their storytelling is interrupted by Graybeard's discipline and later by the supper bell. The chapter also includes Frank's aunt removing a splinter from his toe, prompting further discussion of the thorn legend.
Chapter 10
Fraudulent Holidays
The chapter recounts various schemes by the boys to create holidays and escape schoolwork, including a pig chase engineered by Warren and the narrator's terrifying solo trip to shut off the hydraulic ram at night, which ends with him catching a white rabbit that is later sold for cakes.
Chapter 11
IX: William T. Sherman
A new boy, Little Tail, visits the school and decides to stay. He disrupts class by shooting a popgun at Graybeard. Later, William T. Sherman saves a boy named Job from drowning, but is punished for swearing after imitating the Agency teamster. The chapter explores the boys' reactions to these events and their attempts to understand concepts like swearing and lordship.
Chapter 12
X: A Runaway
During the summer buffalo hunt, the narrator and his friends Lester and Warren run away from the mission school to join the hunt. They hide from Brush, who is on horseback, and find refuge with a family in the Wood-eaters' village, spending the night outdoors on a drying platform.
Chapter 13
A New Study
On a hot September afternoon, the school is disrupted by a wasp incident involving Frank, followed by a surprise visit from the Agent and other officials. The visitors test the students on their knowledge, leading to humorous mistakes and a spelling bee. The visitors also request an Indian song, which the children perform, but the adults deem it 'savage' and decide the children must be taught music. This leads to daily singing lessons, including learning to sing in parts, with Frank reluctantly taking the bass part.
Chapter 14
XII: Ponka Boys
The chapter describes the arrival of winter and the schoolboys' excitement over snow. The superintendent announces that each boy can build his own sled, leading to a flurry of activity in the carpenter's shop. Ponka boys appear at the windows, mocking and distracting the class. Eventually, they steal the sleds, prompting a physical confrontation in which the schoolboys reclaim their sleds after a fierce fight.
Chapter 15
The Secret of the Big Seven
The Middle Five are allowed to stay up late for the first time, joining the Big Seven around the fire. The leader of the Big Seven, Alexander, proposes that the two groups unite in a secret society. They perform a ritual called 'Obeying the Command' and send two boys to a village house to demand pemmican. The boys successfully return with the food, and the group holds a feast. Later, during another expedition, Graybeard catches them and interrogates Brush and Alexander, who refuse to reveal the secret. Graybeard beats them with switches, but they endure the punishment without betraying the society.
Chapter 16
A Rebuke
On a Saturday, the narrator returns home from the Mission school and joins friends making game sticks. He witnesses a Winnebago boy being cruelly persecuted by a mob. Called home, his father rebukes him for being present at the wrongdoing, teaching him that passive presence is complicity. His mother later comforts him with gentle advice about kindness. The chapter ends with the narrator returning to school, reflecting on the meaning of the Lord's Prayer.
Chapter 17
XV: Joe
A new boy named Joe is brought to the mission school by his elderly grandmother, who can no longer care for him. Joe is orphaned and helpless, becoming a target for bullying. After Joe accidentally injures another boy with a homemade sling, Graybeard harshly punishes him, shaking the narrator and beating Joe's hand. The narrator feels hatred toward Graybeard, but Brush intervenes by speaking to the superintendent, leading Graybeard to apologize and promise it will not happen again.
Chapter 18
The Break
The narrator excitedly searches for Brush to invite him to visit his family, who have returned from the hunt, but Brush declines due to feeling unwell. The narrator spends the day with his family and playmates, engaging in games and witnessing a mourning woman. Returning to the mission, he learns Brush is gravely ill. Despite attempts to see him, he is denied entry. Later, Brush gives the narrator his jackknife, speaks of his impending death, and claims to see his grandfather calling him. Brush dies, and the four remaining boys mourn at his grave before returning to the school, now without their leader.
Chapter 19
Endnotes
This chapter provides endnotes that clarify terms, names, and cultural references from the narrative, including explanations of Omaha language phrases, tribal bands, and geographical locations.
Chapter 20
List of Illustrations
This chapter lists the illustrations included in the book, including sheet music for the children's song 'Follow My Leader.'
