The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing: Traitor to the Nation, Volume I: The Pox Party Part 1, Chapter 13 Summary

  • This chapter's one long letter from this guy called Dr. Matthias Fruhling, to his wife.
  • Who's this guy? He's just one of the guests Mr. G. invites over to his house all the time, though that doesn't stop him from criticizing his good hosts.
  • Why? Well, let's just say he's a Bible-thumper who's not all about parties, good food, and good entertainment.
  • About that entertainment though…
  • He's willing to admit that there was one really good act—and that was Octavian playing his violin.
  • He also lets his wife know that he and Mr. G. don't agree about the whole Manifest Destiny, westward expansion over Native American thing.
  • Mr. G. thinks America is God's gift to them and so they should just go forth, take it, and use it; Dr. Fruhling, though, he's not down with that whole plan.
  • But don't you go thinking it's because he cares about the Native Americans—nope, he thinks they're "savages" who God put to the far west of Virginians (that's what he is) for a reason.
  • From there, he closes his letter with the promise that he's going to find a church to pray at.