Chapter Twenty-Three: On Trains, Wings, and the Janitor Who Changed the World

Spoiler Warning: This page contains detailed information from Chapter Twenty-Three of My Friends by Fredrik Backman. If you have not yet read the chapter, proceed with caution.

Summary

On the train, Ted envies the people in houses they pass because those people are already home. He dislikes the cliché that the world rushes past the window—it is the train that rushes. Ted’s aversion to adventure amused his artist friend, who teased him for hating adventures even though Ted loves them—he simply does not want to take part. He longs to hear the artist’s sleeping breath and be home.

Ted falls asleep briefly, then wakes to Louisa offering him a can of Coca-Cola. She got the money from his bag while he was in the bathroom, justifying it as “not theft when you’re friends.” Ted declines the drink. When Louisa asks if they are nearly there, Ted says no and then consents to tell her more about the janitor and the skulls.

He explains that the artist was like Louisa: someone who believed he could not paint. Ted then recounts the full story. It begins with a lie—that people cannot fly—but the artist was lucky because at fourteen he met the janitor. The janitor’s mother had told him that all children are born with wings, but most have them torn off. Only a few escape, and those children rise to the skies. The janitor felt different and lost until his mother assured him that one day another winged person would recognize him. Art, she said, is a homeland without borders.

The janitor’s mother thought he would become an artist, but instead he became a janitor—and then passed those words to a fourteen-year-old who would be known as “C. Jat.”

Ted corrects himself: the real beginning was a dog, or a broken foot, or rather a foot that was not broken. It started when they were fourteen. Ali found dish soap in her dad’s hall closet. Joar made a wire ring, and the group spent the afternoon blowing bubbles in a school stairwell, slipping and laughing. Ali slid into a gang of older kids, who shoved her and commented that they smelled homeless. Joar took offense because his clothes had never been cleaner. Ali and Joar argued about whether elves have wings. Then a shriek: the girl with perfect hair (who had been part of the older group) slipped on the soapy steps.

The next day she came to school on crutches, claiming a broken foot to avoid gym class. Two days later she forgot the crutch act when a cute dog walked past; she ran to pet it. An unattended pair of crutches in a school will inevitably end up on a roof, which happened. The elderly janitor climbed up to retrieve them, slipped on ice, fell, and broke his foot for real. That created the vacancy for the young man who would later change the world—the temporary janitor who spoke of wings.

Key Events

Ted falls asleep on the train; Louisa wakes him and offers a drink purchased with Ted’s money.
Ted begins telling the story of the janitor and the artist.
The janitor’s mother explains that all children are born with wings; the janitor shares this with a fourteen-year-old artist.
Ted recalls the bubble‑soap incident at school that led to a confrontation with older kids.
The girl with perfect hair fakes a broken foot, then forgets her crutches when distracted by a dog.
The crutches are placed on the roof; the elderly janitor falls trying to retrieve them and breaks his foot.
A new temporary janitor is hired—the man who will change the world.

Character Development

Ted: Shows his vulnerability and longing for home, as well as his irritation with travel clichés. He hesitantly opens up about the artist’s past, revealing his own deep respect for the janitor’s role.
Louisa: Displays growing comfort with Ted (she no longer babbles around him) and a childlike logic about friendship and theft. Her curiosity drives the storytelling.
The artist (C. Jat): Understood through Ted’s account as someone who doubted his own talent until the janitor’s words gave him a new identity. The wings metaphor shapes his entire worldview.
The janitor: A minor but pivotal figure; his mother’s wisdom about wings and art becomes the foundation for the artist’s career. He is selfless, having chosen to be a janitor rather than an artist, yet still changed the world.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Wings: The central symbol of creativity and childhood wonder. The janitor’s mother claims all children are born with wings but lose them; only a few keep them. Art is portrayed as a secret language and homeland.
Home and journey: Ted’s envy of stationary houses contrasts with the literal train journey. Adventures are enjoyable only from a safe distance.
Coincidence: The entire chain of events (bubbles, fake broken foot, dog, crutches on the roof, janitor’s fall) is driven by chance. Small, unrelated moments lead to a life‑changing hiring.
Friendship and theft: Louisa’s logic that taking money from a friend is not theft redefines the boundaries of trust and generosity among close companions.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter provides the long‑promised origin story of the janitor and the artist, connecting the wings metaphor to the central mystery of the painting and the skulls. It deepens the reader’s understanding of the artist’s inner world and the meaningful encounter that set him on his path. Ted’s narration also strengthens his bond with Louisa, as he shares something deeply personal. The chapter’s emphasis on coincidence and the fragility of talent reinforces the novel’s recurring theme that small, overlooked people and events can have enormous consequences.

Study Questions

How does Ted’s attitude toward adventure reflect his overall character arc in the novel?
Answer: Ted loves adventure in theory but avoids participation, preferring to observe from a safe, home‑like distance. This tension between longing and fear mirrors his relationship with the artist’s memory and his own past. It suggests he is still struggling to engage fully with life.
What does the janitor’s mother mean when she says “Art is your homeland”?
Answer: She implies that creative expression transcends nationality and social boundaries. For those who retain their “wings,” art becomes a universal language and a place of belonging, more real than any geographical homeland.
Why does Louisa’s comment about theft (“It isn’t theft when you’re friends”) matter in this scene?
Answer: It reveals a key aspect of her character: she sees friendship as a bond that suspends normal social rules. This viewpoint may be naive or idealistic, but it also shows her trust in Ted and her desire to prove she is a true friend, willing to share what she takes.