65 pages • 2 hours read
Alistair MacLeodNo Great Mischief
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1999A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Summary
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BetaChapters 19-21Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Chapter 19 Summary
After the funeral, Calum and the other men who were working down the mine receive a phone call. The superintendent of the mine has reached out, pleading for the men to return. He offers an increased bonus and his condolences, as well as an assurance that this will not happen again. The men agree; Alex will go with them, taking the dead man’s spot.
That afternoon, Calum visits his old farmstead and spends hours reuniting with his aging horse, who stayed behind. The next day, before the men leave, Alex’s aunt hands him a shirt she had purchased for her dead son. She tells Alex to wear it, and he promises to do so.
Chapter 20 Summary
Alex arrives in Sudbury with the other men, ready to work in the uranium mine. The French Canadians work the night shift, and the clann Chalum Ruaidh will begin work in the morning. The men retrieve their abandoned gear and prepare to start work again.
Chapter 21 Summary
The mining site buzzes with activity. As well as the frenzy below ground, new infrastructure is being erected above. Men from all over Canada—whose backgrounds are Italian, Portuguese, and so on—have descended on the site. In the dining hall, they sit in their separate ethnic groups, each speaking their own language. More and more, Alex’s group members speak Gaelic to one another. Each day, they mine. Dynamite is used to excavate the rock, and Alex learns about the difficulties in deploying the explosive. Beneath the ground there is no weather. Each day after work, Alex discovers new wounds and sores on his body while showering.
Unlike the other workers, clann Chalum Ruaidh are known for their skills as drift and development miners. As well as an hourly wage, they receive a bonus depending on how far the mine progresses. Alex learns about the different cultures on site and the possible futures for his family beyond the current job.
Chapters 19-21 Analysis
After the tragedy of the death of Alexander MacDonald, the members of the clann Chalum Ruaidh quickly return to work. Although the importance of mourning is stressed, the harsh reality of their existence is that they need the money, and in order to earn their wage, they must endure dangerous work. Following the death of his cousin, Alex feels compelled to take the man’s place, at least for the summer. He considers it almost a duty to his family members, who need to replace the dead man on their shift. With the same name—and even the same shirt—Alex is the natural replacement.
At this point in the novel, Alex becomes more tightly integrated with his brothers and the extended clann Chalum Ruaidh. Previously, his brothers lived in a separate home, almost enjoying a wild existence away from all the shackles of parental authority. In contrast, Alex and his sister were under the shelter of their grandparents’ influence and became more bookish and reserved. But once he joins the mine, Alex finds himself quickly becoming like his brothers and cousins: The same wounds mark his skin, and he carries out the same chores on a daily basis. Following the death of his cousin, Alex slowly begins to comprehend his identity as a full-fledged member of clann Chalum Ruaidh.
