CHAPTER 23: Strange Answers

Summary

Lawyer E.J. Plum is in the game room when Otis Amber enters, as are Flora Baumbach and Turtle Wexler, whose long hair had been cut. Flora shows Turtle a photo of her daughter Rosalie, and Turtle says she would have liked her. Sydelle Pulaski and Angela Wexler arrive next: Turtle had convinced Angela not to confess to being the bomber. As the heirs arrive, they comment on Turtle's haircut. Theo doesn't do so, as he sees the chess game has continued since last meeting and it's now his move. Judge Ford makes a grand entrance wearing a turban and an African print gown. Doug Hoo and his parents arrive, triumphant from the morning's track meet. Jake and Grace Wexler arrive, drunk from spending the afternoon at a cafe they frequented before they married. After everyone is seated with their partner at their designated tables, Otis asks if they can open the envelopes there. Inside is another ten thousand dollar check for each pair; Judge Ford signs her check and gives it to Sandy McSouthers to help him until he finds a new job.

Reading from the will, E.J. Plum instructs each pair to give their answer when called. As Plum calls out the name and listed occupation of each pair, several of the heirs are puzzled at the occupation listed for themselves. First is Madame Sun Lin Hoo, cook, and Jake Wexler, bookie: they finally look at the clues they should have received at the ........

Notes

From deriding the minstrelsy of her clues at the first meeting of the Westing heirs, Judge Ford makes a striking statement of reclamation when she appears at the second meeting in an African print gown (a wrapper or dashiki, as it's called). That is, she takes the offensive stereotype of the minstrel and replaces it with the image of the proud African American who is aware of her heritage. This contrasts against the two actual immigrants in the novel: Sam Windkloppel changes his name to Westing in order to have a brand that consumers will positively associate with........

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