63 pages • 2 hours read
Garth SteinThe Art of Racing in the Rain
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2008A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.
Summary
Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Character Analysis
Themes
Symbols & Motifs
Important Quotes
Essay Topics
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BetaChapters 17-19Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Chapter 17 Summary
While playing in a stream, Eve loses her footing and hits her head on a rock. She leaves the trauma dazed and slurring her words. Enzo spends the night in the car while Denny cares for Eve.
Chapter 18 Summary
Enzo recounts the Mongolian practice of burying dead dogs. The dogs are prepared for their inevitable reincarnation into humankind. Enzo is ready for it.
Chapter 19 Summary
Enzo is let out of the car and fed some peanut butter crackers. They taste so good that he feels they’re wasted on him. Denny’s co-worker, Mike, shows up to talk with Denny. Enzo praises his own ability to listen closely and dissect that people are actually saying.
Denny confirms that Eve has a “mass” on her brain, not a tumor. He enlists Mike to pick up Enzo’s food, bedding and toy. Enzo is embarrassed that he sleeps with a stuffed dog toy, and is offended when Mike washes it—removing its scent.
Cleaning the toy is initially viewed as a tragedy, but Enzo’s ability to come to terms gives him hope for the family’s ability to cope.
Chapters 17-19 Analysis
These chapters focus on change, transformation, and acceptance. With the description of the Mongolian burial ritual, Enzo’s desire to be reincarnated is again discussed. His readiness shows that Enzo is accepting of death and his fate. In contrast, Eve does not want to go to the hospital after hitting her head because she is afraid of what she will find out.
The washing of Enzo’s toy also represents change. At first, Enzo is angry that Mike puts his toy in the washing machine because it removes comforting scents that have accumulated over time. However, he admits to liking it better, demonstrating how he has grown used to all the changes in his life. The act also demonstrates how one can recuperate from almost anything.
