I Know This Much is True Chapter 8 Summary

How It All Goes Down

  • It's June of 1968 and Ma gives Dominick and Thomas a portable Royal typewriter for their high school graduation present. (Nice gesture, but they'll never be royals...)
  • It was quite a fight for Ma to convince Ray to send the boys to college, but he eventually gave in, though only after much taunting and bullying, which is Ray's style.
  • Dominick tried to get put into a separate room from Thomas at UConn, but Ma insists they room together.
  • Even at college, everyone makes fun of Thomas, calling him Lurch (you rang?), and makes fun of Dominick for being related to him.
  • Thomas makes a big deal over who gets custody of the typewriter, but he barely uses it.
  • He's barely using it, because he's barely doing any schoolwork.
  • One day, he freaks out over an overdue English paper, and he almost breaks the typewriter (it comes in a lockable carrying case) trying to get it open.
  • Dominick types the paper for him and turns it in—since they're twins, the teacher thinks Dominick is Thomas.
  • It's too little too late; Thomas is put on academic probation.