Dave Porter's Return to School; Or, Winning the Medal of Honor — Reading Notes

Victory and Its Discontents

The football match is described with a clear sense of stakes: the Oak Hall team, against expectations, pulls together and plays with a ferocity that “nothing could stand before them.” Yet the victory is immediately complicated. Dave says, “I’d rather lose than have anybody seriously hurt,” and the doctor calls Phil’s injury “the one dark spot.” The Rockville captain insists the tackle was fair, but the tone suggests a lingering unease about rough play.

Meanwhile, the defeated trio—Plum, Poole, and Jasniff—react not with grace but with financial panic. Gus Plum laments “the money I have lost,” and Jasniff admits he thought removing key players would guarantee a win. Their conversation reveals a pattern of gambling and borrowing that has left them desperate. The narrative does not condemn them outright but lets their selfishness speak through their own words.

Debt, Drink, and a Whispered Scheme

After the game, Plum and Jasniff retreat to a tavern in Hampton, where Jasniff spends his last twenty cents on liquor. The setting—a back room with cigarettes and drink—underscores their moral drift. Plum confesses he is “dead-broke” and in debt, having borrowed from several parties. Jasniff, lowering his voice, hints at a plan to “earn a little pile,” promising to reveal details after consulting someone else.

The dialogue is terse and loaded with implication. When Plum asks how, Jasniff’s evasive “I don’t know exactly” suggests a scheme that is not yet fully formed but is clearly illicit. The narrator notes that Plum answers “boldly” when asked to stand by Jasniff, signaling a willing descent into dishonesty. This scene sets up a mystery that will likely involve theft or fraud, though the excerpts do not reveal the plan’s nature.

The Bully’s Unease and the School’s Moral Order

Gus Plum, the “bully of Oak Hall,” is portrayed as a character caught between bravado and vulnerability. He is quick to grumble about his losses but also shows a flicker of unease—he leaves the feast early, “sick of it here,” and seeks escape in smoking and drinking. His dependence on Jasniff for a way out of debt suggests a weak will beneath the bluster.

In contrast, Dave and Roger are depicted as concerned for their injured teammate, unable to enjoy the victory feast. The school’s moral order is reinforced by Dr. Clay’s praise for fair play and by the narrative’s implicit approval of Dave’s priorities. The excerpts do not resolve the tension between the upright protagonists and the scheming antagonists, leaving the reader to anticipate how the medal of honor—mentioned in the title—will be contested.

The excerpts offer a focused view of a single crisis—the football game and its aftermath—but the title promises a broader arc about earning a medal of honor. Readers should watch for how the hinted scheme unfolds and whether Dave’s integrity will be tested beyond the playing field. The contrast between the public celebration of victory and the private scheming of the losers is the engine of the story.

Rereading Dave Porter's Return to School, I found myself lingering on Gus Plum’s quiet desperation, that gnawing shame beneath his bluster. It reminded me, oddly, of an old dog story I once loved—Bruno; or, lessons of fidelity, patience, and self-denial taught by a dog — Reading Notes. Both books whisper about what we owe ourselves when nobody is watching. Strange, how a football match and a faithful hound can teach the same gentle truth.