Buckeye Chapter 9 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

On V-E Day, Bonhomie erupts in celebration with a parade, free snow cones and watermelons, and complimentary beer at the Kill Shot. Roman gets drunk, toasts the victory, and stumbles home replaying a fabricated war story. Ida raids his freezer for a cookout. Cal closes his store early and visits his father Everett, who rambles about the end of World War I. Back on Taft Street, Cal’s marriage to Becky remains a tense standoff, with interactions limited to what involves their toddler, Skip. Ruth takes Agnes, Margaret, and children to Lake Meyer; Agnes dampens the mood by reminding everyone the Pacific war isn’t over. Margaret tries to suppress thoughts of Cal, instead focusing on home projects. She buys picture wire at Hanover’s (not Cal’s store) and later returns to Sutton Street to hand back Cal’s handkerchief. They discuss art—the Ashcan School painting she plans to hang—and Cal agrees to help her that evening. At her house, they hang the Leon Dolice painting, and Margaret invites him to her dance studio, Step It Up. Three nights later, Cal stops by during his Citizens Defense patrol. He meets Sam Liddick, a recently returned POW, who shares his brutal camp experience. Cal joins a circle dance. Over the next two weeks, Felix’s letters arrive but mention nothing of the surrender. Margaret writes back, omitting Cal. They run into each other at a Rexall and go to lunch at a diner, then walk along railroad tracks. Cal flattens a penny for her as a souvenir but loses it. They exchange personal secrets: Cal about his father’s hoarding and drinking, Margaret about not wanting children. She invites him back to her house, where they kiss more passionately than before, moving horizontally on the sofa, touching intimately, and nearly losing control.

Key Events

Bonhomie holds an impromptu V-E Day parade with free snow cones and watermelons.
Roman gets drunk at the Kill Shot, telling exaggerated war stories; Ida steals steaks from his freezer.
Cal visits his father Everett, who recounts the end of WWI but refuses to continue the story.
Cal and Becky’s marital cold war continues; they interact only around their son Skip.
Ruth, Agnes, Margaret, and children picnic at Lake Meyer; Agnes insists the war isn’t over.
Margaret obsesses over her Ashcan School painting (a Leon Dolice) and discovers it needs picture wire.
She buys supplies at Hanover’s (not Cal’s store) and returns Cal’s handkerchief to Sutton Street.
Cal helps hang the painting; they discuss art, and Margaret invites him to Step It Up.
Cal visits the dance studio, meets returned POW Sam Liddick, and joins a group dance.
Sam tells Cal about his four months in a POW camp in Moosburg; Cal reveals his limp kept him out of service.
Mr. Pruitt, a Great War veteran, arrives and dances; Cal contrasts him with his own father.
Margaret writes Felix letters about birds and wasps but omits Cal from the narrative.
Cal and Margaret meet at the Rexall, go to lunch, then walk railroad tracks.
Cal places a penny on the rail for a souvenir; Margaret pulls him back as the train nears, and the coin is lost.
They share personal secrets: Cal about his father’s hoarding, Margaret about not wanting children.
They return to Margaret’s house, where their kiss becomes far more intimate than the first one.

Character Development

Cal Jenkins: His strained marriage is a constant background; he is drawn to Margaret’s attention but remains unsure of himself. His limp and childhood isolation shape his reluctance to dance or share his past. By helping Margaret and admitting his insecurities, he shows a willingness to connect despite his shame.
Margaret: She actively tries to suppress thoughts of Cal but keeps seeking him out—returning his handkerchief, inviting him to the studio, suggesting lunch. Her secret about not wanting children marks a significant departure from societal expectations. Her willingness to kiss Cal again, and more, indicates a growing rebellion against her solitary, waiting life.
Everett Jenkins: His WWI story reveals a rare moment of openness, though he quickly retreats into silence and drink. He embodies the long-term damage war can inflict.
Sam Liddick: His return from a POW camp adds a grim perspective to the war narrative. He is polite but haunted; his dancing is a brief escape. His question about Cal’s 1-B status subtly reminds Cal of his guilt about not serving.
Becky Hanover: She remains off-page but is characterized through Cal’s perspective as disappointed and distant, holding a grudge over Cal’s drunken behavior.
Ruth and Agnes: Ruth embraces celebration while Agnes keeps a wary eye on the ongoing Pacific war. Their dynamic shows differing coping mechanisms among those left behind.
Mr. Pruitt: A joyful veteran of the Great War, providing a stark contrast to the bitter Everett and the traumatized Sam.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs Evidenced Here

Celebration versus Ongoing War: V-E Day is a moment of relief, but Agnes and the continuing Pacific campaign remind characters (and readers) the war isn’t over. The joy is temporary and partial.
Secrecy and Forbidden Intimacy: Margaret and Cal’s relationship develops in private spaces—the hardware store basement, her house, the dance studio, the railroad tracks. They share secrets (Cal’s childhood, Margaret’s childlessness) that deepen their bond while isolating them from their spouses.
Art and Perception: The Ashcan School painting represents the gritty reality of everyday life, which both Cal and Margaret appreciate. Their conversation about comic books as art challenges conventional boundaries, mirroring their own unconventional attraction.
Dance as Escape: Step It Up provides a temporary sanctuary where characters can forget their troubles. Sam’s return to dancing shows both resilience and the need for joy.
War’s Long Shadow: Everett’s inability to continue his story, Sam’s POW trauma, and Cal’s guilt over his limp all show how war continues to shape lives long after battles end.
The Railroad Tracks: A liminal space where Cal and Margaret walk between two worlds—their separate marriages and the potential future. The lost penny symbolizes a souvenir that can’t be kept, hinting at the precarious nature of their connection.

Why This Chapter Matters

Chapter Nine marks a turning point in Cal and Margaret’s relationship. The V-E Day setting contrasts public jubilation with private loneliness. Cal’s marriage to Becky is deteriorating, while Margaret’s husband Felix is absent and indifferent (his letters are mere manifests). The chapter deepens our understanding of Cal’s past and his shame about his father, and it reveals Margaret’s rejection of motherhood—a rare confession in 1940s America. The dance studio scene introduces Sam Liddick, whose POW experience adds another layer of war’s cost. Most importantly, the chapter ends with a kiss that moves far beyond the initial attraction, raising the stakes for both characters and setting up future conflicts.

Study Questions and Answers

What does the Ashcan School painting (Leon Dolice’s work) symbolize for Margaret and for her encounter with Cal?
The painting represents gritty, unglamorous reality—the “filth of everyday life.” Margaret’s attachment to it suggests she values authenticity over the sanitized perfection of Norman Rockwell. She uses the painting as a pretext to involve Cal, and their discussion of whether comic books are art mirrors their willingness to see value in things that society might dismiss, including their own forbidden connection.
Cal and Margaret both share secrets while walking the railroad tracks. How do these secrets shape their bond?
Cal reveals the hoarding and alcoholism he endured growing up; Margaret admits she doesn’t want children. Both are deeply personal and rarely spoken aloud. By trusting each other with these vulnerabilities, they create a private intimacy that excludes their spouses. The setting—neither fully in town nor fully in nature—reflects the liminal, dangerous space of their relationship.
How does Sam Liddick’s presence at the dance studio affect Cal, and what does it reveal about Cal’s own guilt?
Sam is a combat veteran who survived a POW camp, while Cal was rejected from service because of his limp. Sam’s casual question about Cal’s 1-B classification stings because it highlights Cal’s bitter disappointment at not being able to serve. Cal mutters a dismissive answer and changes the subject, revealing his unresolved shame about his physical limitation and his perceived lack of sacrifice.