Chapter 17 - Allusions

fountain pen: a pen with a special nib at the end that allowed the pen to be refilled with ink from a bottle. See a 1930s advertisement for fountain pens.

icebox: Before refrigerators, people used iceboxes, large wood cabinets kept cold on the inside by blocks of ice that would be delivered to the home. See a picture of an icebox.

Model-T Ford (on blocks): The Model-T (also known as a "tin Lizzie" or a "flivver") was Henry Ford's first popular success. Originally produced in 1909, it was affordable and relatively reliable. See a picture of a 1926 Model-T coupe and find out more about the history of the Model-T Ford. A car is put up on blocks for two main reasons: either it no longer has any tires, or the owner can't afford to drive it and putting it on blocks saves the tires from the damage caused by having to carry the weight of the car.

shotgun hall: A hallway that leads directly from the front door to the back door.

Chapter 18 - Allusions

cotton gin: a machine used to separate seed and other debris from cotton. See a picture of a cotton gin.

Mr. Jingle: A character in Charles Dicken's novel The Pickwick Papers, Mr. Jingle usually expresses himself in sentence fragments. Got some extra time? Read The Pickwick Papers online!

Chapter 20 - Allusions

all men are created equal: A phrase from The Declaration of Independence. Read the text and see a picture of the original document.

distaff side of the Executive branch: a reference to Eleanor Roosevelt, the wife of President Franklin D. Roosevelt (the Executive branch is the President, and distaff, in this case, means wife). Eleanor Roosevelt often came in for much criticism, especially in the South, for her views on civil rights.

Einstein: Albert Einstein (1979-1955), German-born physicist. See a picture of Albert Einstein.

Rockefeller: John D. Rockefeller (1839-1937), one of the richest men in America at the time. Find out more about John D. Rockefeller.

Thomas Jefferson: 3rd President of the United States (1801-1809) and author of The Declaration of Independence. Find out more about Thomas Jefferson.