Chapter 7: A New Problem – Summary and 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
A month after Malachi left Pottstown, Moshe is cleaning the theater when Nate asks to speak. Moshe is still troubled by Malachi’s sudden departure and the letters instructing him to sell the bakery. Moshe sells it to Lithuanian Jews brought by his father-in-law. He internally debates Malachi’s harsh view of America, particularly the remark that Negroes “know who they are.” Nate then introduces his nephew, Dodo, a deaf boy around ten years old whose mother recently died. Nate asks Moshe’s permission to let Dodo sleep in the theater basement to hide him from a state official who wants to send the child to a special school. Moshe agrees, but when he tells Chona, she scolds him for making a boy sleep in a cold theater. She insists Moshe bring Dodo home. Chona’s past defiance of the police and the synagogue elders is recalled—she once personally hauled water for the mikvah when others refused to act. Moshe reluctantly accepts her decision.
Key Events
- Moshe sells Malachi’s bakery to two Lithuanian immigrants, handling the paperwork himself.
- Nate reveals that his nephew Dodo, who is deaf, has been orphaned by his mother’s death.
- A state official has ordered Dodo sent to a special school in Spring City; Nate plans to hide the boy.
- Moshe initially gives the boy a cot in the theater basement, despite the cold and rats.
- Chona rebukes Moshe for his decision and orders him to bring Dodo home to their house.
- The chapter flashes back to Chona’s earlier battle over the mikvah water, highlighting her fearless character.
Character Development
- Moshe Ludlow: Still haunted by Malachi’s departure, Moshe grapples with his fear of American authority—especially “the government”—but his love for Chona pushes him to make risky choices. His acceptance of Dodo is tentative and practical rather than warm.
- Nate: Displays deep loyalty to his family, willing to break the law to protect his nephew. His quiet dignity in asking Moshe for help reveals the uneasy trust between Black and Jewish communities in Pottstown.
- Chona: Even in physical weakness, she exerts moral authority over her household. Her insistence that “children like him” deserve warmth and kindness reinforces her role as the conscience of the family.
- Dodo: Though nearly silent in the chapter, his presence sets the plot in motion and humanizes the abstract threat of state institutionalization.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
- Fear of authority: Moshe’s terror of police, courts, and “the government” contrasts with Chona’s boldness, illustrating how immigrant vulnerability shapes different responses to power.
- Disability and community care: Dodo’s deafness and the state’s plan to institutionalize him raise questions about who belongs and who decides. Nate and Chona see the boy as a person, not a problem.
- The theater basement as liminal space: Cold, dark, and rat-infested, it represents the marginal refuge Moshe is willing to offer—insufficient until Chona intervenes with genuine hospitality.
- Chona’s mikvah water story: Reinforces her willingness to challenge both secular and religious authorities to do what is right, prefiguring her stand for Dodo.
Why This Chapter Matters
This chapter solidifies the central moral conflict of the novel: the tension between self-preservation and communal responsibility. Moshe’s personal fears nearly cause him to offer only a half-measure of protection. Chona’s insistence that Dodo be brought into their home elevates the story’s stakes: the Ludlows are now fully complicit in defying the state. The chapter also deepens the portrait of Pottstown’s ethnic divisions, showing how Jews, Blacks, and the white power structure interact through unspoken rules of fear and obligation.
Study Questions and Answers
1. Why does Moshe agree to let Dodo sleep in the theater basement rather than bring him home immediately?
Moshe is terrified of the government and the law. He fears that openly sheltering Dodo will invite trouble with the state official who is pursuing the boy. His instinct is to hide the child temporarily in a marginal space, hoping the problem will pass without direct confrontation.
2. What does the flashback about Chona and the mikvah reveal about her character?
It shows that Chona has a history of defying both civil authorities (the police) and religious leaders (the synagogue elders) when she believes they are acting unjustly. She personally hauled water to create a ritual bath, accepting social ostracism rather than compromise her principles. This foreshadows her refusal to let Dodo suffer a cold, lonely night.
3. How does Nate’s request test the relationship between him and Moshe?
Nate’s request forces Moshe to decide whether his fear of the law outweighs his loyalty to a man who has worked beside him for twelve years. Moshe’s hesitation and his willingness to let the boy sleep in a basement reflect the limits of his trust, but Chona’s intervention ultimately strengthens the bond by committing the household to Nate’s cause.