83 pages 2 hours read

Jacqueline Woodson

Hush

Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 2000

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Part 1, Chapters 6-10

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Part 1, Chapter 6 Summary

Although the Black population in Denver is small, the Raymond Taylor shooting sets off protests among the community. The Greens, in turn, are shunned by the other officers in the precinct. However, Jonathan receives anonymous phone calls from people claiming to be police officers, telling him that he is doing the right thing.

Jonathan meets with the District Attorney after deciding to testify. The DA tells him that his decision will uproot the family, as they will need to move to be safe. Cameron is furious about this and asks her father not to ruin their lives. That same evening, someone fires three shots through the kitchen window; luckily, no one is hurt. However, the incident alerts the family that “This part of (their) life is over now” (54).

Part 1, Chapter 7 Summary

Toswiah believes her father has begun imagining Raymond Taylor as his own son; or rather, he is unable to ignore the fact that one of his daughters could have been in Raymond’s place. While this realization deepens Toswiah’s love for Jonathan, Cameron begins to feel disgust over his decision to uproot the family.

The night the family’s house is shot, Toswiah finds her father looking at a picture of himself with the other police officers in his precinct; he puts it down and leaves the room, stating that he doesn’t feel safe anymore.