The Round House

by

Louise Erdrich

Teachers and parents! Our Teacher Edition on The Round House makes teaching easy.

Zack Peace Character Analysis

Zack is a close friend of Joe's, and he, Cappy, Angus, and Joe hang out together almost every day, riding bikes, drinking beer, and talking about sex. Zack’s parents are divorced and Vince Madwesin is his stepfather. Grandma Ignatia Thunder is Zack grandmother, to whom Zack, Cappy, and Angus occasionally go in search of food. Zack is injured during the car accident that kills Cappy.
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Zack Peace Character Timeline in The Round House

The timeline below shows where the character Zack Peace appears in The Round House. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter Two: Lonely Among Us
Parenthood, Foster Families, and Coming of Age Theme Icon
...of class before summer. Joe describes how he and his three friends (Cappy, Angus, and Zack) are inseparable. Cappy lives with his older brother, Randall, and his father, Doe, who works... (full context)
Chapter Four: Loud as a Whisper
Parenthood, Foster Families, and Coming of Age Theme Icon
Joe, Cappy, Zack, and Angus all love bike riding, as it gives them a sense of freedom since... (full context)
Women, Bigotry, and Sexual Violence Theme Icon
Land, the Judicial System, and Justice Theme Icon
When Cappy, Zack, and Angus arrive, they find Joe sitting outside of the round house and with the... (full context)
Parenthood, Foster Families, and Coming of Age Theme Icon
...that that is true, and he also reveals that he went with Cappy, Angus, and Zack to the round house. (full context)
Chapter Seven: Angel One
Storytelling, Formality, and Writing Theme Icon
Parenthood, Foster Families, and Coming of Age Theme Icon
...they found the gas can. Joe is horrified by how quickly he ratted out Cappy, Zack, and Angus in order to protect the money and Sonja. Feeling ill, he runs to... (full context)
Chapter Eight: Hide and Q
Women, Bigotry, and Sexual Violence Theme Icon
...tire in his place, but one of the nuts will not budge. Joe hears Cappy, Zack, and Angus ride up behind him. Cappy succeeds in taking the nut off after using... (full context)
Women, Bigotry, and Sexual Violence Theme Icon
Land, the Judicial System, and Justice Theme Icon
...around the house, completing chores and full of energy. Joe leaves and convenes with Cappy, Zack, and Angus. The boys decide to go to the lake beach near the church. (full context)
Chippewa Tradition vs. Catholicism Theme Icon
Parenthood, Foster Families, and Coming of Age Theme Icon
...(whose name turns out to be Neal) begins to come to and Cappy, Joe, and Zack pretend that he has converted them. They put their clothes back on, and then continue... (full context)
Chippewa Tradition vs. Catholicism Theme Icon
Parenthood, Foster Families, and Coming of Age Theme Icon
...boys join the youth group in order to hang out with Zelia. Joe, Angus, and Zack watch Cappy and Zelia flirt, knowing that they have no chance with her. The next... (full context)
Chapter Nine: The Big Good-bye
Parenthood, Foster Families, and Coming of Age Theme Icon
Land, the Judicial System, and Justice Theme Icon
Joe sees his parents and his friends’ parents sitting outside, but does not see Zack, Angus, or Cappy, so he gets on his bike and leaves to find them. Near... (full context)
Chapter Ten: Skin of Evil
Chippewa Tradition vs. Catholicism Theme Icon
...farts while stretching and the girl laughs. Cappy and Joe then go find Angus and Zack. The four boys walk to the food stands and buy frybread. Several girls from their... (full context)
Chapter Eleven: The Child
Chippewa Tradition vs. Catholicism Theme Icon
Parenthood, Foster Families, and Coming of Age Theme Icon
Land, the Judicial System, and Justice Theme Icon
The narrative jumps forward to Joe, Angus, Cappy, and Zack hanging out together at the edge of the construction site on the reservation one afternoon.... (full context)
Chippewa Tradition vs. Catholicism Theme Icon
Zack tells them that they don’t need the rapture anyway, since they have confession. The boys... (full context)
Parenthood, Foster Families, and Coming of Age Theme Icon
Joe suggests that they get food, but Zack, Cappy, and Angus have fallen asleep. After a while, Joe hears someone crying and realizes... (full context)
Chippewa Tradition vs. Catholicism Theme Icon
Parenthood, Foster Families, and Coming of Age Theme Icon
...to find Cappy and get drunk. As he rides toward the Lafournais house, he sees Zack and Angus in the grocery store parking lot, sitting in Zack’s cousin’s car. They tell... (full context)
Women, Bigotry, and Sexual Violence Theme Icon
Parenthood, Foster Families, and Coming of Age Theme Icon
Land, the Judicial System, and Justice Theme Icon
Joe and Cappy say goodbye to Zack and Angus and then each go home. Joe packs a bag of clothing, money, and... (full context)
Parenthood, Foster Families, and Coming of Age Theme Icon
Angus and Zack show up at Joe’s house and Joe tells them that Cappy is going to pick... (full context)
Parenthood, Foster Families, and Coming of Age Theme Icon
...no answer. Joe unbuckles himself and crawls out of the car. He hears Angus and Zack making noise and getting up. Joe searches the car for Cappy and when he cannot... (full context)
Chippewa Tradition vs. Catholicism Theme Icon
Parenthood, Foster Families, and Coming of Age Theme Icon
After the accident, Joe sits in the police station while Zack and Angus are in the hospital. Cappy’s body is in a funeral home. Joe remembers... (full context)