A Mind of Her Own Chapter 6 Summary & Analysis

⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.

Summary

Alex enjoys her summer internship at the Courier and writes a well-received editorial on women’s suffrage. The Spanish flu pandemic intensifies, forcing Paul to cancel his annual Labor Day party. Alex moves to the University of Chicago in September, sharing a dorm with Yoko, a Japanese American biology student. The war ends on November 11, 1918, and Alex returns to Beardstown for a quiet Thanksgiving with Paul. They reflect on her parents and her future as a writer. Back at school, Alex writes another editorial—about the prejudice against educated women—which draws enthusiastic reader mail. When Paul develops a cough that worsens into the Spanish flu and then pneumonia, Alex leaves school and travels through a snowstorm to nurse him. Despite her efforts, Paul dies, leaving Alex an orphan once more.

Key Events

Alex writes an editorial on women’s right to vote; Paul publishes it.
The Spanish flu pandemic is described as a global crisis; Paul cancels his Labor Day barbecue to avoid spreading illness.
Alex begins college at the University of Chicago, meets roommate Yoko.
Germany surrenders on November 11, ending World War I.
Alex spends Thanksgiving with Paul; they discuss her parents’ deaths and her aspirations.
Alex writes a second editorial, on the challenges women face at university, which receives a flood of supportive mail.
Paul catches a cold that develops into severe Spanish flu and pneumonia.
Worried by his absence from work, Alex has a driver bring her home from Chicago in a snowstorm.
She nurses Paul, who becomes delirious and later dies in his sleep.

Character Development

Alexandra grows from a grieving teenager into a confident young woman. She voices her opinions in print, stands firm in university debates, and takes decisive action when her grandfather falls ill. Her grief for her parents remains present but is tempered by Paul’s wisdom.
Paul emerges as both a mentor and a deeply vulnerable man. He encourages Alex’s independence, shares his philosophy of “waking people up” through journalism, and ultimately succumbs to the pandemic, emphasizing the era’s fragility.
Yoko is introduced as Alex’s first close friend at college—ambitious, artistic, and supportive—broadening the story’s cultural perspective.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Pandemic and mortality: The Spanish flu is a constant menace; Paul’s death shows no one is safe, reinforcing the historical reality that the war’s end did not mean the end of suffering.
Voice and agency: Alex’s editorials and her decision to leave school to care for Paul demonstrate her growing power to act and speak, a core motif in the novel.
Loss and legacy: Paul’s death repeats the pattern of losing parents. His final conversations about her parents and his own values shape Alex’s sense of purpose.
Generational wisdom: Paul’s advice “Don’t ever get used to being unhappy” and his definition of journalism as sounding alarms become guiding principles for Alex.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter is a turning point. Alex loses the last adult who raised her, forcing her to rely entirely on herself. It also cements her identity as a writer and activist: she has published two editorials and begun to attract a following. The historical climax—the end of WWI—is immediately undercut by the pandemic, making the chapter emotionally complex. Paul’s death strips away Alex’s safety net, setting her up for the challenges of adulthood.

Study Questions and Answers

1. How does the Spanish flu pandemic influence the characters’ decisions in this chapter?
It forces Paul to cancel social events, motivates Alex to write home, and ultimately leads her to risk her own safety to care for him. The pandemic heightens the sense of urgency and mortality, making Alex’s actions more poignant.

2. In what ways does Alex’s editorial work reflect her personal growth?
Her first editorial on women’s suffrage shows she is willing to speak up; the second, on university prejudice, proves she can turn personal experience into public argument. The positive reader response gives her confidence, and Paul’s pride validates her path.

3. Why does Paul’s death hit Alex particularly hard, given she lost her parents earlier?
Paul was her last blood relative and the person who rescued her from war-torn Paris. Their bond had deepened over the summer and through their discussions about her parents. His death reopens the wound of loss and leaves Alex completely orphaned, with no one to turn to but herself.