Chapter 9: The Grudge – Summary and Analysis

Spoiler Notice: This summary and analysis contains key details from Chapter 9 of Lessons in Chemistry. If you have not yet read the chapter, proceed with caution.

Summary

Calvin Evans claimed he held no grudges, but he secretly harbored an unyielding hatred for one man: his biological father. The chapter opens with Calvin’s memory of being ten years old at the All Saints Boys’ Home. A wealthy, well-dressed stranger arrived in a limousine, carrying only a briefcase. After that visit, the home began receiving science textbooks, math games, and chemistry sets. The bishop explained to Calvin that the man was his actual father, who had come looking for him but lost interest after seeing his photograph. The bishop also revealed that Calvin was adopted—his adoptive parents died in a train wreck, and his aunt perished in a car crash. His biological mother died in childbirth. His father left money earmarked for science and sports supplies, insisting the boys receive a better education, but never returned. Calvin spent years reading the books his father sent, hoping to discover a chemical bond between them. Instead, he learned that chemistry could not forge a connection where none existed, and the grudge took root in his heart.

Key Events

Calvin recalls the visit of a wealthy stranger to the boys’ home when he was ten.
The stranger later sends science books and supplies, which the bishop distributes with hostility toward science education.
Calvin questions missing pages on evolution in a biology textbook and is hit with a ruler.
The bishop reveals that the stranger is Calvin’s biological father, who rejected him after seeing his photo.
Calvin learns he was adopted; his adoptive parents and aunt died tragically.
The bishop shows Calvin an adoption certificate and a death certificate for his biological mother.
Calvin begs to know when his father will return, but the bishop says he didn’t specify.
Calvin devours the science books his father sent, hoping to find a shared bond.
He concludes that chemistry cannot guarantee familial love, solidifying his grudge.

Character Development

Calvin Evans: This chapter deepens Calvin’s characterization by exposing the wound that shaped his adult personality. His intense focus on science is revealed as a desperate attempt to connect with the father who abandoned him. The grudge he carries explains his guardedness, his drive for intellectual rigor, and his inability to fully trust others. The revelation that he was adopted and rejected twice—first by his biological father, then by the system—adds layers to his stoicism.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Grudge as Guiding Force: The chapter’s title “The Grudge” is literal. Calvin’s hatred for his father is the emotional engine behind his intellect and his need to prove himself.
Science as Substitute Love: The books and chemistry sets become Calvin’s emotional lifeline. He reads them “as if they were love,” using knowledge to fill the void left by neglect.
Abandonment and the Search for Belonging: Calvin’s repeated abandonment—by his birth parents, his adoptive parents, and his biological father—shapes his fear of rejection.
Education as Both Gift and Weapon: The father’s money provides opportunity but is also a tool of control; the bishop resents the intrusion, and the suppressed biology book pages symbolize institutional resistance to knowledge.

Why This Chapter Matters

Chapter 9 provides the essential backstory that explains Calvin’s character and his relationship with Elizabeth Zott. Without this chapter, Calvin’s intensity, his resentment of authority, and his deep need for intellectual partnership would seem ungrounded. It also foreshadows that Calvin’s grudge may eventually affect his bond with Elizabeth, as his past influences his present choices. The chapter recontextualizes his earlier bravado and reinforces the novel’s theme that history—personal and chemical—cannot be rewritten.

Study Questions and Answers

Why does the bishop strike Calvin with a ruler when Calvin asks about missing pages?
The bishop is punishing Calvin for questioning authority and for challenging the removal of evolution content from the biology books. The ruler blow symbolizes the institutional violence used to enforce ignorance and obedience.
What does Calvin hope to achieve by reading all the science books his father sends?
Calvin hopes to discover a tangible, chemical bond between himself and his father—a shared passion that would prove his father loved him and might bring him back. He is trying to turn the books into a substitute for affection.
How does the news of his adoption change Calvin’s understanding of his past?
Calvin had believed his parents died in a train wreck and that he was their biological child. Learning that he was adopted and that his birth mother died in childbirth forces him to confront the fact that his original family had already rejected him before he was placed with the Evanses. The bishop’s casual cruelty deepens his sense of worthlessness.