65 pages • 2 hours read
Catherine Ryan HydePay It Forward
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1999A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Chapters 16-18Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Chapter 16 Summary: “Sidney G.”
Sidney has been drinking at a bar in Atascadero. He hits on another man’s girlfriend and then insults the man, and the man and his friends follow Sidney into an alley. Drunk, Sidney continues to insult the man and pulls out his gun, but another guy comes from behind and breaks Sidney’s elbow. The group begins to beat Sidney up and Sidney spits on their shoes, remaining belligerent in the face of extreme pain. A young guy, who the reader later understands to be Matt, arrives on a motorcycle, tears through the group of men, and puts Sidney on the back of his bike, then drives through the group. One of the guys catches Matt’s sleeve and almost tips the bike, but Matt and Sidney manage to escape. Sidney hears gunshots ring out behind him, but is not hit by a bullet. Sidney wonders why Matt saved his life and tries not to pass out.
Sidney flickers in and out of consciousness, waking up only to take painkillers for his broken elbow. Once the painkillers set in, Sidney finally gets up, and Matt tells him he would have taken him to the hospital, but Sidney passed out on the bike. Sidney is pleased with his good luck, as a trip to the hospital would have meant him going back to jail. Sidney doesn’t say thank you, but rather explains that if he were Matt, he would have just laughed and watched. Sidney mocks Matt’s bike. Matt throws away Sidney’s cigarette, so Sidney insults Matt’s apartment. Matt says that if his bike were any bigger, they wouldn’t have made it out, and that he regrets saving Sidney because Sidney is an asshole. Sidney says he could take Matt with one hand, and Matt baits him. Sidney asks why Matt saved him, and Matt says he wouldn’t understand and again that Matt regrets his choice.
From an Interview by Chris Chandler for Tracking the Movement (1998)
Sidney tries to say he’s not a bad guy, and Chris says he doesn’t know Sidney well enough to comment either way. Sidney says it hurt his feelings that Matt instantly disliked him enough to tell him about the Movement but then forbid him from being part of it. Chris says that Matt was angry, and Sidney becomes irate and belligerent that Matt would deign to tell him “what I can and can’t touch” (154).
Sidney goes back to his off-and-on girlfriend, Stella’s apartment in LA. He asks her if she thinks he’s an asshole and then talks about Pay It Forward. She says she hasn’t heard of it. Sidney says Matt’s reaction hurt his feelings. Stella contends he doesn’t have feelings. She says Pay It Forward won’t work in Los Angeles, and asks if he’s going to leave money for the kids. Sidney lies, saying yes, and plans to get out of town as soon as possible.
From The Diary of Trevor
Trevor wonders what happened between Reuben and his mom, because they always ask about one another but are not seeing each other anymore. Trevor refuses to act as a go-between, thinking that if he holds out, they’ll eventually have to speak to one another. Trevor thinks he’ll never “be this weird about a girl when I grow up” (156).
Chapter 17 Summary: “Arlene”
Loretta’s coffee machine is broken again, so she comes over to use Arlene’s. Arlene reflects on how much coffee Loretta drinks and how difficult sobriety is. Loretta asks what happened with Reuben: if the sex wasn’t good, and if he had too many scars. Arlene says she was pretty sure Reuben wanted to break up with her, and when Loretta suggests that Arlene talk to Reuben, Arlene says she is too afraid to. Loretta is confused because she thought Arlene was just using Reuben for sex until Ricky returned to her. Arlene angrily tells Loretta that Ricky isn’t coming back, the foresight of which surprises Loretta.
Trevor enters, and Arlene tries to get Loretta to leave, eventually giving her the coffee pot she needs. Arlene asks Trevor about Reuben, and Trevor says he goes over to Reuben’s house sometimes. Arlene suggests they go together at some point. Trevor is annoyed at her vagueness.
On the car ride to Reuben’s house, Trevor tells Arlene that Reuben always asks about her. Trevor then asks his mother if she would marry Reuben. Arlene says he wouldn’t ask and changes the subject.
Reuben is surprised at Arlene’s presence, answering the door unshaven and in sweatpants and sweatshirt. Arlene feels awkward, so she scolds Trevor for calling Reuben by his first name, but Reuben says that Trevor can for the summer. Trevor goes to look for the cat; Arlene admits she’s missed Reuben, specifically the funny messages he left on her phone. She is almost ready to beg for him to take her back when Trevor interrupts them.
Reuben calls Arlene to ask her out to dinner, hoping to get her machine so he can leave a funny message. Arlene tells him that she knows what he was going to ask her and pleads him not to, thinking he intends on breaking up with her.
She spends the night at Reuben’s house for the first time. When she thinks he is asleep, she tells him she is glad he didn’t break up with her. Reuben is surprised, and eventually confesses he was going to propose to her. Arlene goes silent, and Reuben starts talking rapidly, to fill the void. Arlene asks about the ring, and Reuben just tells her to think about it and answer later.
Chapter 18 Summary: “Reuben”
Arlene makes chicken fajitas for dinner, and she and Reuben tell Trevor that they are engaged. Trevor is ecstatic. Trevor harasses Reuben about not knowing football, and then asks if he can call him dad, which makes Reuben very happy. Trevor says he will teach him about football.
Later, in bed, Reuben asks Arlene about Trevor’s football preferences, and then tells her he loves her. Reuben realizes how much he was missing by isolating himself. He goes and kisses Trevor goodnight, and tells Trevor that they’ll watch football together soon. Reuben asks how he can pay it forward. Trevor tells him to just look for someone who needs something.
From Those Who Knew Trevor Speak
Reuben reflects that Arlene was probably scared with the big life change, and then thinks back to how October 19, 1992 will always be seared in his memory: “I haven’t completely let go of it. Maybe other people’s wounds heal in a reasonable space of time. No I take that back. They don’t” (169).
Chapters 16-18 Analysis
These chapters continue the focus on the importance of perception: even people who seem like they are not worth saving in fact are. Without Sidney, the Pay It Forward Movement would not have spread, and Chris would never have gotten wind of it. Interestingly, this idea presents the lack of judgment that is inherent within Trevor’s project. Trevor seems to believe that one cannot deny help to people, even if that individual is perceived as a “bad” person. Similarly, the importance of accountability again arises, as the person paying it forward is accountable to the people who helped them, even if that person can only find unworthy people to help, such as Sidney. Matt tries to dictate to the movement with Sidney, forbidding Sidney from being a part of it, but the movement has outgrown the individual.
