Chapter 17: Sixteen – Sledding, Bylaws, and a Fresh Start
Spoiler Notice
This analysis contains detailed discussion of events in Chapter 17 of King Sorrow. If you have not yet read the chapter, proceed with caution.
Summary
After a nightmare‑ridden sleep, Arthur visits the Brooks Library and finds a Rackham College bylaw allowing faculty children reduced tuition. He drives to Gogan in a snowstorm to find Gwen and her family sledding. After a fast, joyful ride down the hill with Gwen, Arthur tells her she can afford Rackham because her father is a campus groundskeeper. Gwen is skeptical, but Arthur persuades her to at least try. He then convinces Mrs. Underfoot to sled with him, earning a moment of trust and laughter, while his guilt over Tana lingers beneath the surface.
Key Events
- Arthur endures a fitful night of feverish dreams, including one about Gwen's college application on a strip of human skin.
- At dawn he goes to the Brooks Library and, after an hour of searching, finds the Rackham College bylaw that grants faculty children a reduced tuition plan.
- That afternoon he drives to Gogan, gets lost in the snow, and eventually spots a sledding hill where Gwen, her mother, and her father Martin are gathered.
- Gwen invites Arthur to sled with her; they race down the hill, laughing and shouting.
- During the climb back up, Arthur reveals the bylaw loophole and urges Gwen to apply to Rackham, dismissing her townie‑insecurity.
- Arthur then convinces Mrs. Underfoot to go sledding with him, promising not to let her get hurt; Mr. Underfoot launches them into the dark.
Character Development
Arthur Oakes – His guilt about Tana surfaces when Gwen’s trust makes him feel unworthy. Yet he pushes past his shame to help a friend, showing a growing resolve to do good despite his own brokenness. The chapter deepens his internal conflict between self‑loathing and genuine care.
Gwen Underfoot – She shows her practical side (college applications finished) and her warmth (immediate delight at Arthur’s company). Her sharp retort about townies reveals a defensive pride that Arthur challenges.
Mrs. Underfoot – Initially cautious and wry, she eventually lets herself be pulled into the fun, revealing a playful side she hides behind maternal worry. Her sledding moment with Arthur indicates a shift in her trust.
Martin Underfoot – Almost silent (“Mhm”), he participates in the family’s joy by launching the sled, his few words underscoring his quiet, dependable presence.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
Guilt and Shame – Arthur’s recurring nightmare and his “bitter spasm of shame” when Gwen beams at him show how past actions poison present joys. The sledding becomes a brief escape from that guilt.
Class Divide – Arthur’s discovery that faculty‑status, not income, determines tuition privileges highlights the arbitrary barriers between Rackham’s elite and the townies who maintain the campus. Gwen’s resistance (“They don’t take townies”) reflects internalized class boundaries.
Dreams as Anxiety – The tattoo‑on‑skin dream symbolises Arthur’s fear that helping Gwen will be as painful and futile as writing on living flesh. The dream’s persistence mirrors his inability to escape his guilt.
Family Bonds – The Underfoots’ sledding scene reveals a close‑knit unit: Martin’s silent support, Mrs. Underfoot’s protective humour, and Gwen’s affectionate teasing. Arthur is allowed a glimpse of this warmth.
Why This Chapter Matters
Arthur shifts from passive guilt to active intervention. By researching the bylaw and driving to Gogan, he takes concrete steps to improve Gwen’s future. The chapter also deepens the portrayal of Gogan and the Underfoot family, contrasting Podomaquassy’s privilege. The sledding sequence provides a rare moment of uncomplicated joy, yet Arthur’s lingering shame reminds readers that this happiness is precarious. The information about Rackham’s tuition policy could become a key plot point.
Study Questions and Answers
Question 1: What does Arthur’s nightmare about the college application on human skin reveal about his state of mind?
Answer: The dream shows Arthur’s anxiety that helping Gwen will be futile and even harmful. The skin twitching away from the needle suggests his fear that his efforts will cause pain rather than relief. It also reflects his guilt: he feels he is “tattooing” a lie on a vulnerable surface.
Question 2: How does Arthur persuade Mrs. Underfoot to go sledding, and what does this scene suggest about his character?
Answer: He uses Gwen’s future happiness as a lever and promises not to let her be hurt. This shows Arthur’s determination to win trust and his willingness to shoulder responsibility for others, even as he internally struggles with his own unworthiness.
Question 3: Why is the discovery of the Rackham bylaw a turning point for Gwen?
Answer: It challenges her assumption that Rackham is financially out of reach. Arthur’s insistence that her father’s groundskeeper job qualifies her as faculty family opens a real possibility. The scene shifts Gwen from defensive resignation (“They don’t take townies”) to a tentative willingness to try.