Study Guide

The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing: Traitor to the Nation, Volume I: The Pox Party Part 1, Chapter 24

By M.T. Anderson

Part 1, Chapter 24

It's the end of May.
While the entire College is communing with Nature in the wilds of New York, Boston's getting ready for the Revolutionary War.
Lord Cheldthorpe is starting to pay more attention to Octavian; he even teaches Octavian how to swim.
Octavian's a smart boy. He knows Lord Cheldthorpe's just trying to get in good with him so that Cassiopeia will like the Lord more—but Octavian doesn't care, because the way he looks at it, this is just more proof that it's Octavian who's the center of Cassiopeia's world.
Octavian offers to teach Bono how to swim, but Bono just can't get over how Octavian seems okay with how everything is turning out between Cassiopeia and Lord Cheldthorpe.
One day, Lord Cheldthorpe asks Octavian if it's weird to get his poop weighed.
Octavian replies that it was weird finding out that no one else got their poop weighed and notes what a bummer this much be for other people since their lives are so "uncertain," what with not knowing how much they eat and poop out everyday.
Lord Cheldthorpe points out that Octavian is definitely not your typical kid (like, duh).
The day is unbelievably beautiful and perfect—life seems not just great, but incredibly generous.

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