Gregor and the Code of Claw
Chapter 27
by Suzanne, Collins,The chapter opens with Gregor and his family returning to their New York City apartment late at night after an unexplained absence. Exhausted, they navigate a broken elevator and take the stairs, with Gregor noticing how small and cramped their home feels. His parents reveal that his grandmother is hospitalized due to heart issues, a fact his mother had been unaware of until then. Gregor falls asleep to the familiar sounds of the city but is soon tormented by a vivid nightmare of being hunted by rats in the Underland, culminating in a terrifying fall onto sharp rocks—a recurring dream that resurfaces after the loss of his bond with Ares.
Upon waking, Gregor is disoriented, unsure of the date or how much time has passed since his last visit home. He examines his scar-covered body, a physical testament to his traumatic experiences in the Underland, and worries about how to explain these injuries in the Overland. The scars, particularly the claw marks from the Bane, feel like permanent reminders of battles he can never fully escape. Dressing in ill-fitting clothes, he leaves the apartment, where his neighbor Mrs. Cormaci greets him with breakfast and practical advice, subtly acknowledging his unspoken struggles.
Over French toast, Mrs. Cormaci updates Gregor on his grandmother’s critical condition and gently probes his emotional state, recognizing the weight of his unshared experiences. She draws parallels to her late husband’s wartime trauma, validating Gregor’s nightmares and offering reassurance. Despite her kindness, Gregor feels isolated in his suffering, convinced that no one can truly understand or help him process the horrors he’s endured. Mrs. Cormaci provides him with old sneakers and notes his need for school clothes, revealing that it’s already mid-October—a stark reminder of how disconnected he is from his old life.
The chapter closes with Gregor babysitting his sisters while his parents and Mrs. Cormaci visit the hospital. His internal turmoil contrasts with the mundane tasks, highlighting the dissonance between his traumatic past and the ordinary world he must reintegrate into. The scars, nightmares, and lost time underscore his struggle to reconcile his dual identity as both a warrior and a boy, leaving him grappling with a future where his wounds—physical and emotional—may never fully heal.
FAQs
1. How does Gregor’s physical appearance reflect his experiences in the Underland, and what emotional impact does this have on him?
Answer:
Gregor’s body is covered in scars from his various battles in the Underland, including marks from squid suckers, vines, claws, and the five prominent scars left by the Bane on his chest. These scars serve as a physical map of his traumatic experiences. The emotional impact is profound—Gregor realizes he must hide these scars to avoid uncomfortable questions, which means avoiding activities like going to the beach or gym class. He fears the truth would land him in a mental ward, highlighting his isolation and the psychological burden of his experiences.2. Analyze the significance of Gregor’s nightmare and how it connects to his psychological state.
Answer:
Gregor’s nightmare features him running from rats in a dark tunnel, his sword melting, and falling to his death—a vivid reflection of his trauma from the Underland wars. The return of his childhood falling dreams, now intensified with violence, symbolizes his unresolved fear and guilt. The absence of Ares in the dream underscores his feeling of abandonment and vulnerability. This nightmare reveals Gregor’s PTSD-like symptoms, including hypervigilance and distress, showing how deeply his experiences have affected his mental health.3. How does Mrs. Cormaci’s conversation with Gregor provide both comfort and realism about his situation?
Answer:
Mrs. Cormaci offers comfort by validating Gregor’s silence about his experiences, comparing it to her late husband’s wartime trauma. She reassures him that bad dreams are normal and that support is available (“there’s a whole lot of people here to help you up”). However, she also grounds him in reality by updating him on his grandmother’s critical condition and the practicalities of school and clothing. Her blunt yet caring approach helps Gregor process his emotions while reminding him of his responsibilities in the Overland.4. What does Gregor’s disorientation about time suggest about his transition between the Underland and Overland?
Answer:
Gregor’s confusion about the date (he doesn’t realize it’s already October) highlights the dissonance between his prolonged, intense experiences in the Underland and the Overland’s unchanged routine. This disorientation emphasizes how war and trauma have disjointed his sense of normalcy. His urgent need to “ground himself in reality” by checking a newspaper shows his struggle to reconcile the two worlds, underscoring the psychological toll of being a child soldier in a hidden war.5. How does the author use sensory details to contrast Gregor’s experiences in the Underland and Overland?
Answer:
The chapter juxtaposes harsh Underland imagery (blood, crumbling tunnels) with mundane Overland sensations—the dusty smell of blankets, car radios, and exhaust-scented air. These sensory contrasts emphasize Gregor’s alienation; the “comforting sounds of New York” feel trivial compared to his trauma. The sunlight stinging his eyes symbolizes his painful reentry into a world that seems unchanged yet no longer fits him, reinforcing the theme of irreversible transformation.
Quotes
1. “His skin was like a map where you could trace all of the terrible things that had happened.”
This powerful metaphor describes Gregor’s physical scars from his Underland battles, symbolizing how trauma leaves permanent marks both physically and psychologically. It captures the chapter’s theme of war’s lasting impact on a person.
2. “If he couldn’t explain them, he’d have to hide them. Forget the beach, forget gym class, and forget even going to the doctor unless he was on death’s doorstep.”
This quote reveals Gregor’s painful realization that his experiences have isolated him from normal life, forcing him to conceal his true self. It highlights the veteran’s dilemma of carrying invisible wounds from war.
3. “You spend your whole childhood hearing about being nice to other people and how hurting someone’s a crime, and then they ship you off to some war and tell you to kill. What’s that going to do to your head, huh?”
Mrs. Cormaci’s insightful question encapsulates the chapter’s exploration of moral whiplash in wartime, showing how combat fundamentally conflicts with childhood moral education and damages the psyche.
4. “Don’t worry. If you hit bottom, there’s a whole lot of people here to help you up.”
This comforting yet ironic statement from Mrs. Cormaci contrasts with Gregor’s internal thought (“Wipe me up is more like it”), illustrating the gap between civilian understanding and a warrior’s personal experience of trauma.