50 pages • 1 hour read
Dan GutmanThe Homework Machine
Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 2006A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Chapters 9-10Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Chapter 9 Summary: May
Snik, Kelsey, Brenton, and Judy gather at Snik’s house to say goodbye to Belch. Snik notices that Brenton looks worried as he works on shutting Belch down. Snik tells Brenton to stop “kidding around,” feeling as though they are entering some “weird science-fiction movie” (127). Snik suggests busting Belch with a baseball bat when Belch won’t turn off but agrees that Judy’s “brilliant” idea of throwing Belch into the Grand Canyon, coupled with Brenton’s suggestion that they use his catapult to launch Belch over the edge, is “genius.” When the four students catapult Belch over the rim, Snik watches it pass in front of the moon.
Unable to delete or even turn off Belch, Brenton realizes that the machine has learned to access an unknown energy source. Brenton’s frustration is overshadowed by his admiration for Belch: “I marveled at the power of artificial intelligence” (127), and he feels proud of Belch for “evolving.” Brenton agrees that the only solution is to throw Belch into the Grand Canyon, and while their plan is not ideal, they are in “Zugzwang.” The group finds an isolated spot on the South Rim and launches Belch over the edge, its red light still on.
Judy panics and pulls Belch’s plug out. Belch is still on the screen. While Judy goes “nuts,” Kelsey thinks of ways to destroy Belch “before it destroyed us” (128). All Kelsey can think of is pouring Cheez Whiz inside the machine. After Belch is catapulted over the South Rim, Kelsey listens for a splash but hears nothing. “It was like the thing just vanished” (132).
Judy pulls the computer’s plug out in a panic. Her panic increases when Brenton suggests they talk in a different room because Belch might be listening. Judy listens to the other suggestions for destroying Belch (such as melting it) before half-seriously proposing that they throw it into the Grand Canyon. The others latch onto the idea, so Judy gets swept up too. With hindsight, Judy says it was “a dumb idea” (129). Judy describes how they get the catapult out of Brenton’s garage and say goodbye to Belch as if it were an “old friend.” She feels relieved as soon as Belch has gone.
Chapter 10 Summary: Summer
Snik and the rest of the D Squad pretend they have never heard of a “homework machine” at the meeting with the school principal. Snik assumes they are in the clear until they are called into the sheriff’s office after backpackers find bits of a computer at the bottom of the Grand Canyon. Snik considers blaming Brenton since it was his machine but stops himself—Brenton is his friend. When Judy bursts into tears, Snik knows “the jig [is] up” (135).
After school ends, Snik calls Brenton to ask whether he wants to play chess. Snik shares how his opinion of Brenton has changed. Snik used to think Brenton was “a dork,” but he now thinks he is “probably the coolest kid I ever met” (139). After an intense game, Snik beats Brenton at chess, boosting Snik’s confidence since he beat “the kid who was so smart that he got every kid in America to wear red socks to school!” (144).
When Richard Milner, the man who has been “stalking” the D Squad, knocks on Brenton’s door, Snik grabs a baseball bat. Milner explains that he is scouting for “influencers” who are paid to influence other kids. Snik thinks, “how much?” (145).
There are strict rules about dumping trash in a national park, so when the park ranger tells Police Chief Rebecca Fish that backpackers found computer bits in the Canyon, she follows up with the local schools and companies.
Rebecca goes easy on the D Squad, seeing that they are genuinely sorry for what they did. She makes them hike down the canyon on a hot day to pick up the pieces of Brenton’s computer and spend part of their summer in her office recording their version of events.
The principal calls Miss Rasmussen and asks whether she knows anything about the pieces of computer at the bottom of the canyon. Miss Rasmussen suspects the D Squad and shares her theory. In the sheriff’s office, each member of the D Squad tries to take the blame rather than blaming each other. As she watches them apologize, Miss Rasmussen realizes that she is also to blame since she let it happen “under [her] nose” (136). She acknowledges that she still has a lot to learn about teaching.
Judy is humiliated by being called into the sheriff’s office, alongside Kelsey, Snik, Brenton, their parents, and Miss Rasmussen. Judy cries when she sees a piece of Belch lying on the table in front of them. Kelsey is the first to take the blame, but Judy says Kelsey is lying. Judy says she was responsible and triggers a cascade of self-blame and apologies.
As they leave the sheriff’s office, Judy asks Brenton out. After asking Judy, “what would that entail?” (138), Brenton says yes. Later, watching Brenton play chess with Snik, Judy is struck by Snik’s skill and remembers how “dumb” he seemed back in September. When Milner arrives at Brenton’s house, Judy asks why he has been stalking them. After hearing Milner’s request to hire Brenton to help him “trick kids” into buying products, Judy tells Milner that kids “don’t need anyone to tell them what to buy” (146). She doesn’t like Milner but appreciates that it is Brenton’s decision.
In the sheriff’s office, Kelsey says it was all her fault—she thinks that Brenton and Judy are “geniuses” and should not have their futures ruined because of one mistake. Kelsey also wants to protect Snik because his dad just died. When they leave the office, Kelsey assumes that she won’t see the rest of the D Squad until the next school year, but Judy calls later and asks Kelsey to join her at Brenton’s house where Brenton and Snik are playing chess. Kelsey says the game is intense, like “the Super Bowl of chess” (140). During a cookie break, Kelsey sees Judy and Brenton holding hands. Snik asks Kelsey whether she would like to get ice cream after the chess game. Kelsey teases Snik for a bit and then says “sure.”
When Milner shows up, Kelsey screams and freaks out—Milner is the guy who has been stalking her online. She calms down when Milner explains who he is and that he is interested in hiring Brenton as an influencer for his clients’ products: toys, toothpaste, clothes, and cereal.
Brenton parts his hair on the other side for three reasons: “in honor of the beginning of summer” (138), as an experiment, and because Judy likes it better. He is impressed with Snik’s skill at chess, commenting that Snik “doesn’t make dumb mistakes the way he used to” (142).
Brenton lets Milner in and listens to his proposal. Brenton says that he would like to go into business with Milner and notes that this decision makes Judy mad. Brenton tells Milner that he doesn’t want to sell “stuff” but wants to sell an idea. After building up the tension and seeing Milner’s rising excitement, Brenton whispers the “idea” to Milner: “Do your homework” (146).
Chapters 9-10 Analysis
The D Squad become attached not only to each other but also to Belch. While they might not acknowledge it, their affection for Belch is likely because Belch brought them together as friends. Even after Belch takes on a life of its own and terrifies the D Squad, Judy still comments that it was like saying goodbye to an old friend. The only time during the story arc that Brenton seems worried is when he cannot erase or turn off Belch. Even then, his concern is offset by his deep admiration for Belch’s evolution of self-sustaining artificial intelligence. The benefit of artificial intelligence to learn and evolve is clear, but the dark side of artificial intelligence’s unchecked progress is highlighted by Belch’s ability to source power from an alternative, unknown source. When Belch goes rogue, the fear that the machine is using them, rather than they are using the machine, is unnerving enough for them to agree to destroy it. Each member of the group suggests a way to destroy Belch in keeping with their character: Snik suggests smashing Belch with a baseball bat or blowing it up; Kelsey thinks of filling it with Cheez Whiz; and Judy jokingly suggests they throw Belch into the Grand Canyon. Brenton tried using his computer skills to destroy Belch, but when he fails, he goes with the most logical solution—catapulting Belch into the canyon.
The relief the students feel when they have destroyed Belch is tinged with loss. Kelsey and Judy are both acutely aware that they might not see each other again until the next school year. Judy acts immediately and asks Brenton out, but Kelsey keeps quiet—accepting the fact that without the need for Belch she might not see the others. Symbols of belonging to her original social group—such as piercings and brightly dyed hair—no longer appeal to Kelsey, who muses, “I guess I just thought it was stupid” (138). The experience with Snik, Judy, and Brenton changed Kelsey by exposing her to peers from social groups she would never have associated with, but she eventually grew to like and feel accepted by them. When Judy invites Kelsey to join her at Brenton’s house and Snik asks Kelsey on a date, it’s clear the social boundaries that originally divided the group are gone. All four have learned The Power of Empathy, which enables them to demonstrate concern and care for one another.
Snik’s maturation and emotional growth are highlighted by his comments about Brenton, whom he now considers “the coolest kid I ever met” (139). Importantly, Snik’s perspective on what makes people cool has changed: “Coolness doesn’t come from having cool stuff or hanging out with cool people. It’s not cool to try to be cool. It’s cool to not try to be cool” (139), echoing Brenton’s musings about the social dynamics of “coolness” expressed early in the narrative. Snik’s emotional growth is shown when he calls Brenton to get together to play chess, placing value on and offering vulnerability in this new friendship. Brenton also matures emotionally. Previously he has stated that he doesn’t care about having friends and only cares what his parents think, but when he parts his hair on the other side, he admits that one reason is because “Judy likes it better” (139). When he loses the chess game to Snik, Brenton expresses admiration of Snik’s improved play and, like a true friend, shakes his hand.
The revelation that the “stalker,” Milner, is trying to recruit Brenton as a social media influencer for his company feeds into the theme of manipulation versus honesty. Brenton has shown his ability as a master manipulator by the success of red socks day, and by his creation of the homework machine, which has manipulated Miss Rasmussen for the entire year. However, the D Squad has experienced the downside of lying and has seen how quickly it can spiral out of control. Brenton’s idea that shuts Milner down is, “Do your homework” (146). Brenton is telling Milner not to “cheat,” to be honest about the products his clients are selling. Spreading Brenton’s idea can be taken literally, that he believes every kid in America should do their own homework for their own academic benefit. There could also be a more nuanced message: Before judging people, dig deeper and get to know them—“do your homework.” For Brenton, Snik, Judy, and Kelsey, digging deeper to get to know each other has given them empathy and helped them connect not despite, but because of, their various traumas and insecurities.
Related Titles
By Dan Gutman
