Slacker

The final six chapters of Slacker feature the climax and resolution to the main conflicts of the book, including the fate of the P.A.G., the fate of the freeway ramp, and the fate of Elvis. These chapters also emphasize the main themes of the novel and solidify the freeway ramp as a motif for The Importance of Community. 

Chapter 28, told from Chuck Kinsey’s point of view, builds mystery surrounding the P.A.G. website’s sporadic updates, with “everyone [...] buzzing about the latest post” (198), following the page’s calls to “MAKE A STAND” (198) and meet “WHERE IT ALL BEGAN” (199). Chuck and Pavel become instrumental to the success of these updates, figuring out that they’re referring to the senior garden and telling “as many paggers as we could, hoping that they would spread the word from there” (200). These efforts culminate in a massive gathering of former paggers at the senior citizens’ garden.

Cam’s character development is important in this chapter. While he started as someone wholly disinterested in “getting involved” and he hated the P.A.G. from its conception, Cam takes advantage of the power he wields over the former paggers to assemble them for one final project. Although “[n]o one hated public speaking more than Cam” (202), Cam addresses the massive group to announce that they’re saving the freeway ramp. Cam’s impassioned speech, pointing out that “what the P.A.G. taught us is there’s never nothing we can’t do. If we get hundreds of people to pick up garbage, we can get hundreds of people to stand on our ramp and block the demolition crew” (202), develops the theme of Contributing to Something Greater by harnessing the heart of the P.A.G. and directing the large movement’s focus on saving the town.

Cam explains that “If we got a big enough turnout, we could stop those bulldozers. And for the P.A.G., bringing together hundreds of volunteers was something that used to happen two or three times a week” (203). By emphasizing the power of the numerous P.A.G. members, Cam shows that Contributing to Something Greater is driven by a combination of teamwork and purpose, showing how contributing to something greater than oneself is an important and fulfilling way to spend one’s time. 

The theme of The Importance of Community is at its strongest in these final chapters, and it’s helped by the motif of the freeway ramp, the destruction of which would be detrimental to the Sycamore community. When Cam announces the P.A.G.’s final project, Chuck narrates, “every adult in town was mourning over the loss of this freeway ramp” (203), which emphasizes the massive impact the loss of the ramp would have on the community. Because the community depends on that ramp to drive traffic to local businesses, everyone is stressed about how the loss of the ramp will impact the local economy. The significance of the freeway ramp to the community is emphasized in the novel’s climax, when the P.A.G. and the Friends of Fuzzy break through the trees and find the ramp is already blocked by “our parents, our teachers, storekeepers, doctors, lawyers, businesspeople, mail carriers, waitresses, and short-order cooks” (220).

The image of “every adult in Sycamore” (221) standing on the freeway ramp in front of the bulldozers stresses the important role the ramp plays in the local community and solidifies the link between the ramp as a motif and The Importance of Community theme. When the bulldozers turn around and leave, the entire crowd erupts into celebration. This celebration begins the falling action of the novel and shifts the narrative into wrapping up the remaining conflicts. 

These final chapters also develop the Cooperation Versus Competition theme through the final showdown of the P.A.G. and Friends of Fuzzy and through Cam’s newfound cooperation with Melody. In Chapter 29, while attempting to beat the P.A.G. to the freeway ramp, the Friends of Fuzzy accidentally hit Elvis with one of their vehicles. Instead of working with the P.A.G. to come together to save the ramp, the Friends of Fuzzy demonstrate the unhealthy side of competition and cause more destruction in the process. This moment leads to the entirety of Chapter 30, during which the P.A.G. and Friends of Fuzzy race to find Elvis, determined to beat out the other group.

The dichotomy between the intentions of the two groups is apparent when Elvis is discovered hiding in some bushes. While Jennifer is determined to take Elvis to Audra Klincker for publicity, Daphne only wants to take Elvis to a vet. Jennifer and Daphne lock hands on the beaver at the exact same time. The back and forth between the girls causes Elvis to cry out in pain, creating more harm for the beaver in the process. The Friends of Fuzzy’s competitive attitude reaches damaging levels as Jennifer disregards Elvis’s comfort while fighting for him. Realizing the damage that is being done through their competition, Daphne decides to work with Jennifer and hands Elvis over for the sake of keeping Elvis safe, showing the power of cooperation instead of competition.

Jennifer also realizes the error of her ways after a day protesting with her community. Instead of bringing Elvis directly to the reporter to take credit for his rescue, “she walked right past the reporter and gave the injured animal to Dr. Casper, our town vet” (224). This moment shows that Jennifer realizes that her competition with the P.A.G. was not productive. Her change of heart also shows that she has grown as a person from her experiences throughout the day, from competing for a beaver to collaborating with the P.A.G. and the rest of the town to save the freeway ramp. 

Another important collaboration that takes place in the novel’s falling action takes place in the final chapter, when it is revealed that Cam has chosen Melody, AKA Evil McKillPeople, as his partner for Rule the World. Cam’s competitive spirit has been fed by his rivalry with Evil McKillPeople since before the novel takes place. Upon learning that it’s been Melody sabotaging him all along, Cam makes an important decision. Instead of escalating his rivalry with her, he chooses her as his partner, “or maybe I should say I was her partner, since she was better than me” (230). Cam’s acknowledgment of his sister’s skills and decision to work together with her shows how cooperation is more productive than competition. Instead of becoming more obsessed with beating Evil McKillPeople, Cam acknowledges that his sister possesses superior skills and decides to work together with her at the gaming competition.

In addition to resolving Cam’s rivalry with Melody and Evil McKillPeople, these final chapters resolve the rest of the book’s conflicts, the biggest of which being the fate of the freeway exit and the fate of the P.A.G. In Chapter 32, Daphne details how the bureaucracy of the Division of Highways review process has ensured “by the time anyone got around to demolishing our exit, it wouldn’t need demolishing anymore” because of the repairs necessary to keep the exit functional while the demolition is under review (226). Additionally, “The Positive Action Group had been reinstated with Cam back as president” (226), showing how Cam has grown into a person who appreciates his community service in addition to his video games.

This also resolves the conflicts for characters like String, Xavier, and Chuck, who all found purpose with the P.A.G. and experienced emptiness in its absence. Daphne also explains that Elvis was seen by a vet and cleared medically before being introduced to his new habitat, where “Elvis was safe and sound and happy” (227). Finally, in the final chapter, though they are not competing in Rule the World, Chuck and Pavel show up to support Cam and Melody, showing that their friendship has been mended and all is forgiven between the friends. 

These final chapters complete character arcs for all of the important members of the P.A.G., and resolve the overarching conflict of the degradation of the town, saving the small businesses and the community that benefits from them.