44 pages • 1 hour read
Judy BlumeIt's Not the End of the World
Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 1972A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Chapters 25-31Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Chapter 25 Summary
Karen wakes up to see her Viking diorama sparkling in the sunlight. She smashes it to pieces, but she doesn’t cry. She accepts the truth that her parents are not getting back together. She realizes that Val was right. Neither of her parents has been honest with her about how they feel about the other. Karen wonders where Jeff is and considers whether he ran away to keep Bill from going to Las Vegas. Ellie comes in to wake Karen up. Bill apologizes to Karen and says that he only slapped her because she was hysterical. Karen responds tersely. Ellie explains that she and Bill didn’t mean any of what they said last night. They just said those things to hurt each other. Karen thinks that they meant what they said. Ellie notices Karen’s broken diorama. Karen asks to stay home and clean up while Ellie goes to the police station to give them a picture of Jeff.
Karen finds photos all over the floor. She picks up a photo of Bill and Ellie laughing at a costume party. She shoves the photos back into the drawers. She vacuums up the glitter from her diorama. Ellie returns and decides to clean up Jeff’s room. Karen opens her piggy bank and finds enough money to buy that divorce book. She rides to the bookstore and orders the book.
Chapter 26 Summary
Karen writes to Garfa to tell him that she tried everything, but she can’t get her parents back together. Everyone sits around waiting for any development in the search for Jeff. Mary Louise Rumberger calls. She does not know that Jeff is missing. Karen lies and says that he will be back in the evening. Karen waits outside for the pizza delivery truck. Mew smells like she has just caught a mouse. Karen doesn’t like cleaning up the dead mice, but she is willing to do it for Mew.
Mary Louise Rumberger comes to the house looking for Jeff. Karen lies again, claiming that he went to New York to visit a friend. Mary Louise presses Karen for more information. Jeff was supposed to meet her at the Y and didn’t show up. She’s supposed to have a party, but if Jeff isn’t there, she’ll cancel it. She tells Karen that if Jeff doesn’t come back by Friday, she doesn’t want to see him anymore.
Chapter 27 Summary
Ellie stays home from work and sleeps on the couch. Karen calls Aunt Ruth who informs her that Ellie finally took a sleeping pill after staying up all weekend. Karen offers to watch Amy. Karen worries about everyone in her family. She decides to try and find Jeff herself. After school, Karen goes to Petey Mansfield’s house and asks Petey what he knows. Petey laughs and insists that Jeff isn’t dead, but he won’t tell Karen where he is. Karen decides that if Petey were the last boy on earth and she wanted to get married, she would maybe marry him.
That night, Jeff calls. He says that he will come home as long as no one asks any questions. Ellie sends Karen to bed. She doesn’t want Jeff to face anybody until he’s ready. Karen watches from the window as Jeff walks up to the house. Karen watches Ellie hug him. Jeff begins to cry like a little kid.
Chapter 28 Summary
Ellie announces to Karen and Amy that Jeff is back, but they can’t ask him any questions. After school, Karen finds Jeff in his room doing pushups. Karen is glad that he can go to Mary Louise’s party. Karen asks if he had fun while he was away, but he didn’t. Karen informs him that if he was trying to stop the divorce, then it’s hopeless after the horrible fight they had. Karen is glad that Jeff came home. Jeff warns her that running away stinks. Karen grades her day as a C-. She worries that she will never have another A+ day.
Chapter 29 Summary
At school, Mrs. Singer teaches etiquette in preparation for sixth grade. Karen is ready to have a new teacher. Karen learns that Ellie is going to sell the house as part of the divorce settlement. She is thinking of moving the family somewhere warm like Florida. Karen dislikes the idea of not being able to see Bill. Karen remembers Gary Owens in Houston and suggests that they move there. Ellie says that nothing is settled. Karen doesn’t want to move.
Chapter 30 Summary
Karen finally gets her divorce book. She will be able to teach Debbie all about divorce. Karen tells Val that she will have to move. Val promises to keep an eye on Bill and let her know any important information. Val is disappointed that Karen might be gone. Garfa writes Karen back; he is also disappointed about the divorce, but he is accepting it, too. He promises to buy the divorce book.
Chapter 31 Summary
Karen and Debbie tour the junior high. Karen wishes that she weren’t moving away. Debbie tells Karen that she’ll miss her. They remind each other that they are best friends. Debbie gives Karen two pictures of her making monkey faces. Jeff calls Debbie “Fat-and-Ugly,” which makes Debbie smile.
Over dinner, Amy tells a riddle, returning to her old self a little bit. Karen laughs. She gives today a B+.
Chapters 25-31 Analysis
The final chapters of the novel encompass the resolution and closure of the characters' arcs, as the characters come to terms with the reality of the divorce and its consequences. Karen's journey is marked by a growing acceptance of the divorce and a recognition of the complexities of her parents' relationship. Her decision to smash the Viking diorama, a symbol of her attempts to control the world around her, serves as a metaphor for her newfound understanding that she cannot control her life. She destroys not just a representation of her own work but also a vision of the family life that she knows she cannot have. Her subsequent actions, including buying the divorce book and coming to terms with the possibility of moving away, demonstrate her growing maturity and resilience.
The return of Jeff, who ran away in an attempt to stop the divorce, serves as a reminder of The Impact of Divorce on Children. Despite his sullen and withdrawn exterior, he breaks down into tears in Ellie’s arm when he finally returns home. Blume hence finally characterizes his vulnerability directly: Karen sees that Jeff is just as emotionally vulnerable as she is and just as profoundly affected by the divorce. She manages to find a moment of connection with him after his return, showing that siblings can be an important resource when dealing with a divorce.
The supporting characters, including Debbie and Garfa, offer support, guidance, and a sense of continuity. The relationships between these characters serve as a reminder that, even in the midst of significant change, connections and friendships can endure. Debbie prints out pictures of her monkey faces, a reminder of their friendship and her ability and willingness to make Karen feel better. Garfa takes Karen’s advice and orders the divorce book, validating her feelings and offering to process the divorce with her.
The novel's conclusion, marked by Karen's laughter and a sense of hope, suggests that the characters are emerging from a period of turmoil and uncertainty into a more promising though imperfect future. Karen returns to herself a little, grading her day a B+ and looking ahead. The fact that the final grade is not an A means that the novel resists complete resolution, adding to the text’s sense of verisimilitude yet suggesting that the characters are slowly Rebuilding Life After Trauma.
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By Judy Blume
