City of Orphans

Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 2000

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Chapters 85-91Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapters 85-91 Summary

The police are called, and the bodies are removed from the hotel. Willa and a distraught Maks sit in Packwood’s office fielding questions from the authorities. The police confirm the identities of Bruno and Brunswick, and the children are sent home in a cab paid for by Packwood. They are to alert Donck that he has found the stolen watch. Mama puts Willa to bed while Maks goes to sell his papers. All the newsies are discussing what happened at the hotel. Maks tells the entire story to his family later that day, and they are hopeful it means Emma will be exonerated.

The entire family attends the trial. Packwood will present her case to the judge as Donck is too ill to attend. He lays out all the facts of the case. Brunswick stole the watch from room 912 as Emma was cleaning it, then went into the dormitory and planted the chain under her pillow. Packwood gives credit to Donck for solving the case. The judge dismisses the case, and Emma is free to go home. The family returns home to celebrate, but Willa is still morose. Willa offers her mother’s ring to use as payment for Agnes’s medical care and discards the photo of her family. Bartleby Donck is bedridden, but Packwood’s sister is by his bedside. The children visit after his death and see on his desk the text for The Bradys and the Missing Diamonds Or The Boy Detective. It was Donck’s story they had been reading with Zulot. Willa and Maks go to sell papers with the headlines about the two deaths. Agnes receives treatment from a doctor and finishes her typing course. She works at a bank making $10 a week. Emma and Maks work at the Waldorf. Willa and Jacob take up the paper sales though will Willa attend school. It takes Papa 13 months to find a new job.

Chapters 85-91 Analysis

Packwood’s strength of character is confirmed in the end. He quickly removes the children from the scene of the crime into the safety of his office and even provides a swift, safe passage home in a cab. At the trial, he lives up to his friend Donck’s challenge and presents the evidence to free the innocent Emma. He takes no credit for himself, giving it to Donck instead. He also has sent his sister to attend to Donck. Though they were not permitted to marry, she can provide comfort for him in his final days. Packwood reinstates Emma to her former position and offers Maks to stay on as a bellboy. These actions do not make Packwood a hero but affirm his humanity nonetheless. The spotless reputation of his hotel is not worth the cost of a young girl’s life or that of her family’s, and friendship and integrity are shown to be valuable to him rather than only status and wealth.

Donck’s worsening illness prevents him from attending the trial, which could have been a triumphant moment for him in his social justice work. However, his impact is felt as the evidence is presented and Emma is set free. He doubted whether he could truly help these children, yet even without him present, the impact of his tiresome work is seen in the face of an absolved young girl. When Willa and Maks visit, they introduce themselves as his friends. Though Donck bristled at their visits before, he came to love these children. It is revealed that the detective story the kids loved was written by him. The story was based on his real-life experience with Packwood’s sister. Though he may lose his battle to tuberculosis, he has won this small battle for Maks and Willa, and his long-lost love by his side is a warm and comforting presence. His death comes without formality or fanfare, but his contribution to the future of the children is ever-present. Avi reinforces the impact of small actions on the larger story. One small person can make a difference.

The narrative ends with each character moving into a hopeful future. Emma and Maks have gainful employment. Agnes receives treatment for her tuberculosis and is stable enough to finish her typing course and take a well-paying job at a bank. Willa continues working as a newsie but also attends school. It is the adults who stall. Mama continues to take in laundry, and Papa remains unemployed for over a year. Once again, it is the children who triumph, who are the hope of the family and of society writ large. Willa’s offering of the ring is the final step to sever ties with her former life. In sacrificing the family heirloom from her past to save a new family member, she can find closure with the past and hope for the future.