Johnny Tremain: Chapter 7 Summary & Analysis

1. The “fiddler’s bill” is so heavy that it enrages even moderates in Boston—and the other 12 colonies, who hadn’t much cared about Boston before this. London votes to close Boston’s port to all but British warships until the tea is paid for. Boston will starve. It’s now June 1, 1774. Johnny and Rab join everyone else wandering around, swearing angrily. This, everyone agrees, is tyranny. First the merchants and sailors are out of work; then, tailors, silversmiths, and everyone else has no work, either. As he and Johnny stare at the harbor, Rab says that Uncle Lorne is sending the Webb twins home, but Uncle Lorne is going to continue printing a half-size paper until he’s hanged.

Hanging is on everyone’s mind. The crown orders Governor Hutchinson to England and General Gage is now in charge. Mr. Hancock, Mr. Adams, and Dr. Warren would all be the first to hang if their roles became known. Regiments of British soldiers arrive to quell sedition. There’s little work to do now; Rab can set the paper in a day, and Johnny can deliver the Boston papers in a few hours. When they’re not working, Rab and Johnny watch the British soldiers drill. Rab focuses on their muskets. Like many men and boys, Rab has begun drilling to fight the British. But Rab’s only gun is an old duck-hunting gun, and his inadequate weapon bothers him.

So, one day, Rab does a foolish thing and reaches out and touches a British musket. An officer swoops over, hits Rab on the head, and knocks him unconscious. Johnny stays by Rab’s side as a British medical officer tends to Rab. The officer laughs when Rab says he wasn’t going to steal the musket, but that it’s not a bad idea. The officer insists that if they all stay calm, soon this will all be over. As he often does, Johnny finds that he likes this medical officer. The British soldiers are, on the whole, friendly and civil. With Rab’s encouragement, Johnny begins carrying notes for the British. Though Whigs tease him for being disloyal, Johnny soon uncovers double agents and feels great about himself.

2. Johnny charges British officers a fortune for carrying letters and gives it all to Aunt Lorne. General Gage, meanwhile, tries to keep things civil and doesn’t stop men like Uncle Lorne from publishing. And Boston doesn’t starve, as towns and villages send shipments of food by land. By now, it’s been three weeks since Johnny last saw Cilla. He’s been too busy watching Rab and the other Minute Men drill on Sundays to meet her. So, he's shocked when he comes back to the Observer’s office to find her sitting and laughing with Rab. She looks extremely happy and explains that she’s drawing a political cartoon for Rab. Johnny insults her drawing, but she knows it’s actually a compliment. He can’t figure out when she got so pretty.

When Cilla gets up to leave, Johnny begs her for news. She explains that Dorcas ran off with Frizel, Junior just when Mr. Tweedie expressed interest in her—so now, Mr. Tweedie wants to marry Cilla. Johnny protests that Cilla is only 15, but Cilla continues her story. Mrs. Lapham didn’t like the idea of Cilla marrying Mr. Tweedie, so when Miss Lavinia Lyte stopped by for some silver work, saw Isannah, and insisted on taking her, the women decided that Cilla would go work for the Lytes for a year. Johnny asks to see Cilla at the Lytes’ sometime, but Cilla suggests he talk to Mrs. Bessie, the cook and her friend. Rab then walks Cilla home. Cilla clearly isn’t going to wait for Johnny anymore. Though Johnny is wildly jealous, he decides to forgive Rab and cook them both eggs for supper. But Rab doesn’t return on time—he returns late, having eaten at the Lytes’.

3. These days, Johnny tries to see Cilla on Thursdays and spends most of his time at the stable. The Afric Queen, which owns the stable, has been taken over by British officers, led by Colonel Francis Smith. Goblin is now the only horse in the stable not owned by the British. Johnny mostly ignores the British horse boys, but once when he has to fight a bully, he’s surprised that most of the boys demand fair play and congratulate Johnny when he wins. Things take a turn for the worse, though, when Colonel Smith gets a new horse boy: Dove. Dove wants to be friends, but Johnny insults him. Johnny doesn’t come to Dove’s rescue, either, when the English boys wrestle Dove to the ground and make him swear loyalty to the King—mostly because Dove says that Johnny is a Whig.

Johnny has a letter to deliver for Colonel Smith, so he tacks Goblin up and lets him prance in the courtyard. But Colonel Smith tells Johnny to wait and sends his orderly officer, Lieutenant Stranger, outside. Stranger says he wants to commandeer Goblin for Colonel Smith and would like to ride him. Johnny dismounts and as Stranger—whom Johnny likes—rides Goblin out of the yard, Johnny goes to help Lydia, the Afric Queen’s enslaved woman, hang sheets. He asks for her help, and when Stranger and Goblin return to the yard, they let a sheet billow in the wind. Goblin leaps away, dumping Stranger into a puddle.

Stranger pretends to be angry, but he really isn’t. Johnny confesses to setting him up to fall off, and Stranger orders two beers from the kitchen. They drink to Goblin and discuss that Goblin will never be a gentle, safe horse—but Stranger would happily teach Johnny to jump the horse if he’d like. After this, Johnny has no more trouble with the British stable boys; they even let Johnny use their oats sometimes. Despite being a Tory, Dove has become the target of the British boys’ bullying. He clings to Johnny and soon, Johnny begins protecting him. Rab encourages Johnny to keep up the friendship, as Dove might someday have useful information.

4. One day, Johnny realizes how much things have changed since he burned his hand. He can barely remember how it felt to hate Dove so strongly. Mr. Lapham recently died. Johnny remembers the man fondly, and even Mrs. Lapham doesn’t seem so bad now. These days, Johnny realizes that she wasn’t mean—she was just trying to look out for those in her house. Johnny’s feelings about Cilla have changed, too. Suddenly, he looks forward to seeing her every Thursday (and he sometimes sees Lavinia Lyte too). He doesn’t think highly of Isannah, though: she’s becoming snobbish and cold.

After riding back in through Boston’s gates, Johnny decides to stop in and visit the Laphams. He proudly asks Mr. Tweedie to mend his spur and then walks into the backyard, where he finds Madge in a tiny British sergeant’s arms. Madge laughs (she’s glad Johnny isn’t Mrs. Lapham) and introduces Johnny to Sergeant Gale. Johnny takes a seat as Madge explains that despite her mother’s insistence that she marry Mr. Tweedie, she’s going to marry Sergeant Gale. Then, Johnny pays Mr. Tweedie for his work and rides Goblin home. It was a nice visit, but Johnny won’t visit again. His old life is over.

5. When Johnny gets to the Lytes’ on Thursday, Mrs. Bessie says that Cilla is busy: Miss Lavinia has lots of officers in the parlor. Johnny knows that Mrs. Bessie isn’t loyal to Miss Lavinia, and Cilla seems to know what’s wrong with her now, too. Johnny doesn’t. But as Mrs. Bessie is explaining that everyone in the parlor is going to a costume party tonight and Isannah—Izzy—is going too, Cilla rushes in. She says they need someone to make a tin scepter, so Johnny should come through. The parlor is a mess, but what catches Johnny’s eye is how happy Miss Lavinia is—and that Isannah is wearing only her undershift. Knowing Mr. Lapham would be spinning in his grave, Johnny tells Isannah to get dressed; she was raised better than this.

Isannah, however, says she’s “too young to be lascivious,” clearly parroting what she’s heard others say. Johnny slaps her, sending her flying and exposing her body further. Everyone laughs as Lieutenant Stranger picks the girl up. Miss Lavinia laughs so hard she calls for Cilla, who waves smelling salts too close to the lady’s nose. For this, Miss Lavinia calls Cilla “stupid.” Isannah hides her face in Miss Lavinia’s lap, clearly loving the attention, while Cilla stands aside like a servant. Johnny is angry. He tells Cilla to leave the Lytes, including “Izzy.” Miss Lavinia scolds Johnny for speaking this way, argues with Cilla about whether she asked for Johnny or not, and then sends them both away.

In the kitchen, Mrs. Bessie gives Johnny brandy and says that Cilla is mostly happy. She knows Isannah is a lost cause, but it doesn’t bother her much anymore. Then, Mrs. Bessie says the household is moving to the country estate for a while, but they’ll be back soon: the Whigs are trying to tempt Mr. Lyte to go so they can tar and feather him. She assures Johnny that Cilla and Isannah won’t get hurt; she’s an ally of Sam Adams and will protect them.