Scar Island

Jonathan visits the librarian again. He asks him what the Hatch is. The librarian says the Hatch is an iron door that holds back the sea. He explains that the water has been rising for years, encroaching on the school. He notes there was once a beach and a pier before the water rose and washed them away. He says the sea has already flooded the building’s dungeon and will eventually swallow the whole island.

The librarian tells Jonathan that he was born on the island. His parents were both patients in the psychiatric hospital, and both had severe (though unspecified) mental illnesses. He says he has never left the island. The warden offered to send him to high school on the mainland, but he refused to go because “it all seemed too terrifying” (133). When the hospital closed, he stayed and ran the lighthouse. Then, the Admiral allowed him to stay in the library when the school opened.

Before Jonathan leaves, the librarian insists he take another book: “You can’t leave a library. Without a book” (135). He gives Jonathan a copy of Treasure Island.

The letter from his parents makes Jonathan think about his painful past. Feeling guilty about what he did, he kneels on the Sinner’s Sorrow without anyone telling him to do so. Colin sees him and is puzzled and concerned.

Jason, a boy who was sent to the reformatory for stealing cars, writes a secret message on the back of an envelope, saying the boys are alone, “in trouble,” and that they need help. Benny catches the plea for help and reports it to Sebastian, who orders Jason to spend 20 minutes on the Sinner’s Sorrow. When Colin objects to the punishment, Sebastian sentences him to 10 minutes on the Sinner’s Sorrow. Jonathan offers to serve Colin’s sentence on the Sorrow device, but Sebastian insists that Colin must endure the punishment and takes away his dinner.

That night, Jonathan continues reading Robinson Crusoe to the boys. In his third letter home to his parents, Jonathan writes, “I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I am so sorry. Please give my love to Sophia” (145).

When a supply boat arrives with food and mail, the boys have their letters ready to send. Jonathan notices that Sebastian never writes a letter home.

Gerald disguises himself as Mr. Vander again and stands in the shadows as the boys unload the supplies. The ruse almost fails when the boat’s pilot asks for the school’s new food order for the next week, which the boys had not thought about. Jonathan comes to the rescue, telling a lie about the Admiral being sick. He tells the pilot that the Admiral will mail the order in a couple of days.

While locked in the dining room, Colin takes an ax and destroys the Sinner’s Sorrow. He then escapes into the dark labyrinth of the reformatory’s maze-like bowels. Sebastian warns the other boys: “No one helps him. No one feeds him. You do, you’re out, too. He’s dead to us. Got it?” (153).

Sebastian meets with Jonathan and asks him if he knows where Colin is. Jonathan truthfully replies that he does not know his whereabouts. Sebastian justifies his actions: “Someone has to be the boss […] How else do you make everyone write a letter? How else do you make sure no one tells the boat guys? How else do you get people to feed the furnace?” (156). He reminds Jonathan that staying on the island and not informing the authorities after the adults died was Jonathan’s idea: “We could be doing this together […] You didn’t have to make me the bad guy” (156). Sebastian asks Jonathan why he is so sad. Jonathan responds by asking Sebastian why he never writes letters home.

Walter tells the story of how he ended up in the reformatory: He stole a purse from a store to give to his mom on Mother’s Day. He says that his family is poor, so he had no money to buy a gift. After telling his story, he asks Jonathan why he is at the school. Jonathan does not answer and instead changes the subject.