What happens in Chapter 10 of Walk Two Moons?
Chapter 10 of Sharon Creech's Walk Two Moons, titled "Huzza, Huzza," continues the layered road-trip narrative as thirteen-year-old Salamanca Tree Hiddle journeys across the country with her grandparents, Gram and Gramps, heading towards Lewiston, Idaho. Along the way, Sal picks up the story of her new friend Phoebe Winterbottom. In this chapter, Phoebe finds a mysterious anonymous message left on her doorstep — the first of several cryptic notes that will linger throughout the novel. The note simply says: "In the course of a lifetime, what does it matter?" Phoebe feels unsettled and suspicious, her anxiety heightened by her mother's growing restlessness. Meanwhile, Sal keenly observes Phoebe's family, recognizing the signs of a household quietly unraveling. As they travel, Gram finds joy in small roadside wonders, her enthusiasm providing a warm contrast to the underlying grief that Sal carries. The chapter's title — an old exclamation of joy — carries a deliberate irony, reflecting the emotional complexity where celebration and dread coexist. Creech skillfully advances both plotlines, using the mysterious note to build suspense while Sal's narration keeps readers connected to her unspoken loss.
Analysis
Creech uses the anonymous note as a classic mystery hook, but its true purpose is thematic: the question "In the course of a lifetime, what does it matter?" serves as a philosophical challenge directly aimed at Sal's grief over her mother's disappearance. Phoebe interprets it as a threat; meanwhile, the reader, guided by Sal's reflective narration, feels it could also be a source of comfort. This dual interpretation is one of Creech's signature techniques—where the surface plot and emotional undertones run parallel, never quite intersecting.
The chapter also heightens the contrast between Phoebe and Sal as character foils. Phoebe expresses her anxiety outwardly, listing dangers and suspicions; Sal, on the other hand, internalizes hers, keeping it buried beneath dry observations and wry humor. Creech employs free indirect discourse to infuse Sal's perspective into scenes where she isn’t present, gently reminding us that this story is being pieced together—and influenced—by a narrator with her own scars.
Gram's roadside joy offers a tonal lift without undermining the chapter's gravity. Her happiness is sincere, not merely comedic relief, and Creech uses it to demonstrate a way of being present that Sal is gradually, painfully learning. The title's old-fashioned exuberance ("Huzza, Huzza") reflects Gram's spirit while subtly poking fun at the chapter's darker themes—a tonal dissonance that Creech maintains with skill. This chapter exemplifies masterful layering, with mystery, grief, and wonder coexisting in the same tight space.
Key quotes from Chapter 10
“In the course of a lifetime, what does it matter?”
The first anonymous note left on Phoebe's doorstep, which Phoebe reads with alarm and Sal — and the reader — will return to throughout the novel as its meaning shifts.
“Phoebe was convinced that a lunatic was lurking about, waiting to pounce.”
Sal's narration of Phoebe's reaction to the note, capturing Phoebe's catastrophising imagination and establishing her as a foil to Sal's quieter, inward dread.
“Gram said, 'Huzza, huzza,' which was what she always said when she was pleased about something.”
Gram's characteristic exclamation, which gives the chapter its title and anchors her role as a figure of unguarded, life-affirming joy amid the journey's grief.
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Create an accountSign inVocabulary in Chapter 10
- huzza
- An old-fashioned exclamation of joy or triumph, like 'hurray' or 'hooray.' In this text it is used as a celebratory shout.