Chapter 12 Analysis
This is the shortest chapter in the novel, but one of the most significant. This is the climax of the story. It is a flashback on the day of the shooting, but it shows what triggered the whole tragedy. This starts off like an ordinary day when his father wakes him up. Annoyed, Peter rises to find the email Josie sent him. Obviously, Peter had strong feelings for Josie and he is heartbroken when he discovers the email had been forwarded to the entire student body. This is where Peter decides to get revenge. The last sentence in this chapter is important because we realize that Peter was planning this event when we discovered he stashed the guns, "....just in case"(390).
There is a division in this novel that separates part one and part two. This chapter is found at the beginning of part two. The placement of this chapter is important because it symbolizes the start of something new, the start of a new life for Peter. Part two summarizes the day of the shooting. The reader starts to piece together bits of information together that makes the puzzle fit.