Pigs in Heaven Chapters 9–10 Summary & Analysis

Summary

Chapter 9: The Pigs in Heaven

Annawake comes back to Taylor's house again, finding only Jax. They make small talk for a while before Annawake begins asking about Taylor and Turtle. They have fled from home; Jax refuses to tell Annawake where they have gone. Annawake goes onto explain that the tribe could legally take Turtle back. Jax suggests that she does not realize she is dealing with "Mama bear."

Jax then angrily tells Annawake that she does not understand what this has meant for him—having to be abandoned by Taylor, the woman he loves. When Annawake reveals that she knows that Taylor's story of the adoption does not fit with the official records, which state that two parents willingly gave Turtle to Taylor. Jax explains that the two parents were actually undocumented Guatemalan immigrants and the adoption was a fake set-up.

When the stars start to come out, Annawake points out Pleides, the Seven sisters constellation that the Cherokee people call the "Six Pigs in Heaven." She tells a story of six naughty boys who played ball all day, refusing to do any work for their mothers or their community. One day, the mothers got so angry that they cook the balls the boys play with in a stew. The six boys solicited help from the spirits after disgustedly telling their mothers that this was pig food, but the spirits take sides with the mothers. The boys turn into pigs, and rise up to the sky.

Annawake tells Jax that the moral of all the Cherokee stories she knows is to do well by one's people. She suggests that the American myth is to do well by oneself. Jax suggests that Annawake and Taylor will never find common ground. Also, Annawake is currently the reason why Turtle is suffering more, as she is already dislocated from her Tucson home.

Chapter 10: The Horses

Meanwhile, Taylor and Turtle are eating at Angie Buster's diner, where Taylor has to tell Turtle to drink her milk. The two are staying at Angie's adjacent hotel, Casa Suerte. Walking back to their room, they run into a white- haired, mildly crazy woman who keeps asking if they have seen the horses. Turtle's thoughts are filled with fear. She keeps thinking of the "old place" where there is no air and no light.

Once in the room, Turtle asks why they have to go on this vacation and Taylor explains that they are taking the trip to make sure they can stay together. On the television, an Indian butler reminds Taylor of how conscious she has become of Native American representations in just the last few days. She feels like the crazy woman outside, only Taylor is looking for Indians instead of horses. Later, Jax calls Angie's and reports to Taylor about Annawake's visit. At the end of the conversation, Taylor does not feel she can tell Jax she loves him.

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