The View From Saturday

Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 1996

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Summary

Background

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapters 5-8

Chapters 9-12

Character Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Tools

Beta

Discussion Questions

Chapters 9-12Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapter 9 Summary

The eight regional champions have been whittled down to two: Maxwell and Epiphany. Before Epiphany leaves for the finals in Albany, there is a blitz of publicity, including a local TV news slot. The only question the host asks The Souls is “And where * did * we * get * all * theses * bee-YOU-tee-ful * red * curls?” (147), directed at Nadia.

The school funds can’t cover transportation for the residents of Epiphany to get to the finals in Albany, so the residents of Century Village raise the money by designing and selling T-shirts—with a noose on them.

At the Academic Bowl final, the commissioner cites Julian for protesting and removes their point for “posh.” The question is given to Maxwell. While Maxwell struggles to come up with a second acronym, the official panel of experts signals to the commissioner that Julian was correct—tip stands for “to insure promptness” (146). Epiphany’s points are restored, putting them temporarily ahead.

Chapter 10 Summary

To tie, Maxwell will have to answer the following question: “In what work of fiction would we meet the original Humpty Dumpty, and who wrote it?” (151). Maxwell starts to answer, “Alice’s Adventure in Wonderland by…,” only to be interrupted by a sharp “no” from the commissioner (152). He turns to Epiphany, and Julian says, “Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll” (152). To win, Epiphany needs to answer a follow-up question about the author’s true name and occupation. Julian answers, “Reverend Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, math teacher, Oxford University” (153). Epiphany wins. The auditorium erupts in cheers and camera flashes. The Souls leave the stage to stand by Mrs. Olinski to accept their trophy called “a loving cup” (154).

Chapter 11 Summary

Mrs. Olinski drives Mr. Singh and Julian back home. Julian falls asleep at once. Mrs. Olinski shares her inexplicable feelings of loss with Mr. Singh, who explains that she is missing “future victories.” Mrs. Olinski asks Mr. Singh why he thinks she chose the members of The Souls. He tells her that each member has “returned from a journey” (156): Noah from his visit to Century Village, Nadia from her trip to the Sargasso Sea, Ethan from his experience on the school bus, and Julian from the “spite and malice” he experienced in sixth grade. Mrs. Olinski asks Mr. Singh to elaborate, and he says, “They found something, Mrs. Olinski […] They found on their journeys what you found at Sillington house” (157). What they all found was “a cup of kindness” (157). The kindness The Souls found in each other increased it in themselves. Mr. Singh tells Mrs. Olinski about Julian’s original invitations, hidden inside Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. When she gets home, Mrs. Olinski looks through her copies of Lewis Carroll’s books and smiles.

Chapter 12 Summary

The following Saturday, Mrs. Olinski arrives at Sillington house in her van and joins the waiting Souls in the dining room for teatime. She asks the question, “Did I choose you, or did you choose me?” (160). The Souls answer, “Yes!”

Chapters 9-12 Analysis

Throughout the novel, Konigsburg’s characters are frequently judged and misjudged by their appearance, highlighting the importance of Respecting and Understanding Differences. Julian and Mrs. Olinski are both mistreated because of their physical differences. In Chapter 9, Dr. Rohmer becomes the focus of the interview, while Nadia, an actual member of the winning team, gets asked one superficial question (about her hair). The interviewer condescendingly belittles Nadia’s contribution and elevates a man whose ignorance has already been emphasized in the narrative, suggesting that value is often assigned based on appearance and implicit bias. Through The Souls’ journey, Konigsburg suggests that, just as in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass, things are not always what they seem to be at first.

Konigsburg uses the motif of Lewis Carroll’s book Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland to mark the beginning and end of The Souls’ journey to Academic Bowl victory during which they learn the value of Teamwork, Friendship, and Making Critical Choices. Julian uses Lewis Carroll’s book (which is about things not being quite as they seem) to invite Noah, Ethan, and Nadia to his tea party, where the four sixth graders become loyal friends and teammates. Their journey ends with the final championship question, also about a Lewis Carroll book. The Soul’s opponents incorrectly answer with “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” (152), leaving Julian to take the win with the correct answer, “Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll” (152). There are several parallels between Lewis Carroll’s books and The View From Saturday. Like Alice in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Mrs. Olinski grows in confidence throughout her journey with The Souls, and in both books, the importance of teatime is indisputable.

Mr. Singh’s character plays a critical role in the final part of Mrs. Olinski’s journey of self-discovery. Mrs. Olinski is surprised when she feels sad after the Academic Bowl final even though her team has won. Mr. Singh helps her to see that she is mourning the end of one journey and that she must “put down anchor, look around, enjoy this port of call. Your stay will be brief” (156). From their life experiences, Julian and his father have realized that it sometimes “takes more courage to be a passenger than a driver” (151). Mrs. Olinski has struggled to be a passenger and accept what life throws her way, working through grief, jealousy, and rage at the trauma she has experienced, finally able to begin Accepting and Embracing Change. She thinks about Julian’s approach to life, making “each mile a journey of quarter inches” (151), enjoying and learning from each small experience rather than worrying about the past or the destination. Mr. Singh leads Mrs. Olinski to the answer to the question with which Konigsburg began the novel—why she chose Nadia, Noah, Ethan, and Julian for her Academic Bowl team. They have all been on a journey of self-discovery, and along the way, they have each found respect, understanding, teamwork, and friendship. Mrs. Olinski finally understands that the acceptance and kindness shown to her at Sillington house by four sixth graders allowed her to complete her journey and that she was not the only one doing the “choosing.” The Souls had chosen to support and “lift” her the way they had been supported and lifted by each other.