Oliver officially becomes Mr. Sowerberry’s apprentice. It is apparently sick season and Mr. Sowerberry’s undertaking business is busier than ever. Oliver partakes in many infant funerals as a mute mourner. Through his many trips with Mr. Sowerberry to grieving families, Oliver has countless opportunities to observe how grief affects people. He observes how the family of deceased wealthy old people is often secretly joyous, how husbands are calm in the face of their wives’ death, and how wives often grieve openly and dress for the occasion as if “they had made up their minds to render it as becoming and attractive as possible” (63).

Through his apprenticeship, Oliver continues to be bullied by a jealous Noah Claypole, mistreated by Charlotte, and hated by Mrs. Sowerberry. One night at dinner, Noah begins insulting Oliver’s mother in an attempt to get a rise out of the young boy. Noah calls Oliver’s mother a “right-down bad ‘un” and Oliver attacks Noah, pushing him to the ground and punching him (66). Noah is too much of a coward to fight back against the much smaller boy and instead, calls out for Charlotte and Mrs.