What changes occured in this chapter

Chapter Fourteen begins with Charlie visiting the Redmonds and paying them back for their many kindnesses with some of the wood from Mr. Peacock’s yard. He is surprised when Mrs. Redmond shows him the gramophone they just bought, and even more surprised when she and Mr. Redmond tell him it is to help with his training in boxing. Charlie apologizes and says he is not interested in boxing anymore, commenting that he is more interested in running. Mrs. Redmond goes in the house, attempting to smile to cover her disappointment, but covering her smile with her hand. Charlie comments in his narration that it hurts to see Mrs. Redmond keep herself from smiling out of embarrassment about her bad teeth, and adds that it hurts almost as much as seeing Ma not smile.

After Mrs. Redmond has gone, Mr. Redmond comments that he has heard about Charlie working for Squizzy, and mentions rumors that Squizzy is about to get involved in some violent conflict. Charlie assures him that he will be all right. Mr. Redmond then suggests that he train Charlie as a runner, preparing him for a major race in a town called Ballarat. Charlie agrees, becoming even more enthusiastic when he learns that the race has a significant cash prize. He also asks to borrow the gramophone, and Mr. Redmond agrees.

When Charlie gets home, he first has a run-in with an angry Harry, but eventually knocks some sense into him. “As a featherweight,” Charlie comments in his narration, Harry “sure knew a thing or two about the fight game” (115). When he goes in the house, Charlie finds Ma and Jack asleep in front of the fire. He realizes how unusual it is to feel the house warm, and for Jack to be so quiet – probably, he thinks, because he is warm all the time now. Charlie sits next to his mother, contemplates the thick face powder she still wears, and realizes it has been a long time since they have touched each other. As he brings her hand to his face, she wakes up. He assures her that everything is all right, they talk about how well Jack seems, and have their dinner. In his narration, Charlie comments that his evenings with Ma have been uncomfortably quiet since his father died. After dinner, Charlie shows Ma the gramophone, and convinces her to have a dance with him. In his narration, Charlie recalls how his parents loved to dance, and how he loved to hear them come home from the dance halls. He and Mom dance to a recording played on the gramophone, Charlie stumbling a bit but being encouraged by Ma. She tells him he is getting more like his father all the time, and then comments that she misses him. Charlie says he does as well.