This Boy's Life Part 4, Chapter 5 Summary

  • Dwight and Jack's mom belong to the rifle club and do a fair amount of shooting. Jack's mom does really well. Dwight doesn't.
  • Dwight keeps blaming the rifles and buying new ones, but they don't work. He gets nasty after competitions when Jack's mom wins: making fun of her. Sometimes, while dry-shooting, he points the rifle at Jack when Jack comes home from his paper route. (This, as you may suspect, is a rather flagrant violation of firearms safety.)
  • One night after a tournament that Jack's mom has won and Dwight has not, Dwight stops at the local tavern. He leaves Jack, his mom and Pearl in the car. For a long time.
  • As an aside, Jack mentions that he steals stuff, and plans to squirrel away enough money to run away. He idly fantasizes about shooting Dwight—especially when he lays into his mother—but considers the abuse more boring than dangerous.
  • Dwight once called Jack a sissy, but Jack doesn't take the bait. He refuses to let Dwight give him "a definition of myself," and in fact defines himself by his opposition to Dwight.
  • Jack's mom finally goes in after him. Jack and Pearl stay in the car, needle each other, and sing songs.
  • Dwight comes out, drunk, and Jack's mom demands the keys. Dwight doesn't give them up.
  • They drive home scary-style, with fishtails and skating all over the road.