The Pact
Chapter 17: NOW: May 1998 (1)
by Picoult, JodiThe chapter opens with Gus Harte preparing for the trial of her son, Chris, dressing meticulously in hopes of catching a glimpse of him at the courthouse. Her husband, James, shaves nearby, the mundane routine contrasting sharply with their grim reality. Meanwhile, Melanie and Michael drive separately to the courthouse, their strained silence punctuated only by the rhythmic flash of brake lights, which Michael interprets as a mocking smile. Barrie Delaney, the prosecutor, rushes out after her cat spills coffee, unaware the stain will later remind her of Chris for years to come.
Jordan McAfee, Chris’s defense attorney, frets over his disrupted pre-trial ritual—eating Cocoa Krispies—when his son, Thomas, admits to finishing the box. The superstition, though trivial, symbolizes Jordan’s need for control amid the trial’s uncertainty. His irritation underscores the tension in the household as Thomas offers futile solutions. Meanwhile, Chris is given a suit he last wore during his arraignment, the memory of shopping for it with his mother and Emily flooding back. As he’s led to court, the other inmates’ silence highlights their shared dread of facing trial.
The courtroom scene is tense, with James straining to reach Chris across the divider, a physical barrier mirroring the emotional chasm between them. Jordan erupts in chambers, arguing against Chris being shackled, insisting it prejudices the jury. Prosecutor Barrie Delaney counters that restraints are standard for an alleged murderer. Judge Puckett sides with Jordan, allowing Chris to appear uncuffed, a small victory for the defense. The decision hints at the broader battle over how Chris will be perceived—as a dangerous criminal or a sympathetic defendant.
The chapter captures the quiet desperation of the characters as they brace for the trial’s emotional toll. Gus and James cling to routines, Melanie and Michael communicate through silence, and Jordan’s superstition reveals his vulnerability. Chris’s brief taste of freedom outside the jail contrasts with his shackled reality, while the legal skirmish over his restraints foreshadows the coming fight for his future. The narrative weaves together intimate moments and legal maneuvering, setting the stage for the trial’s high stakes.
FAQs
1. How do the different characters’ morning routines before the trial reflect their emotional states and attitudes toward the upcoming court proceedings?
Answer:
The chapter reveals each character’s emotional state through their morning rituals. Gus meticulously dresses in formal attire (navy dress, pearls) despite knowing she won’t enter the courtroom, showing her hope to see Chris and maintain normalcy. James shaves mechanically, mirroring their strained attempt to pretend this is an ordinary day. In contrast, Jordan’s superstition about Cocoa Krispies—and his irritation when Thomas eats them—highlights his stress and reliance on rituals for control. Barrie Delaney’s spilled coffee and rushed departure reflect her disarray, while Chris’s suit (a relic from happier times) emphasizes his displacement. These routines underscore tension between performed normalcy and underlying dread.2. Analyze the significance of Chris’s first experience outdoors in seven months. How does the author use sensory details to contrast his imprisonment with fleeting freedom?
Answer:
The moment Chris steps outside, sensory details amplify his emotional and physical confinement. The “mountains and lazy strip of the Connecticut River” symbolize vast freedom, while the farm’s manure smell grounds him in harsh reality. Sunlight on his face is a visceral reminder of lost liberty, so overwhelming his knees buckle—a physical collapse mirroring his psychological strain. The deputy’s impatient “Let’s go” abruptly ends this respite, reinforcing how tightly institutional control governs his life. This juxtaposition highlights the cruelty of temporary exposure to a world he cannot access, deepening readers’ empathy for his constrained existence.3. How does Jordan’s argument about Chris’s handcuffs in the judge’s chambers reveal broader themes about perception and bias in the legal system?
Answer:
Jordan’s outburst—comparing handcuffs to “dreadlocks” or “skinhead tattoos”—critiques how visual cues manipulate jury bias. He argues the shackles unfairly paint Chris as dangerous before the trial begins, exposing systemic prejudice that equates restraint with guilt. Barrie’s rebuttal (“He killed a person”) underscores society’s presumption of guilt for defendants. Judge Puckett’s compromise (removing cuffs) acknowledges this tension but doesn’t resolve it, illustrating how legal “fairness” often hinges on performative gestures rather than addressing deeper biases. This scene questions whether trials truly presume innocence when physical markers of criminality persist.4. Contrast the two father-son dynamics (Jordan/Thomas and James/Chris) in this chapter. What do these relationships reveal about each family’s coping mechanisms?
Answer:
Jordan and Thomas interact with casual friction—Thomas forgets the cereal, Jordan scolds half-heartedly—revealing a mundane domesticity that contrasts with Jordan’s professional stress. Their conflict is minor (Cocoa Krispies), providing comic relief but also showing Jordan’s superstitions as a coping mechanism. In stark contrast, James and Chris share a wordless, physical embrace in court, transcending the divider meant to separate them. Their silent connection underscores profound grief and solidarity, rejecting legal barriers to assert familial bonds. While Jordan channels anxiety into ritual, James defies systemic dehumanization through raw, public affection.5. Why might the author include Barrie Delaney’s realization about the coffee stain lasting “ten years”? How does this detail contribute to the chapter’s tone?
Answer:
Barrie’s fleeting thought about the permanent coffee stain—linking it to Chris Harte for a decade—foreshadows the trial’s lingering trauma. Unlike other characters’ immediate stressors, this detail suggests the case will haunt even its prosecutors long after the verdict. The stain symbolizes how the legal process leaves indelible marks on all involved, blurring professional and personal boundaries. By juxtaposing this with mundane chaos (a cat knocking over coffee), the author underscores how ordinary lives are interrupted by profound, irreversible consequences, deepening the chapter’s tone of inevitability and quiet despair.
Quotes
1. “She was dressing up on the off chance that she might see Chris, even in passing.”
This poignant moment reveals Gus’s desperate hope to connect with her son Chris during his trial, showing how ordinary routines (like dressing up) become charged with emotional significance in times of crisis.
2. “Every time Melanie stepped on the brake, they all flashed, making it seem as if the car were smiling.”
This striking visual metaphor contrasts sharply with the tense situation, highlighting how mundane details can take on ironic or unsettling meanings during traumatic experiences.
3. “Eat the Krispies, win the trial. Thomas squirmed under his father’s glare. ‘I could run out and get some more,’ he suggested.”
This exchange about Jordan’s cereal superstition reveals how people cling to rituals for control during high-stakes situations, while also showing the strained but caring dynamic between father and son.
4. “He took a deep breath and lifted his face, the sun soaking his cheeks and the bridge of his nose, his knees buckling under the tentative weight of freedom.”
This powerful description of Chris’s first moments outside jail in seven months captures the overwhelming physical and emotional impact of even temporary freedom during incarceration.
5. “They built it this way, James thought, on purpose.”
James’s realization about the courtroom’s intentional design to separate families speaks volumes about how legal systems create emotional barriers, making his subsequent act of climbing over the divider to embrace Chris even more significant.