vocab
palatable
eat-able
Falling action
Sam and Bill realize they're trapped by Johnny's behavior, they agreed to his dads demands, and scrape together 250
Ransom
payment in return for a kidnapped person
rising action
The kidnappers catch Johnny and take him to their hideout, He embraces the adventure, Johnny torments Bill with war games, the kidnappers write a ransom note
Ebeneezer Dorset
rich and smart father
Small Town life
Summit represents a place where everyone knows everyone
The father's calm response suggests he knows his son's reputation
Small communities can be tougher than criminals expect
comply
obey to a command
Resolution
The kidnappers pay Ebeneezer and flee town with Johnny chasing them
Bill
stronger kidnapper, less patient, becomes johnny's primary target
Childhood vs adulthood
Johnny's boundless energy overwhelms the adults
Children's imagination and play can be more powerful than adult schemes
Adults underestimate the challenges of dealing with difficult children
pervade
spread
Climax
Bill reaches his breaking point and threatens to leave, Sam gets a counter-offer from Ebeneezer Dorset, instead of paying to have his kid returned, he demands the kidnappers pay him to get his kid back
Johnny
trouble making kid who gets kidnapped
Consequences of Crime
Surreptiously
secretly
Exposition
Two con men go to Summit Alabama, They need $2000, The con men decide to kidnap Johnny Dorset, the son of a wealthy businessman
Sam
Narrarator and more level-headed of the kidnappers, planner and negotiator
Irony and role reversal
The kidnappers become the victims of their own crime
The "victim" enjoys his captivity and doesn't want to be rescued
Parents typically pay to get children back, but here the father must be paid to take his child