52 pages • 1-hour read
The Enormous Egg
A 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 14-17Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Chapter 14 Summary
Later that morning, Dr. Ziemer receives a call from the police department. Nate, listening in, overhears his conversation with Captain Neeley. Neeley explains that the department received a report from a disgruntled driver, claiming that a large animal overturned his vehicle. When the department investigated the scene, they discovered an abnormally large print. At first, they called the zoo, which guessed a tortoise. However, the zoo was skeptical that a tortoise could overturn a truck and suggested that the police phone the museum instead.
Laughing, Dr. Ziemer explains that a Triceratops is responsible for the prints. Neeley is incredulous and promises to visit the museum. When he arrives, Dr. Ziemer introduces him to Uncle Beazley. Shocked, Neeley criticizes Dr. Ziemer for allowing Uncle Beazley to roam the streets, citing public safety. He also references an obscure city ordinance that prohibits stabling large animals. Applying this ordinance to Uncle Beazley, Neeley offers Dr. Ziemer 24 hours to relocate him.
After Neeley leaves, Dr. Ziemer suggests to Nate that they call Holmquist at the zoo. Holmquist, it turns out, has recently lost an elephant and therefore has ample space to house Uncle Beazley. However, though Holmquist is eager to accept the dinosaur, federal budget cuts jeopardize his access to necessary funds. Nevertheless, he encourages Dr. Ziemer and Nate to bring Uncle Beazley over anyway.
Again with the help of Michael Finney, Dr. Ziemer and Nate load Uncle Beazley into a truck and transport him to the zoo. Once at the zoo, Nate escorts Uncle Beazley to his pen, pleased that he has a nice view and plenty of alfalfa grass. Before leaving, Dr. Ziemer informs Holmquist that he and Nate will return every day to take measurements.
Three days later, a Congressional committee arrives at the zoo, asking questions about Uncle Beazley. Holmquist phones Nate and Dr. Ziemer, and they hurry over right away. Together, Dr. Ziemer and Nate introduce the men to Uncle Beazley. One of the men, bald and smoking a cigar, scoffs when he learns of Uncle Beazley’s enormous appetite. Dr. Ziemer tries to explain the advantage of keeping a dinosaur, emphasizing the importance to both scientists and the average American citizen, but the man is unimpressed. Before leaving, the man introduces himself as Senator Granderson and asks Dr. Ziemer and Nate to meet him the next morning at the Senate Office Building.
Chapter 15 Summary
The next day, Nate and Dr. Ziemer visit Senator Granderson in his office. Granderson insists that his objections to Uncle Beazley stem from his cost to the American taxpayer. When Granderson refers to Uncle Beazley as a Tyrannosaur, Dr. Ziemer quickly corrects him.
To counter Granderson’s argument, Dr. Ziemer points out that elephants—featured in many American zoos—are similarly large and costly to feed. Granderson, however, insists that elephants are normal animals, unlike dinosaurs.
At Granderson’s request, Nate explains that Uncle Beazley hatched from a hen’s egg. Surprised, Granderson questions Dr. Ziemer on his familiarity with dinosaur eggs. When Dr. Ziemer mentions that dinosaur eggs have primarily been found in the Gobi Desert in Mongolia, Granderson cuts him off, suddenly incensed. Granderson decides that dinosaurs are both outdated and un-American and therefore must be banned. He vows to propose supporting legislation the next day on the Senate floor.
Back at the apartment, Dr. Ziemer admits his anxiety. He guesses that Granderson’s opposition to dinosaurs is a popularity stunt, meant to earn favor before the election. Apparently, Granderson has a long history of proposing nonsensical laws.
The next day, Dr. Ziemer and Nate watch the Senate proceedings from the gallery. As promised, Granderson addresses the Senate, stressing his devotion to the American people and his interest in limiting costs. Granderson admits he’s horrified that a dinosaur is housed in an American zoo, draining resources. Again, he criticizes dinosaurs as outmoded and strange and worries to think of American children visiting Uncle Beazley. Before concluding his speech, Granderson announces that he’s submitting a bill that would make ownership of an unnatural animal a federal offense. He suggests, too, that Uncle Beazley be exterminated.
One Senator proudly agrees with Granderson’s sentiments. Another, inquiring after Uncle Beazley’s diet, suggests that his constituents in Nebraska would be more than willing to part with surplus grain. However, Granderson quickly shuts down this suggestion.
Eventually, when Dr. Ziemer realizes the Senators are likely to argue into the night, he and Nate return home. Nate, discouraged, wonders if there’s any hope left. Dr. Ziemer, however, suggests that they keep fighting. As Nate falls asleep, he can hear Dr. Ziemer anxiously pacing.
Chapter 16 Summary
The next morning, Nate realizes that he has only five days left in Washington. He dreads to return to school yet hopes to escape the fallout from Granderson’s Dinosaur Bill. Over breakfast, Nate reads an article in the paper aloud. The article reports that the Senate is debating the Dinosaur Bill, which would outlaw dinosaurs in the United States. The article mentions that Senator Tarboy has joined Granderson in support for the bill, even suggesting that Uncle Beazley be stuffed and gifted to Granderson as a trophy.
When Nate again despairs, Dr. Ziemer reminds him that one solution remains: urging Americans to write to their Senators and argue against the bill’s passing. Dr. Ziemer mentions that his friend Bonelli, who runs a television program called Capital Sidelight, has invited Nate to appear. Though Nate is nervous, he agrees that it’s the best option to save Uncle Beazley.
Later that morning, Dr. Ziemer and Nate head over to Bonelli’s studio. Bonelli asks Nate about life in Freedom and Uncle Beazley’s upkeep. Once he’s gathered enough information, Bonelli promises to write a small speech for Nate to deliver live. He tells Nate and Dr. Ziemer to return later that evening.
That night, Nate and Dr. Ziemer head back to the studio, as directed. Nate reviews his speech but realizes that Bonelli has failed to mention his efforts to save Uncle Beazley. Noticing Nate’s disappointment, Dr. Ziemer encourages him to speak authentically. He takes Nate’s speech and briefly disappears, before returning and instructing Nate to return the speech to his pocket.
As Nate awaits his cue, he takes the speech out of his pocket and unfolds it—only to discover it’s blank. Panicked, Nate realizes he’ll have to ad lib. However, once the camera is on him, Nate remembers Uncle Beazley and summons the courage. He starts by offering some background, narrating Uncle Beazley’s hatching and the eventual move to Washington. He then reveals that a few Senators have conspired against Uncle Beazley, alleging that dinosaurs are un-American. However, as Nate quickly points out, dinosaurs existed in Wyoming over 60 million years ago.
Nate admits that Uncle Beazley’s upkeep might be expensive but stresses their affectionate relationship. He urges every American to consider Uncle Beazley’s value and ends with a powerful call-to-action: anyone who wants to save Uncle Beazley should contact their Senators and speak out against the Dinosaur Bill.
Before Nate can speak further, Bonelli interrupts, wrapping up the program. He’s upset that Nate has deviated from the script, though Nate insists that the paper was blank. As he and Dr. Ziemer leave, Dr. Ziemer confesses that he swapped Nate’s speech with a blank piece of paper.
The next morning, Dr. Kennedy phones, mentioning that the Senate has been flooded with telegrams about the Dinosaur Bill. Later, Holmquist calls, too. A throng of protestors has gathered outside the zoo, demanding Uncle Beazley’s safety. Dr. Ziemer encourages Holmquist to remain calm. The protestors, he says, are merely demonstrating their American right to assemble. At Dr. Ziemer’s urging, Holmquist puts out a donation bucket, so that the growing crowds can contribute to Uncle Beazley’s food fund.
Dr. Ziemer, happy with the response, shares an interesting perspective with Nate. He guesses that most Americans are only so passionate about Uncle Beazley because Congress had nearly taken him away. Nate is glad to realize that Uncle Beazley is safe and sound.
Chapter 17 Summary
Eventually, Nate must return home. He bids goodbye to Uncle Beazley, Dr. Ziemer, and Holmquist. Dr. Ziemer promises to write weekly with progress reports. Before Nate gets on the train, Dr. Ziemer gifts him a fossilized dinosaur egg.
Pop, Mom, and Cynthia welcome Nate at the train station. Back in Freedom, Nate is welcomed with a parade. He rides down the parade route in the Champignys’ truck, eventually ending at his own home. Mom and Cynthia serve donuts and cider to the crowd. Taking in the October landscape, Nate is happy to be back.
Soon, the excitement fades and Nate returns to school. Every week, though, he receives a letter from Dr. Ziemer. Dr. Ziemer explains that Uncle Beazley has grown to 20 feet long and 13,000 lbs., though he expects Uncle Beazley’s growth rate to slow. He promises, too, that there’s plenty of money to sustain Uncle Beazley’s diet. All in all, Uncle Beazley is safe.
As the winter sets in, Pop suggests that Nate write a book about his adventures. To make up for their missed trip to Franconia Notch, Mom suggests they plan a vacation to Washington in the spring. Excited, Nate imagines his reunion with Uncle Beazley.
Chapters 14-17 Analysis
This last portion of the novel takes place primarily in Washington, DC, the nation’s capital and home to Dr. Ziemer’s museum. As Nate and Dr. Ziemer attempt to settle Uncle Beazley in DC, they encounter opposition in Congress, spearheaded by the conservative Senator Granderson. As Nate and Dr. Ziemer work to rescue Uncle Beazley from harm, they must decide what it truly means to be an American.
Though Washington, DC, appears only in the last handful of chapters, it offers a pivotal opportunity for Nate to consider his role as an American citizen. As Nate tours the city, he grows familiar with its most recognizable landmarks: the Washington Monument, the Jefferson Memorial, and the Capitol Building, among others. In centering these icons of American history and evoking the legacies of the Founding Fathers, the novel suggests their symbolic relevance to modern American identity. Inevitably, as Nate continues his stay in DC, the question emerges of what it means to be an American.
These chapters tackle this dilemma through his representation of two opposing characters: Senator Granderson and Nate. The first of these, Granderson, is a bald, cigar-smoking senator who criticizes Uncle Beazley as a danger to the American public and introduces the dreaded “Dinosaur Bill.” Indeed, as a tool of his opposition, Granderson often casts himself as Americans’ fiercest advocate. He argues, for instance, that associated costs constitute an “unnecessary expense” (152) to the American taxpayer, exacerbating their financial burden. Perhaps more critically, Granderson alleges that Uncle Beazley is not an “American animal,” but rather an “outmoded” creature that likely hails from “foreign places” (149). In offering himself as a bulwark against foreign interests and a protector of future generations, Granderson resembles Joseph McCarthy, the Wisconsin senator whose campaign against suspected Communists once dominated the American consciousness. The campaign, which earned the shorthand “McCarthyism,” lasted from roughly 1949 to 1959 and emerged as a significant instrument in the United States’ Cold War against the Soviet Union. Writing from the mid-1950s, Butterworth was almost certainly familiar with the campaign’s xenophobia, paranoia, and misrepresentation of American patriotism.
However, though Granderson represents himself as America’s savior, Dr. Ziemer is quick to guess that his motivations are, in fact, selfish. Realizing that Granderson “just gets a whim every now and then” (151) and typically always before an election, Dr. Ziemer wonders if Granderson intends to parlay mass paranoia into a personal victory. With such inconsistent values, and with a philosophy bent on fearmongering, it becomes obvious that Granderson’s version of patriotism is hardly patriotism at all.
Here, Nate proves a viable opponent, highlighting Persistence in the Face of Adversity. Instead of relying on bullying, intimidation, or insincere speeches, Nate turns to the most basic components of American democracy: popular representation and freedom of speech. Just when Nate is convinced that opposition is futile, Dr. Ziemer reminds him that their greatest asset is the American public; to that end, he encourages Nate to appeal to popular opinion and to ask people to “write to their Congressmen” (162-63). This way, Dr. Ziemer reasons, the Senators will have no choice but to vote against the Dinosaur Bill. In crediting constituent opinion as the definitive opinion, Dr. Ziemer suggests that true power lies with the people and not the Senators.
Similarly, Nate and Dr. Ziemer exercise free speech, a right guaranteed in the first amendment of the US Constitution. When Nate rehearses for Capital Sidelight, hoping to plead for Uncle Beazley’s safety, he’s offered a scripted speech. Much to Nate’s dismay, the speech doesn’t include “anything about how [he] wanted to save Uncle Beazley” (167). Right before air, Dr. Ziemer senses Nate’s disappointment and suggests that he speak from the heart: “As long as you know what you really want to say,” Dr. Ziemer advises, “everything will be all right” (167). Of course, Nate follows Dr. Ziemer’s advice: He speaks off-script and appeals to Uncle Beazley’s value to his community, emphasizing Discovering Value Apart from Consumerism. Eventually, Nate wins over the American public, underscoring the power of free speech to effect meaningful change.
In leaning on these hallmarks of American democracy, Nate proves himself the truer patriot; through Nate’s example, the novel suggests that the ideal American is open-minded, community-oriented, and committed to the Constitution’s ideals. It’s fitting, then, that the novel should close with a celebratory parade: returning home to Freedom, Nate is lauded as a true hero.
Unlock all 52 pages of this Study Guide
Get in-depth, chapter-by-chapter summaries and analysis from our literary experts.
- Grasp challenging concepts with clear, comprehensive explanations
- Revisit key plot points and ideas without rereading the book
- Share impressive insights in classes and book clubs