Summary
During Bucky and Marcia’s reunion, Marcia expresses her disbelief and gratitude that her fiancé has safely arrived at Indian Hill. Marcia tells Bucky that she feared he would contract polio, and thus she prayed for his well-being every night. Marcia’s comment strikes a chord with Bucky, who has been jaded by current events and is questioning his relationship to his faith. Bucky wonders how God could answer Marcia’s prayers while simultaneously “creating polio” and wreaking havoc on vulnerable communities. When Bucky admits these feelings to Marcia, she responds harshly. Bucky grows anxious that he has caused a rift in their relationship.
Later that night, as Bucky lays awake in bed, he thinks about his friends fighting in the war. Instead of feeling fortunate to be spared from the draft, Bucky is ashamed at his lack of involvement. Moreover, his sense of passivity is compounded by his new idyllic environment. Bucky feels as though the school playground was his “battleground,” and he feels guilty for leaving Weequahic to go to Indian Hill. He decides to return to Newark and attempt to recover his job as playground director.
The next morning, Bucky is taken aback by the beauty and serenity of the campgrounds. He realizes that he feels happy in his role as waterfront director, and he should invest time into his new relationship with Marcia. He decides to remain at Indian Hill and forgo all plans to return home. As he reaches this final resolution, a swarm of butterflies settles over the camp. Bucky is struck by their beauty, and he sees their arrival as an affirmation of his decision.
One afternoon, Bucky coaches his cabin-mate, Donald Kaplow, in his diving. This experience bonds the two characters, and Bucky feels as though Donald is a part of his family. Later, Bucky receives a phone call from his grandmother. She tells him that there are thirty new cases of polio in Weequahic, and more of his former students have fallen ill. Bucky learns that Newark is going into quarantine, and that the playgrounds are being shut down. Bucky cannot shake his guilt, and he wishes he was at home to comfort the families of his students.
When he returns to his cabin, Bucky receives a note from Donald that urges him to call his grandmother immediately. Bucky is alarmed, since he has just gotten off the phone with her. Anticipating an emergency, he nervously returns his grandmother’s call. To Bucky’s dismay, she informs him that his best friend, Jake, has been killed while fighting in the war in France. Bucky cannot fathom that Jake, someone who epitomized strength and indestructibility, could be dead. He is frustrated that he will never receive closure, and he again questions his loyalty to God.
Once a week, Indian Hill Camp has “Indian Night,” where the counselors dress as Native Americans and tell stories. This is the first time Bucky has participated in the ritual, and he is surprised by its pomp and circumstance. He cannot believe Mr. Blomback’s likeness to an Indian Chief, and he watches as the campers attempt to emulate ancient indigenous practices. After the campers ignite a fire and chant songs, Mr. Blomback informs them of what is happening in the “outside world.” He explains that President Roosevelt has been nominated for a fourth term and that World War II should soon be coming to an end. The ceremony concludes with the boys singing “God Bless America.”
Six untroubled days later, Donald awakes in the middle of the night with terrible nausea. Bucky helps him out of bed, and he is alarmed when he detects Donald’s fever. Donald is confident that he merely has the flu, and he reassures his cabinmates that he only needs rest in order to recover. The next morning, Donald’s symptoms have worsened, and he can no longer feel his right leg. Mr. Blomback, careful to not alarm the campers, takes Donald to the hospital. A spinal tap confirms that Donald has contracted polio. Bucky is racked with guilt, since he is convinced that he carried polio from Weequahic to Indian Hill. Bucky recalls the events of just a few days before, when Donald was diving energetically and seemed so full of life. He is shocked that polio can cause things to change so dramatically from one day to another.
Analysis
When Bucky reunites with Marcia, he is shocked that she attributes his safe arrival to God’s goodwill. The difference between Marcia and Bucky’s perspectives signifies their differening levels of privilege. Bucky, who needed to maintain his job in order to provide for his grandmother, has been traumatized after witnessing the death of multiple students. Meanwhile, Marcia has spent the summer frolicking in paradise. Marcia’s inability to understand Bucky’s perspective foreshadows the future devolution of their relationship.
While Bucky can admire the beauty and serenity of Indian Hill, he is unable to fully enjoy his experience there. Instead, he is tortured by his guilt for leaving his students behind. This is an example of Bucky’s struggle with a dissociation disorder. Dissociation is a mental disorder that involves experiencing a disconnection and lack of continuity between thoughts, memories, surroundings, actions, and identity. People with dissociative disorders often escape reality in ways that are involuntary and unhealthy and cause problems with functioning in everyday life. Bucky experiences a dissociative episode throughout his time at Indian Hill, which thus strains his relationship with Marcia.
Bucky is grounded by his newfound relationship with Donald. Donald’s friendship is important to Bucky, since he is the only friend Bucky has in his current daily life. Bucky’s two other best friends, Jake and Dave, are fighting in the war abroad. His estrangement from Jake and Dave magnifies Bucky’s pre-existing feelings of isolation and loneliness. Additionally, Donald repeatedly praises Bucky’s athletic abilities, which strokes the protagonist’s fragile ego.
When Bucky receives news from his grandmother that Jake has been killed in the war, he is in disbelief. Bucky has always seen Jake as an “indestructible brick wall” incapable of falling. Due to his grandfather’s influence, Bucky deeply values physical strength. He views bodybuilding as a form of protection and a guard against vulnerability. Bucky is shocked that his friend, who he revered as a masculine wartime hero, could be dead. Jake’s death further fuels Bucky’s disenchantment with life.
In the bible, the number six symbolizes imperfection and evil. When Donald begins feeling sick “six days” after Indian Night, Roth suggests figuratively that paradise has fallen. Bucky has just started to get into the groove of the Indian Hill lifestyle, but his momentary happiness is interrupted by his relentless sense of guilt. In reality, it is highly improbable that Bucky is an asymptomatic polio carrier. However, Bucky’s anxiety spirals, and he berates himself for passing polio to Donald.
