- Claudia is sitting in an empty lot playing in the grass. When she gets home she finds Frieda crying on her bed. Frieda tells Claudia that their dad beat up Mr. Henry for touching Frieda's breasts. Frieda is crying because she overheard Miss Dunion, a neighbor, say that she might be ruined just like the Maginot Line.
- Claudia imagines Frieda as fat as the Maginot Line. The girls decide that in order to not get fat, Frieda should drink whisky. They decide that since Cholly's always drinking, they should find Pecola and get whisky from her.
- Frieda and Claudia go to Pecola's, but she isn't home. They see the Maginot Line on the porch and she tells them that Pecola is with Mrs. Breedlove at the house of the white family she works for. The Maginot Line tells them she works at a big white lakefront house. She says they can wait on the porch until Pecola gets home but they are too scared of her. They say they aren't allowed to be around her. The Maginot Line laughs and throws her root-beer bottle at them. It breaks and the girls run away, scared.
- Frieda and Claudia go to the lakefront house where Mrs. Breedlove works, in Lakeshore Park. All of the houses are beautiful, but there is no sign of life there. Blacks are not allowed in the park.
- Frieda and Claudia find the large white house and see Pecola on the porch. She tells them not to be scared of Miss Marie because she's really nice and buys her nice dresses. Frieda and Claudia don't believe her.
- Mrs. Breedlove finds the girls on the porch and tells them to wait in the kitchen while she finishes the laundry. Inside, the girls marvel at how fancy the house is. After Mrs. Breedlove leaves the room, a little white girl enters the kitchen asking for Polly – her nickname for Mrs. Breedlove.
- Frieda notices a berry cobbler on the counter and the girls can't take their eyes off of it. Pecola reaches out to touch the pan. At this exact moment, the little white girl yells "Polly!" again, and Pecola accidentally knocks the cobbler to the floor, splattering her legs with piping hot blueberry juice. Pecola begins to cry. Mrs. Breedlove runs into the room and slaps Pecola, knocking her to the floor. Pecola slips in the hot juice. Mrs. Breedlove hits her again and yells at her.
- Meanwhile, the little white girl begins to cry and Mrs. Breedlove consoles her. The little girl asks if she can make another pie. Mrs. Breedlove says, "Of course."