Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Westing Game, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Solidarity vs. Individualism
Capitalism, Greed, and Inheritance
Prejudice and Bigotry
Mystery and Intrigue
Summary
Analysis
Plum, Turtle, and Flora are already in the game room when Otis Amber arrives. Otis makes fun of Turtle’s short new haircut, but Flora distracts Turtle by pulling from her pocketbook a picture of her daughter, Rosalie. Turtle is touched. She compliments Rosalie’s sweet face and says she wishes she could have met her. Sydelle and Angela enter next—they are quite a pair. Sydelle is still on her crutches while Angela’s hands are covered in burns.
As the heirs arrive for the final showdown, they are more connected to one another than ever before. Some of the heirs have truly found deep connections with one another in spite of Westing having pitted them against one another in the beginning, as evidenced by Flora and Turtle’s relationship as well as Sydelle and Angela’s.
Themes
The heirs continue to arrive and take their seats at the small tables. Sandy and Chris compliment Turtle’s haircut. Judge Ford arrives dressed in traditional African clothes—she wears a turban and a handprinted caftan. Sandy makes fun of Ford’s outfit, and she ignores him. The Hoos arrive with Doug, who is draped in medals and who receives great applause from everyone. The Wexlers walk in—it is obvious that Grace is drunk. She is so far gone that she doesn’t even recognize Turtle with her new haircut. Crow arrives last, silently taking her seat near Otis.
The heirs are all able to be themselves around one another now—no matter how hard things have been along the way, they’ve at last realized that in order to succeed not just in the game but in life they must be themselves, transparently and wholly, for better or worse, without hiding the truth of their complexities.
Themes
There is an envelope in front of each pair. Plum invites them to open the envelopes: each contains another check for $10,000. Plum begins to read from the will. The document congratulates the pairs on earning another $10,000—but urges them not to lose sight of the fact that by the end of the night, they stand to inherit much more. Each pair is about to offer up a single answer—the lawyer will record each one.
It is time for the heirs to offer up their answers. Their presence is incentivized with more cash—but Westing is perhaps wrong at this point in believing that his heirs are entirely motivated by greed and material pursuits.
Themes
Plum goes around to each pair and collects their answers. Jake and Madame Hoo offer “boom” as their answer. Turtle and Flora, having won over a thousand dollars in the stock market with their initial $10k, offer the answer “$11,587.50.” Chris and Denton offer the answer “Mr. Westing was a good man.” Ford and Sandy do not provide an answer. Grace and Hoo offer “Plum” as their answer. Grace drunkenly announces the grand re-opening of Hoo’s on First the next day. Crow and Otis offer “mother” as their answer. Doug and Theo offer no answer. Sydelle and Angela sing “America the Beautiful” together, then offer “Otis Amber” as their answer.
As the heirs offer up their clues, it is clear that they have not been working together toward an answer as the game intended for them to do. Their answers are as far-flung and disparate as the heirs themselves—none of the answers are really united thematically or ideologically, with some believing a number might be the answer, others believing a name might be the answer, and other still feeling a phrase or song might be what Westing is looking for.
Themes
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Plum reads from the will. He announces there will be a break before the winner is announced. The will instructs Berthe Erica Crow to go to the kitchen and gather the refreshments. Crow, fearful, rises from her seat and heads into the kitchen. Ford asks Sandy to accompany her. As they enter the kitchen, Sandy passes his flask to Crow and asks her to refill it. Angela leaves, too. Turtle follows Angela to make sure she doesn’t set off any more fireworks.
The will seems to somehow know each player’s state of mind. As the players move innocuously about the mansion, their every move is charged with potential meaning—and the potential for disaster. The heirs have come to trust one another, but here, in the Westing manor under the edicts of Westing’s will, all bets seem to be off.
Themes
Crow and Angela return with refreshments. Sandy stands in the doorway taking swigs from his flask. Plum makes small talk with Angela, who asks him if he has the answer to the game. Plum checks his watch—he is one minute late opening the next document in the will. As he tears the envelope open, Plum reads aloud: “Go directly to the library. Do not pass go.”
The game is about to change, as evidenced by the mysterious and seemingly urgent shift in location directed by the will. The easy-going atmosphere of the night thus far switches on a dime, elevating the air of mystery, intrigue, and uncertainty.
Themes
