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 6-9Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Chapter 6 Summary: “Reuben”
When Reuben gets to class on a Monday, Trevor is seated in the front row, which Reuben thinks is unusual. Trevor asks Reuben if he’s married, and then if he wishes he were, which makes Reuben remember Arlene. Reuben tries to explain that marriage is complicated because there are good ones and bad ones. Trevor keeps asking vague questions until another student, Mary Anne Telmin, who is a great student and very popular but Reuben feels is insincere, arrives. Reuben thinks excitedly about Trevor’s secret project.
After class, Trevor says his mom wants Reuben to come to dinner, which excites Reuben, though he remains cautious. Trevor says Arlene wants to talk to him about Jerry, and when Reuben suggests a parent-teacher conference, Trevor maintains that his mom is too busy.
The next morning, Arlene shows up angry again, which Reuben admires her for. Arlene is mad that Reuben has to come over for dinner, but Reuben says that Trevor brought it up as Arlene’s idea. He also says that he thinks Trevor is trying to set them up, which shocks Arlene, who says that Trevor “‘knows his daddy is gonna come home’” (61). Arlene is confused as to why Reuben would agree to dinner in the first place, at which point he apologizes for being dismissive during their earlier interaction. He thinks about how fragile she seems. Arlene says she knows Reuben does not like her because she does not have an education. Reuben says she’s being oversensitive, and that he won’t come to dinner if she doesn’t want him to. Instead, Arlene suggests he comes to dinner, admitting it is difficult for her to talk to Trevor.
From Those Who Knew Trevor Speak
Reuben is surprised by the modesty and cleanliness of Arlene’s house, which reminds him of his mother. He realizes he might have been looking down on Arlene. He thinks of Arlene’s pride and how beautiful she is, and they both freeze until Trevor comes in the room.
After dinner, Trevor retrieves his calculator to explain his project. He says it is based off of a riddle his father told him about working for thirty days: “‘You could take a hundred dollars every day, or you could take a dollar the first day and have it doubled every day’” (64). Trevor explains that he has come up with a plan to help the most people by doing something nice for three people, and then instead of them paying him back, they have to do something nice for three more people.
Arlene says it is a great idea, but that Reuben has to explain its drawbacks. Reuben is confused slightly; Arlene mentions Jerry and Trevor explains that Jerry got arrested on a violation, which disappoints Arlene. Arlene says that Reuben will explain how this represents the problem with Trevor’s assignment, but Reuben refuses, which angers Arlene, and she gives up. Trevor explains how his project means that eventually people will be getting helped more than once, which will make it more effectual even faster. Arlene asks Reuben what he thinks, and Reuben says it is noble, but then asks how Trevor feels about Jerry’s arrest. Trevor says he has to start all over, but that he has a few ideas. Arlene asks what they are, but Trevor maintains secrecy. As he leaves, Reuben pulls him aside and whispers that he can’t orchestrate love, which Trevor says wasn’t his plan. Arlene glares at Reuben when he won’t tell her what he said to Trevor.
From The Diary of Trevor
Trevor wonders why Reuben and Arlene can’t see that they like each other when he can and thinks they would be good for one another. He wonders if he can really change the world with his project, and thinks it would reflect well on Reuben. Trevor plans to help Mrs. Greenberg with her garden.
Chapter 7 Summary: “Mrs. Greenberg”
Mrs. Greenberg sits on her porch drinking iced tea and looking at her new garden, which hadn’t been kept up since her husband Martin died years ago. She has explained to Trevor how to fix the unruly mess, and the fact that he did it seems like a miracle to her, making her arthritis hurt less and the iced tea taste sweeter. Her son, Richard Green, comes to visit, much to Mrs. Greenberg’s chagrin, as he is a disappointment to her: highly intelligent, but lacking in motivation and always coming to her for money. She reflects on how he is unlike Trevor, who is of average intelligence but highly willing to help people. Mrs. Greenberg asks Richard what he thinks of the garden, which Richard hadn’t noticed, and he scolds her for paying someone to assist her. She half-explains the situation and scolds him for not doing it before Trevor. Richard walks into the house still smoking to watch television, disregarding Mrs. Greenberg’s request to put it out. She follows him around with Glade.
Mrs. Greenberg remembers that at first, Trevor had come around just to talk. She was at the end of his paper route and he always brought the paper right to her, respectful of her arthritis. She bought him cherry Kool-Aid and they talked about school. Trevor explained his project to her, and got started on her garden soon thereafter. While he worked, he expressed doubts that the project would be successful, but Mrs. Greenberg assured him that it will. After weeks of working before and after school, and on weekends, she tries to give him five dollars, but he refuses.
Mrs. Greenberg goes to the grocery store to get out of the house and away from Richard. She sees Terri, the checker, and Matt, the bagger, who are always kind and listen to her. She buys cat food for the neighborhood’s stray cats, Kool-Aid for Trevor, and food for herself. She almost buys Richard beer but puts it back. She decides that Terri, Matt, and the lady at the cat shelter are the best candidates for her to Pay It Forward.
Terri compliments Mrs. Greenberg’s garden, and Mrs. Greenberg explains that Trevor has been helping her. Matt exchanges pleasantries with her, and she thinks that her money could be used for him to go to college, and for the cat lady to use for vet costs.
Mrs. Greenberg’s chest begins to hurt on the way home, but she stops by Trevor’s house anyway, and is pleased to see Reuben is visiting, who she believes is Arlene’s new boyfriend. She is glad, because she did not like Ricky. She is sad to see the truck’s remains messing up Arlene’s otherwise tidy house. She hopes that Arlene won’t “let small minds get in her way” (74) and impede her from dating a handsome black man, remembering that Mrs. Greenberg herself had been told not to marry her husband, Martin, because he was Jewish, adding that “A good man is a good man” (74). She wishes the best for Arlene, who she has never met but believes is good because of Trevor, and hopes Reuben will take care of them. When she gets home, Richard is gone, which makes her happy. She decides to take a bath, and tomorrow make the arrangements to pay things forward.
Chapter 8 Summary: “Arlene”
Arlene goes in to Trevor’s room after Reuben leaves. Reuben has made her uncomfortable and like she wasn’t understanding something, and she takes a while to ask Trevor if he intended to set them up. She reflects that Trevor looks like his father. Trevor asks if she doesn’t like Reuben, and then she sees Trevor has three circles on a piece of paper with Jerry and Reuben’s names scratched out, and Mrs. Greenberg’s name among them. Arlene says she doesn’t like Reuben because he makes her nervous, but Trevor says he likes him because he feels like he can talk to him. Trevor says not to judge people based on appearances. Arlene is surprised at his wisdom. She then backtracks, and says that Ricky will come back. Trevor replies that Ricky will not. For the first time, Arlene hits Trevor and then leaves.
At the bar, Arlene is bothered by the music, the smoke, and the beer she can’t drink. Bonnie has told her to quit working at the bar. Arlene is mad at herself for taking out her frustrations on Trevor, and worries that if she’s hit him once, she might do it again, like the guy who hits her butt as she passes him at the bar. She feels like she doesn’t have the option to quit either life or her job because of Trevor. She calls Trevor to tell him she’s sorry. Trevor asks her to take him to see Jerry. Arlene says they have to figure out where he is, but promises she will take him. She hangs up the phone and wishes she wasn’t working and that she could drink.
Arlene and Trevor go to the county jail, and have to wait amidst a crowd of dirty children and disillusioned women. They are moved into a room with a glass partition and wait some more. Jerry refuses to see them, and Arlene asks to leave a note, in which she reprimands Jerry for screwing up, and hopes he will seriously reconsider his actions and his life, even though she thinks he won’t. In the same note, Trevor asks Jerry to write to him from the state penitentiary.
From The Diary of Trevor
Mrs. Greenberg’s death forces Trevor to wonder what happens after death. He is sad but decides she is still out there, and believes he still has to work on her garden and feed the neighborhood’s stray cats.
Chapter 9 Summary: “Reuben”
Reuben looks around his house, which he has still not unpacked after three months. Trevor calls and asks to come over to talk about his project, which he feels is not going well. Reuben is hesitant to allow Trevor into his house, so he decides to talk on the porch. He calls Arlene to leave a message explaining the situation. When Trevor arrives, he tells Reuben about Mrs. Greenberg’s death, trying to navigate between his frustration at what this means for his project and his sorrow at her passing. Trevor explains how he found her dead in bed when he checked on her. Trevor expresses similar frustration at the fact that his mother still thinks his dad is coming pack, and that Jerry wouldn’t talk to him when he went to see him. Reuben reflects: “It hurt to watch the idealism get kicked out of somebody. Almost as much as it had hurt when [Reuben] lost his own” (88). Reuben stresses that the importance of the project lies in the effort Trevor puts in. Trevor states that he wants to make the world a better place.
Arlene shows up angry and scolds Trevor for bothering Reuben, saying that Trevor can talk to her if he’s frustrated. Trevor evasively says she wasn’t home. Arlene says that they should be going, and Trevor waits in the car. Reuben apologizes for being cold to her, saying that it was a defense mechanism, and she is surprised to learn he does not think that she is stupid. Arlene asks Reuben over for dinner at some point, and Reuben almost refuses but then agrees.
From The Other Faces Behind the Movement
Reuben reflects on his friend Lou from Cincinnati, who is gay and tends to fall for men who aren’t, while Reuben tends to fall for beautiful women who are not sexually attracted to him. Reuben then elucidates on how painful these rejections can be. One night, Reuben and Lou were joking and Reuben asked if Lou had fallen for him, and Lou said that Reuben was too ugly. They laughed for a while, until Reuben realized it wasn’t really funny.
Reuben runs into Arlene in the grocery store. They have an awkward interaction, and Arlene leaves but then confronts Reuben in the parking lot. She says that Reuben’s problem is that he doesn’t even allow people to reject him. Then she asks him out. They have a heated conversation, and Reuben eventually asks her to a movie on Saturday. They both think they will be sorry by the end of the date.
Chapters 6-9 Analysis
These chapters present Trevor’s initial excitement about his project as well as Reuben’s. This similarity in excitement links Trevor and Reuben together, in contrast to Arlene, who is hesitant about the project’s success. However, this excitement quickly wanes, as it’s learned that Jerry has failed and Mrs. Greenberg has died. To some extent, Trevor believes that his project has failed, but he persists nonetheless, still tending to Mrs. Greenberg’s garden and the stray neighborhood cats. Even though Trevor’s self-assuredness wanes and he begins to lose his idealism, he doesn’t give up.
These chapters also present the beginnings of the complicated interpersonal relationship between Reuben and Arlene. The audience witnesses Trevor’s hand in their relationship, coming to learn that this is a part of his project. In this way, the audience understands Trevor’s innocence, believing that he can force two unhappy people together in order to make them less lonely. These chapters present a back and forth in communication and emotion between Arlene and Reuben: they are constantly offending one another, being defensive, and then apologizing for their assumptions. The audience sees Arlene struggle with her anger and alcoholism, leaving us to wonder how present these flaws will be in later chapters.
Lastly, these chapters present the idea that intelligence is not necessarily the most important thing a person can have. Rather, kindness and the ability to empathize are seen as much more important to effecting change in the world. Mrs. Greenberg reflects on this while contrasting her unhelpful son, Richard, with the kindness of Trevor. Trevor is able to perceive what Mrs. Greenberg needs, leading the audience to wonder if intelligence makes people selfish.
