The Middle Five · Chapter
The Splinter, the Thorn, and the Rib explained
The boys exchange stories about creation, comparing an Omaha legend of a thorn turning into a girl with the biblical story of Adam and Eve.
What happens
The boys exchange stories about creation, comparing an Omaha legend of a thorn turning into a girl with the biblical story of Adam and Eve. Their storytelling is interrupted by Graybeard's discipline and later by the supper bell. The chapter also includes Frank's aunt removing a splinter from his toe, prompting further discussion of the thorn legend.
Free preview opens on this chapter — companions, themes, and character notes appear beside the text.
Narrative arc
Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
The emotional peak occurs when the old woman’s tender, birdlike reassurances clash with the boy’s raw, uncontr…
Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.
Follow the arc while readingThemes in this chapter
- Tradition vs. Modernity
The boys compare an Omaha creation story with the biblical Adam and Eve narrative, highlighting the tension between indigenous traditions and Christian teachings.
- Childhood and Play
The boys engage in imaginative storytelling and playful debates, even as they face discipline from Graybeard.
Characters to notice
- Me
Narrator; participates in storytelling and has a splinter removed from his toe by his aunt.
- Brush
Tells the biblical story of Adam and Eve; aspires to be a preacher; defends the minister.
- Edwin M. Stanton
Tells the Omaha legend of the thorn turning into a girl; his loud storytelling wakes Graybeard.
- Graybeard
Disciplines the boys for loud talking after being woken up.
- Lester
Interrupts the stories with questions; laughs at Brush's imitation of the preacher.
- Warren
Argues about the difference between a snake and a serpent; wakes up confused after the cloud-rubbing dream.
Key passages
“I want to know all about these things so I can be a preacher when I get big. I'm going to wear a long black coat, and a vest that buttons up to the throat, and I'm going to wear a white collar, and a pair of boots that squeaks and reaches to my knees”
Brush expresses his ambition to become a preacher, describing the formal attire he plans to wear.
Shows Brush's aspiration and the influence of Christian missionaries on the boys.
“That was my aunt; she saw me when she was going by, and she made me sit down and she looked at my foot. She took a great big splinter out of my toe. My! it hurt.”
The narrator explains that his aunt removed a large splinter from his toe, causing him pain.
Connects to the chapter's title and the subsequent discussion of the thorn legend.
