The 5th Wave
by Rick Yancey
Table of Contents
- Introduction
- Cast of Characters
- Plot Summary
- An Analysis of Major Characters
-
Chapter Summary and Analysis
- Part 1 (The Last Historian), Chapters 1-12
- Summary: Part 1 (The Last Historian), Chapters 13-24
- Summary: Part 2 (Wonderland), Chapters 25-30
- Summary: Part 3 (Silencer), Chapter 31
- Summary: Part 4 (Mayfly), Chapters 32-36
- Summary: Part 5 (The Winnowing), Chapters 37-41
- Summary: Part 6 (The Human Clay), Chapters 42-52
- Summary: Part 7 (The Heart to Kill), Chapters 53-55
- Summary: Part 8 (The Spirit of Vengeance), Chapters 56-64
- Summary: Part 9 (A Flower to the Rain), Chapters 65-77
- Summary: Parts 10-12, Chapters 65-82
- Summary: Part 13 (The Black Hole), Chapters 83-91
- Symbols and Themes
- Key Facts
- Key Quotes
- Discussion Questions
- Take The Quiz
- Further Reading
- Flashcards
- Biography of Rick Yancey
Summary: Part 5 (The Winnowing), Chapters 37-41
Summary: Part 5 (The Winnowing), Chapters 37-41
The narration switches to Sammy’s point of view. He is on the bus, waving good-bye to Cassie and his father. He feels alone for the first time in his young life and regrets giving Cassie his teddy bear (Bear) because he has never slept without it. Soon a soldier comes by and gives Sammy gummy bears and fruit juice. The soldier, Parker, reassures Sammy by telling him that he and the other children are being taken to a place called Camp Haven, where they will be “perfectly safe.”
Sammy begins talking to a girl named Megan seated across from him. She is thin, sick, and scared-looking. Megan is jealous that Sammy has members of his family still alive, since all of hers are dead. Sammy and Parker try to comfort Megan, but she is obviously scared and keeps denying that she feels ill. Parker takes her temperature with a metal disc; it glows green, indicating that she has a fever. Sammy’s temperature glows red, meaning healthy, uninfected. Each child is given either a red or green hand stamp. When the bus arrives at Camp Haven, the children are instructed to divide up based on their colors; those with green hand stamps are to be taken directly to the hospital—or so they are told. The frightened Megan wants to stay with Sammy, but Parker grabs her and sends her off with the green group. She is screaming and crying.
Sammy is now processed at Camp Haven. He’s deloused, showered, and taken to a waiting room outside of Dr. Pam’s office. Throughout the process, voices over the loudspeaker repeatedly announce to the children that they are “perfectly safe.” Although Sammy can’t quite figure out what’s going on, he wants to trust the authority figures. Dr. Pam, in particular, is especially soothing and trustworthy. Sammy receives the same treatment as Ben Parish: a tracking chip is implanted in his neck, and his memories are downloaded into the Wonderland program. Then Dr. Pam explains that the Others have been “under our noses”...
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