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Chapter 2
Themes
and Colors
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Orbiting Jupiter, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Parenthood
Adolescence and Responsibility
Prejudice
Trauma and Trust
Friendship and Love
Summary
Analysis
The next morning, Mr. Hurd tells Jack and Joseph that they have to take the bus to school until winter ends. He walks the boys to the bus to ensure that they board it. When it arrives, Mr. Haskell calls to tell Mr. Hurd that he heard Jack got in trouble and that Mr. Hurd probably “took him out to the woodshed.” Mr. Hurd says that he’s actually proud of Jack. Mr. Haskell asks whether Mr. Hurd is proud of Jack nearly drowning, and Mr. Hurd says Mr. Haskell doesn’t know the full story.
The idiom “to take someone out to the woodshed” means to punish them harshly. Once again, Mr. Haskell is loudly discussing the details of his child passengers’ lives in a potentially humiliating way, demonstrating his callousness as well as his prejudice against Joseph—and now, by extension, Jack. Though Mr. Hurd scolded Jack the previous day, he praises Jack in front of Mr. Haskell, showing both that he is a supportive father and that he recognizes Jack’s bravery in helping Joseph even if it was potentially dangerous.
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Joseph and Jack board the bus. Joseph takes the back seat and starts reading Octavian Nothing. Some other boys confront Jack and ask him how he ended up in the river. When one calls Jack “nuts,” another says that Joseph is the “nuts” one. Jack tells that boy to be quiet. All the boys pile on, saying that it was probably Joseph’s fault that Jack ended up in the river, that Joseph will be sent to “psycho school” soon, and so on.
Jack’s friends on the bus refer to Joseph with disparaging language like “nuts” and “psycho,” indicating that they have learned prejudice against children in foster care and the juvenile justice system from the adults around them.
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The boys explain to Jack that “some of the eighth-grade guys” have it out for Joseph because Joseph choked another eighth-grader, Jay Perkins, for insulting “his girl.” Jay Perkins is now claiming he’s going to beat Joseph up. Jack, horrified, heads to the back of the bus and sits with Joseph in silence.
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When Jack and Joseph get off the bus, Mr. D’Ulney is waiting. He tries to take Joseph’s arm, but Joseph shies away. Mr. D’Ulney asks Joseph to come talk to him. Joseph leaves with Mr. D’Ulney, walking behind him. In PE, Coach Swieteck asks Joseph what he was thinking and threatens to kick him around the gym. When Joseph asks how, Coach Swieteck says he has ways. All through PE class, Jack sees Jay Perkins and his friends, Nick Porter and Brian Boss, staring at Joseph. Nick notices that Coach Swieteck is subtly keeping them away from Joseph.
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During Office Duty, Mr. Canton doesn’t have anything for the boys to do. Eventually, Joseph takes Octavian Nothing from his backpack and starts reading. Mrs. Halloway walks into the office and sees him. Then Mr. Canton notices him reading and tells him to put the book away: responsibility, he tells the boys, is about fulfilling your duties even when no one can see you. When Mr. Canton asks whether the boys understand, Jack nods, but Joseph stands and says he needs to head to class. Mr. Canton reaches for Joseph, and Joseph flattens himself against the wall, panting. Jack begs Mr. Canton not to touch Joseph. Mr. Canton, glancing between the boys, tells them to go to class.
Jack leads Joseph, who is breathing heavily, out of the office. Mrs. Halloway calls Joseph’s name. She says that she thinks she and Joseph got off on the wrong foot. Then she tells him she’d like to hear his thoughts on Octavian Nothing. Joseph walks off with Mrs. Halloway. Later, when Jack and Joseph are riding the bus home, Joseph stares hard at the First Congregational Church as the bus passes it. When Jack asks why he’s staring, Joseph says he’s wondering “what it would have been like.” Jack asks what he means, but Joseph dodges the question.
While Jack and Joseph are doing the afternoon milking, Joseph asks Jack whether Jack is going to say what’s worrying him. Jack warns Joseph to avoid Jay Perkins, Nick Porter, and Brian Boss. Joseph replies that he’s met boys just like Jay and his friends at Stone Mountain: all you need to do is break the first guy’s nose and the others back off. Then Joseph says that Jack hasn’t said what he wanted to say yet. Jack blurts that he’s happy Joseph is with the Hurds. Joseph hesitates in his milking—and then starts again.
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One Friday, Mr. Hurd and Jack shovel the snow off their frozen pond while Joseph is at counseling. Then they find skates. When Mrs. Hurd drives home with Joseph, they all skate until the moon comes out, but Joseph skates longer than anyone. The Hurds watch him glide around and around. Jack wonders whether Joseph is skating “with Maddie” and hopes he never stops. When Joseph finally gets off the ice, he has a serious expression. He approaches the Hurds and asks them to help him see Jupiter. Then he tells them “everything.”
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