Jj Fordthe Westing Game

The Westing Game

Hilarious in Hindsight: Judge J. Ford, the first black person (and first woman) elected to a state judgeship, went to Columbia and got her law degree at Harvard.In the epilogue, it's revealed that she's appointed to the U.S. Ford 5 ♦ Shin Hoo’s Restaurant Who were these people, these specially selected tenants? They were mothers and fathers and children. A dressmaker, a secretary, an inventor, a doctor, a judge. And, oh yes, one was a bookie, one was a burglar, one was a bomber, and one was a mistake.

The Westing Game is a mystery novel written by Ellen Raskin and published by Dutton in 1978. It won the Newbery Medal recognizing the year's most distinguished contribution to American children's literature.^[1] The story features the adventures of Sam Westing's sixteen heirs after they receive his challenge to figure out the secret of his death.

The Westing Game was ranked number nine among all-time children's novels in a survey published by School Library Journal in 2012.^[2]

No photos have been uploaded yet. The Westing Game. She lives on apartment 4D in Sunset Towers. Her partner is Sandy McSouthers. Their clues are SKIES AM SHINING BROTHER and they think that they are a part of something like a poem. She listed her position as judge. JJ Ford thinks that Otis Amber is stupid.

Changed her position to just judge. His clue is SKIES AM SHINING BROTHER! Used to live in the westing house. Mr.Westing payed for his education. JJ Ford did NOT win the Westing Game by answering, 'Berthe Erica Crow' signs over her $10,000 to his/her partner twice in the game. Position: Judge Partner: Sandy McSouthers Apartment number: 4D.

It has been adapted as the 1997 feature film Get a Clue (also distributed as The Westing Game).

• Plot1
• Heirs2
• Aftermath3
• Other media4
• References5
• External links6

Plot

Sixteen heirs who are mysteriously chosen to live in the Sunset Towers apartment building on the shore of Lake Michigan, come together to hear the will of the self-made millionaire, Samuel W. Westing. The will takes the form of a puzzle, dividing the sixteen heirs into eight pairs, giving each pair a different set of clues which consist of almost all of the lyrics from 'America the Beautiful', and challenging them to solve the mystery of who murdered Sam Westing. As an incentive, each heir is given $10,000 to play the game. Whoever solves the mystery will inherit Sam Westing's 200 million dollar fortune, and his company, Westing Paper Products. Only one pair can win.

Heirs

• Judge J.J Ford is a judge and is partners with Sandy McSouthers. Used to investigating crimes, her goal in the game is to find the past of every heir. She is known for distrusting everyone. She is grim and does not like partnering up because she is used to working alone.
• Jake Wexler is a podiatrist. He also has a second occupation as a bookie. He loves Grace, but he also knows that she might never be happy with their life or financial situation. He is also 44 years old. He is married to Grace Wexler and is a father to Angela Wexler and 'Turtle' Wexler.
• Flora Baumbach is a shy 60-year-old dressmaker and a little bit of a role model to her partner, Turtle Wexler. She is told by Turtle that Turtle's real name is Alice. Her daughter, Rosalie, had Down Syndrome (though is described in the book as 'a Mongoloid') and died of pneumonia. She says that Angela reminds her of Violet Westing. Her husband disappeared, and it is unknown whether he died or if there was a divorce. Flora is a kind old woman to everyone.
• Tabitha-Ruth 'Alice' 'Turtle' Wexler is a very intelligent 13-year-old girl, whose main feature is her single, long, dark braid. She is also known for kicking anyone in the shins if they try to pull or touch her braid. As a result of her clues from the Westing Game, she begins to play the stock market. Her real name is Tabitha-Ruth Wexler, but tells Flora that her real name is Alice. Sandy McSouthers is one of her best friends.
• Dr. Denton Deere is a young medical intern, age 25. He is engaged to Angela and is very arrogant. He is extremely proud of the medical industry, and he has an obsession with giving diagnoses to almost everyone in the story. He later becomes a neurologist.
• Grace Wexler is the mother of Angela and Turtle and is described as a high and mighty socialite. She is fiercely obsessed with her own image and the image of Angela. She does not act like a mother to Turtle. She claims throughout the game to be Mr. Westing's niece (which is indeed true). She purports her name as Grace Windsor Wexler, although it actually is Gracie Windkloppel Wexler. Grace wants to be an interior designer.
• James Shin Hoo is a middle-aged Chinese man, owner of Shin Hoo's restaurant and former entrepreneur. He claims Mr. Westing stole his patent for the disposable diaper and appears bitter and moody for this reason. He suffers from ulcers, and he can often be seen yelling at his son, Doug, to study.
• Berthe Erica Crow is a militantly religious woman who is 57 years old, tight and introverted. She works as a cleaning woman for Sunset Towers and plays a major role in Westing's plot.
• Otis Amber is a 62-year-old delivery boy, who, on occasion appears in the book as a different person.
• Angela Wexler is Turtle's 20-year-old sister. She is described as being fair, blond, and very pretty. She is considered the 'perfect' daughter, often getting more attention than Turtle. However, people only acknowledge her as an attractive object about to be married to Dr. Denton Deere instead of an intelligent human being. Only Turtle, Sydelle Pulaski and Judge Ford know that she is the bomber in the story (which causes Turtle to take the blame for something that she never did to protect Angela); ironically, she is the only one who sustained a serious injury (leaving a scar on her face). She is engaged to a young doctor-to-be, Denton Deere in the beginning of the story. Angela returns to medical school and reconnects with Deere years later. They eventually have one daughter together, Alice.
• Alexander 'Sandy' McSouthers is the Sunset Towers' doorman. He previously worked at Westing Paper Products Corporation and claims to have been fired by Sam Westing himself for attempting to organize the workers. McSouthers is notable for his knowledge of Sunset Towers' gossip. He is later revealed to be Samuel Westing, as well as Barney Northrup and Julian R. Eastman.
• Sydelle Pulaski is a mysterious character, with not much known about her. She seems to have an affinity for Chris Theodorakis.
• Theo Theodorakis is Chris Theodorakis' brother. He is a high school student and is friends with Doug Hoo.

Aftermath

The epilogue of the story is told in the book's last three chapters, which depicts the heirs growing older and more successful, many of them changing their lives as a result of the game.

• Crow and Otis Amber fall in love and are married in Angela and Deere's place, both leaving their jobs at Sunset Towers to work at Crow's soup kitchen, which many of the heirs leave donations to. Both die within a week of one another two years before Sandy does.
• Flora Baumbach leaves the dressmaking business a few years after the game's conclusion, becoming Turtle's close friend and later Alice's nanny.
• Denton Deere and Angela Wexler both question their life choices and ultimately separate, with Denton becoming a neurologist due to his success in treating Chris, and Angela returning to medical school and becoming a surgeon. Five years after the game's conclusion, the two are reunited, marry, and have a daughter named Alice.
• Judge Ford agrees to finance Chris' education in homage to her mentor, Sam Westing. She is elected to the US Court of Appeals and later the Supreme Court.
• Sun Lin Hoo ultimately never leaves her husband and adopts the nickname 'Sunny.' She becomes fluent in English, and becoming James' secretary in his new company. After he dies she finally takes her trip to China, but returns to take up the family business.
• James Hoo leaves the restaurant business and gives 'Hoo's on First' to Grace. He patents his shoe-sole idea and becomes a multimillionaire, and moves out of Sunset Towers with his family. He dies briefly before the story concludes, being succeeded in the company by his wife.
• Doug Hoo wins his first Olympic gold medal and set a new record for the 1500 meter run shortly after the game ends, and goes on to win two more. Retiring from athletics, he becomes a popular sports announcer.
• Chris Theodorakis ultimately conquers his muscle disease and stutter thanks to Denton's extensive work with him, though he never overcomes being wheelchair-bound. Having his college education financed by Judge Ford, he meets a girl named Shirley during his first year. The two later marry and become professors at the local university, and Chris discovers and names a new breed of parrot during a safari in Central America.
• Sydelle Pulaski returns to her old job at Schultz' Sausages, discovering that Mr. Schultz has a crush on her and later marrying him. The pair move to Hawaii, though Sydelle stays in touch with Angela. She gives up using crutches to get attention but requires the use of them for a proper purpose several times over the ending's course.
• Jake Wexler becomes unsatisfied with his job as a podiatrist, quitting and being recommended to a political position by Judge Ford. He becomes the Chairman of the State Gambling Commission and then the Wisconsin State Crime Commissioner, though the jobs gave him little time to spend with his wife.
• Grace Wexler takes up James' restaurant, renaming it 'Hoo's on First' and giving it a theme of local sports stars, getting her rave reviews. The success of 'Hoo's on First' ultimately results in a chain of ten such restaurants, the latest of which allows her to work close to her husband in Madison, though Turtle is convinced it is a financial failure.
• Theo Thedorakis attends a literary college, becoming an assistant to a reporter (Who incidentally writes the article on Doug's first gold medal) and later becoming a novelist. His first novel does not sell well, but at the book's end he has almost finished his second book. Theo marries Turtle, though they agree not to have children lest they inherit Chris' disease. Theo and Chris' parents move to Florida after retiring from their coffee shop business.
• Tabitha-Ruth 'Turtle' Wexler, having discovered Sam Westing's secret life and solved the game, is dedicated to being his successor and ultimately the president of Westing Paper Products. She takes on the nickname of T.R., attends college, being only 18 in her second year of college, and makes over $5,000,000 in the stock market. Turtle marries Theo and begins tutoring Angela's daughter Alice to play chess.
• Alexander 'Sandy' McSouthers is revealed to be Samuel Westing, a.k.a. Barney Northrup, a.k.a. Julien Eastman and becomes Turtle Wexler's mentor, pays for her expensive education, and plays chess with her every Saturday, although she claims she is 'at the library'. He reveals that he has always known that Angela was the bomber. He dies on the Fourth of July.

Other media

The Westing Game, adapted by Darian Lindle and directed by Terry Brino-Dean, was first produced at Prime Stage Theatre in Pittsburgh in 2009. The script is published by Dramatic Publishing.

Jj Ford The Westwing Games

Get A Clue, adapted by Dylan Kelsey Hadley and directed by Terence H. Winkless was produced for television in 1997.

References

1. ^'Newbery Medal & Honor Books, 1922–Present'. Association for Library Service to Children. Retrieved 11 January 2011.
2. ^Bird, Elizabeth (July 7, 2012). 'Top 100 Chapter Book Poll Results'. A Fuse #8 Production. Blog.

External links

• manuscript online at UW MadisonThe Westing Game
• The Westing Game at the Internet Movie Database
• The Game learning guide, analysis, quotes, & teacher resources

Summary

The big debate among the tenants of the apartment now is whether or not to collaborate with other teams. Both Turtle and Flora make discoveries about their respective partners. Turtle finds out that Flora had a daughter, but she’s gone. Flora finds out that Turtle’s real name is in fact Tabatha Ruth.

Jj Ford The Westwing Game Show

In the Theodorakis' coffee shop, Theo and Doug call a meeting to ask Grace, Sydelle, Angela, and Mr. Hoo if anyone’s clues make any sense to them, and then asks them if anyone wants to play in a chess tournament. Mr. Hoo reveals that he has found Sydelle’s transcription of the will, which she reveals is useless to anyone besides her since she transcribed it in Polish.

Jj Ford The Westing Game

The group agrees to give Sydelle a larger share of the inheritance in exchange for her notes (in English). Mr. Hoo offers to share his clues to prove that he and Grace Wexler are innocent. Instead, Judge Ford suggests that since everyone is innocent until proven guilty, they should not share clues and are allowed to ask anonymous questions instead.

“Is anyone here a twin?” No one answers.

“What is Turtle’s real name?” Grace Wexler lies and Flora tells the truth.

“How many people here have actually met Sam Westing?” Only Mr. Hoo.

“Who got kicked last week?” No answer.

Suddenly, there’s an explosion. Everyone in the restaurant thinks they’re covered in blood, but they realize it’s tomato sauce. George Theodorakis concludes that it’s a bomb. His wife Catherine agrees.

In Sydelle’s apartment, Turtle tells Angela that their mother thinks Angela stole Sydelle’s notebook. Turtle then says that she doesn’t think Angela wants to marry her fiancee. Sydelle says that Turtle is jealous, and she retorts that at least she doesn’t need a crutch to get attention. Sydelle snaps back that Turtle’s crutch is her big mouth, but Angela thinks that her crutch is her braid.

The newspaperman calls up Judge Ford to inform her that George Theodorakis at one point escorted Violet Westing to a party in Westingtown. She now knows that Mr. Hoo, George, Sandy, and herself all know Sam Westing. She decides to call a private investigator, but to her surprise, when he picks up the phone, that person shares the same voice as Sam Westing.

A second bomb is planted Shin Hoo’s restaurant, placed specifically with a candle to react with MSG. Grace Wexler assists Shin Hoo in the restaurant and decides to play matchmaker with the couples. She wheels Chris over to dine with Sydelle and they get on famously. Angela begins talking to Theo about their mutual desire to go to college, and how they both can’t: Theo because of the cost of the operation for Chris, and Angela because of her engagement and family troubles. Theo reveals that he wanted to be a writer and asks Angela if she would go to college if she won the inheritance. She can’t answer the question.

Judge Ford meets with Flora and discovers that she at one time made a dress for Sam Westing’s daughter, Violet Westing. In Hoo’s restaurant, Jake Wexler is jealous of his wife’s chumminess with Mr. Hoo and Turtle listens to the stock market (down 12 points!) on a radio. Chris and Sydelle bond and she accuses him of being the murderer, which pleases him. Sydelle gets up to give her compliments to the chef and goes into the kitchen just as Otis Amber arrives. The bomb goes off. Only Sydelle is injured, and she is taken to the hospital.

Finally, the snow melts and the tenants of Sunset Tower are freed. Angela looks under the hoods of cars in answer to the clues “Good gracious from hood space.” Flora takes Turtle to a broker’s office to check on the status of their investments. They are not doing well.

Jj Ford The Westwing Game Of Thrones

Judge Ford tries to tip Sandy, who refuses because she gave him the entirety of the $10,000. He tries to help with the clues, identifying Dr. Sikes, Otis Amber, Mr. Hoo, and Theo or Chris as potential suspects. She suggests that perhaps Sam Westing is out to get one of the people on the list.

Grace and Mr. Hoo argue about whether or not to start an advertising campaign for the restaurant as Crow and Otis Amber reminisce about an unarmed person. Otis Amber mutters to himself that so many people are buying Westing Paper Products that it’s messing up his deliveries.

Denton Deere explains to Chris that he is a plastic surgery intern and can’t help with his condition. Chris tells him about the connection between Judge Ford living in Apt 4D. He refuses to cosign the check.

While Angela waits for Denton, Theo arrives in the lobby. He finds the answer to where the phrase “May God thy gold refine” comes from: “America, the Beautiful.” Denton arrives and Theo asks if he wants to play chess. He ignores Theo, and Sandy begins whistling 'America, the Beautiful.'

Jj Ford The Westing Game

At the hospital, Denton and Angela argue about Sydelle being crazy until a psychiatrist comes in and confirms that she made up her disease, but is not crazy. Angela visits with Sydelle and finds her without makeup or her usual unctuous air. While Angela looks for her makeup, she finds a strange letter asking for forgiveness in a “tense rigid hand.” At the bottom are the clues “Thy Beautiful.”

Things start to return to normal at Sunset Towers. Both the coffee shop and restaurant reopen, and people return to their normal schedules. Turtle and Flora continue to lose money on the stock market.

Doug, Turtle, and Otis commiserate about how Westing could’ve died since Turtle claimed he looked too peaceful to have been murdered. Doug suggests that perhaps someone injected him with bee or snake venom. Doug then mentions that he saw someone in Turtle’s red boots looking through the hoods of the cars that morning, before running away. Otis Amber claims he doesn’t believe the murder actually happened. Turtle speaks to Sandy about whether anyone besides her left Sunset Towers on Halloween night. He remembers that both Otis and Crow also left. He then tells her a parable about a man who had his death predicted for him, but when it never came, he laughed. He died laughing.

Jake visits his wife at Hoo’s restaurant. Hoo and Grace argue about a potential advertising campaign involving renaming the restaurant “Hoo’s on First” after the old comedy routine. Mr. Hoo hates it, but Jake pretends to like it to appease his wife.

Judge Ford discovers that Sam Westing’s wife was a thin, shy woman who seemed to hate the limelight and that his daughter Violet was engaged to a senator who is now in jail for bribery. The rumor was, according to Sandy, that she killed herself rather than marry the politician. The parallel between Violet looking like Angela and her being involved with Theo’s father is not lost on them, and Sandy says if the scenario was to play out like it did in the past that Angela Wexler would have to die.

Analysis

The Sunset Towers community is coming together to solve the clues, but they are not making much progress. Rather than discovering clues related to the murders, they are discovering facts about each other. Now, partnerships are branching out to seek help from other pairs.

The Westing Game is turning surprisingly dangerous. Not one but two bombs have gone off in the building: one simply spraying tomato sauce everywhere, the other injuring Sydelle. The is a sense of foreboding that there will likely be another bomb and that it will be more serious than the previous two.

The characters get close enough that they can speak candidly with each other. Turtle calls out her sister for not really wanting to marry Denton and Sydelle observes that she's jealous. Turtle is then comfortable enough to accuse Sydelle of making up her injury, which is of course confirmed by the psychiatrist after she ironically is truly injured by the bomb. Accusations get more personal as the cloud of suspicion descends over each of them.

Jj Ford The Westwing Game Play

Grace tries her hand at playing matchmaker. There is undeniable chemistry between Theo and Angela, who is feeling as though most of her decisions are being made for her. The discovery that both she and Theo had to turn down college for their families bonds them together. Surprisingly, Chris and Sydelle communicate extremely well and have a similar chemistry that keeps them laughing all through their dinner.

Ford continues to rely on the information from the papers. She learns the sad history of the Westing family and how other tenant’s stories are intertwined. Flora made the ill-fated wedding gown for his daughter Violet. Theo’s father used to be a suitor. Sandy remembers Mrs. Westing with a mole, whereas Judge Ford does not. It seems that either the investigator is misleading them or Sandy is misremembering. Judge Ford also believes that perhaps what Sam Westing is truly after is revenge from his grave.