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The story begins with grandfather telling a story to his grandson about his past. In the first chapter he tells the story how one of his grandfather's workers called Boon Hogganbeck, wanted to shoot a black worker named Ludus. There was an entire scene; Boon borrowed a gun from John Powell and went out after Ludus. He found him on the town's square and he failed in his attempt, only damaging the local store window and scratching a young woman's leg.
Analysis
In this first chapter we are introduced to the main character of the story, Boon Hogganbeck, who seems rather passionate and troublesome. Interesting thing to point out is that the plot takes place in a fictional place called Yoknapatapwha and the writing is specific in its long sentences.
2
In the second chapter, the grandfather telling the story, his name is Lucius, talks a little about his family's history and history how Boon came about working for them.
The second chapter is about a first car arriving to Jefferson and coming into possession of Lucius's grandfather with Boon's persuasion. Boon is gladly put in charge of the car.
3
The third chapter is a long one and it could be seen as the beginning of the actual storyline. Lucius's other grandfather dies and the entire family goes to a long trip to attend the funeral. Boon wants to use that time to "borrow" the car and take a long trip to Memphis. He tells Lucius about his plan hoping that he would be his accomplice. Lucius is trapped in the feeling of guilt of having to lie but at the end agrees.
Ned is one of his mother's distant relatives and on their trip they find him hidden in the car. Ned tells them that he wants to take a trip too.
Analysis
Young boy Lucius is trapped in his guilty conscience because of what he's about to do.
4
On the road Boon and his two companions visit Miss Balenbaugh's to spend the night. Boon tells Lucius that tomorrow awaits them Hell Creek. Hell Creek is a mudded path and the car gets stuck. It is unable to move alone so the man that was nearby with two mules gets the car out of the mud. The man charges Boon six dollars for his help and the travelling team moves on.
Analysis
Hell Creek is an ironic place. The man with the mules is the one who dug out the holes which created the mudded path. Then he waits for cars to try to pass through so he can charge them for his help. It is the most profitable job for the man with the mules.
5
Boon, Ned and Lucius arrive to Memphis and they go to Miss Reba's boarding house. Boon came to see one of the prostitutes called Miss Corrie. Ned leaves Boon and Lucius and the two enter the house. They have dinner and meet with some of the people there. There is Minnie, who is Miss Reba's assistant. Lucius first notices a gold tooth sticking out among her pearly white ones. There is Mr. Binford, who is Miss Reba's partner and a chauvinist. He later leaves because he gets ashamed of losing a bet on a horse race. There is also Otis. He is close to Lucius's age and Lucius gets a bad feeling around him.
Later that night, Ned arrives to Miss Reba's door with a horse.
Analysis
Everyone at the boarding house is surprise at Lucius's gentlemanly manner and everyone there, except Mr. Binford, tries to protect his innocence by keeping the truth about the place away from him.
6
Ned traded Lucius's grandfather's car for that horse that was now in front of Miss Reba's boarding house. Boon is furious and wants to get the car back, but Ned tells him about his plan to make the horse run in a horse race at Parsham. Parsham is another town. The horse reminded Ned of an old mule he had which won every race it was in. Ned is confident that he can make this horse run like that as well and get back the car and keep the horse because the man who has the car will be at the horse race betting. And, by the way, the horse is a stolen horse so they have to secretly get it aboard a train. Miss Corrie calls one of her conductor friends Sam and they come up with a plan to transfer the horse that night.
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Sam arrives to meet the group and they transfer the horse to the train with excruciating effort. Then they return to Miss Reba's and Lucius and Otis are about to sleep in the same room. Otis begins talking about Miss Corrie and how he used to charge men to watch her in her prostitution. Miss Corrie's real name is Everbe but she is too embarrassed of it so no one in Memphis knows it. Lucius gets angry and jumps at Otis because he humiliated Miss Corrie like that. Miss Corrie and Boon enter and separate the two boys.
Later that night, Miss Corrie comes to the room and thanks Lucius for fighting for her like he did and promises him that she will quit. During the night while he's asleep he overhears Boon enter the room as well and nag Corrie to gave him what he came for, but she refuses.
Analysis
Despite the adults trying to protect Lucius's innocent mind, he can't escape the knowledge. He hates Otis for telling him those things about Miss Corrie and hates what he did to her. Lucius is feeling his innocence escaping the further he gets involved in the ridiculousness of the people around him and the condition they are in.
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The next day Ned and Lucius get on train to Parsham and they arrive to Uncle Parsham's home. Miss Corrie and Boon had to go back for Otis because he is the only one who can ride the horse. Lucius's hand is injured from his fight with Otis. They soon arrive there a well bringing along Butch, who appears to be the town's sheriff. Butch is a bully; he humiliates Boon and forcefully holds Miss Corrie close to him.
Ned tries to convince Otis to ride the horse but he refuses. Lucius is the one who has to ride it. They start training and prior to making the horse run, Lucius notices that Ned is giving something to the horse. The word of the horse race is out.
Analysis
Lucius feels anger because of the helplessness of the adults around him when Butch arrives. They have to conform to his badge and they make themselves weak.
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Miss Corrie, Butch and Boon take Lucius to the doctor to take a look at his arm. While leaving they notice Otis is gone who was with them as well. Miss Corrie, Lucius and Boon enter a hotel and there Boon tries to make Miss Corrie fulfill his needs. She refuses and tells him that she quit.
Miss Reba and Minnie come to Parsham because Otis stole Minnie's gold tooth. Ned promises to find him and return it. Miss Reba handles the arrogant Butch and he no longer molests Miss Corrie. That night Lucius blurts out Miss Corrie's real name in front of Boon.
Analysis
Lucius is seeing and understanding Boon's behavior more and more especially at the end when the picture of Otis and Boon merge together and he confuses spending the night with Otis to spending the night with Boon.
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The day of the horse race arrives and Lucius meets Bobo, Ned's cousin and the man with his grandfather's car. Lucius wonders why there has to be a race at all if they can just ask Bobo to return the car. The horse race starts but is interrupted in the middle by the police. They arrest Ned and Boon because of the suspicion that the horse is stolen. Ned tells Lucius to go to Uncle Parsham's.
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Lucius gets back to Uncle Parsham's home and spends the night there. In the morning they hear Ned outside calling for them.
Analysis
Uncle Parsham is an old black man with a white moustache and beard, he is a silent authoritative figure and he reminds Lucius of his grandfather very much so that the boy tells the old man everything that's troubling him and starts bawling.
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Ned got out of prison with Miss Corrie's help because she wanted him to be there for Lucius to take him back home. Uncle Parsham scolds Ned to tell the boy what really happened. Boon hit Miss Corrie and that's why he was kept in prison. Disappointed and angry Lucius goes to visit Boon and attacks him.
Lucius goes to the horse race again-it is repeated because a lot of people betted on it. Lucius wins the race. In the midst of his celebration he sees his grandfather next to his car. Miss Reba and Minnie are there as well.
Analysis
Boon finally managed to fail Lucius completely. Lucius is heartbroken but Ned foreshadows and tells him how Boon hitting Miss Corrie is only a proof that he only thinks of her. Needless to say that the novel doesn't sugarcoat racism or chauvinism of the time the plot takes place.
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The horse race gained Ned and Lucius a lot of money but the two of them agree that money is not why they done it. They go together with Lucius's grandfather to his friend Colonel Linscomb's house. The owner of the horse is there as well. Grandfather first asks Ned how he made it run and Ned privately tells him that he used sardines. Then Ned tells the group how they ended up in a horse race. When he arrived to Memphis he met his cousin Bobo. Bobo had a huge gambling debt so he stole his boss's horse. Ned offered to help him by trading the car with the horse and making the horse run in the race in Parsham. The man who bought the car from Bobo will be there as well and he would bet the car on the race. This is how Ned planned to have the car and the horse as well.
The owner of the horse makes a bet to grandfather to tell him the secret on how to make the horse run in exchange for the horse. The next day Lucius rides the horse one more time, but this time he loses and Ned's secret is safe.
Lucius finally arrives home and he has to face his mother and father. His father takes him to a back room to punish him by whipping but grandfather stops him. Grandfather gives advice to Lucius on how to live with the knowledge he gained for the past few days and Lucius begins sobbing in his grandfather's embrace.
Some time after, Lucius visits Miss Corrie to see her and Boon's baby. Miss Corrie tells him that he named the baby Lucius Priest Hogganbeck.
Analysis
Lucius is finally home and calmly accepts to be punished by his father. It's interesting how he realizes the difference and distance between his father and him. He tells that if after everything he's done, all the lying and deceiving, all his father could do is whip him then his father is not good enough for him. He knew it was wrong. It is his grandfather who did the right thing; he didn't want to punish the boy because punishing him will make the wrong he did go away. Instead his grandfather wants him to face the reality of growing up - of having to live with the knowledge and the mistakes he's made.
