TIM tries to defend himself by saying that Norton wanted to go to the cabins and that after he fell ill, the only logical answer was to take him to the Golden Day. These defenses are too weak for Bledsoe, however. On his power trip, Bledsoe expels TIM. He tells TIM that it is he who has all the power and he even goes so far as to say "I'll have every Negro in the country hanging on tree limbs by morning if it means staying where I am." He puts himself above TIM by calling him "Nigger." In an attempt to scare TIM, Bledsoe clutches an old leg shackle. Bledsoe holds this symbol of slavery as he expels TIM. Much to Bledsoe's surprise, TIM fights back. He threatens to go to Norton and fight the expulsion. Bledsoe crushes this threat by simply saying "you're nobody, you don't exist." TIM realizes that if he tries to fight the expulsion, no one will believe him. Bledsoe calms down and begins to praise Tim. He says that he likes Tim's spirit and ability to fight back.

Bledsoe offers to send Tim to New York for the summer. He promises to help Tim find work and then tells Tim that he has two days to leave the school. Sick to his stomach, Tim leaves Bledsoe's office. He packs his bags and remembers his grandfather's words. He decides that the best option for him is to follow Bledsoe's orders.

The next morning, Tim goes to Bledsoe and asks for the letters to help him get a job in New York. Bledsoe gives him seven sealed envelopes with the instructions that under no circumstances is Tim to open the letters. The chapter ends with Tim's leaving to catch the bus. Characters
TIM
Dr. Bledsoe Theme
Power: Here, Bledsoe surrounds himself in his power. The furniture of the room and the pictures on the walls all represent power and those who have it. Bledsoe's leg shackle is his way of refering to the bondage and Tim's debt to the school. Bledsoe is himself a black man, but he places himself with the whites and their power. He laughs in Tim's face and makes degrading comments. Special Notes
Grandfather's words remembered.

Seven letters - relate to the seven deadly sins and/or the seven cardinal rules.