Section XII:

This section introduces the Alek Williams family.

Henry has now healed enough to be moved. Dr. Trescott drives him to the home of Alek Williams where the Williams are to house and care for Henry as he continues to recover.  On the drive out to the farm, Dr. Trescott attempts to converse with Henry. Henry seems mentally confused and talks nonsense.  Upon arriving at the farm, Trescott scolds Alek for Alek’s initial reaction to Henry’s appearance. Says Alek repeatedly, “"Ma Lode amassy! Who'd ever think? Ma Lode amassy!" Mrs. Williams and the children hide behind the stove from Henry.

In this chapter, Henry is finally and irreversibly monsterized. The Williams family cowers from his appearance, not from his words or actions yet. He looks that hideous. Crane also begins calling Henry “It.” “It crawled to him painfully like a man going down a ladder.” Crane makes it clear that on the outside Henry is a monster, but by calling him “it” Crane effectively strips Henry of any humanity he once had. “It” makes Henry lower than pets or animals. Crane uses the simple word in the most effective way possible too by having Trescott use it off hand. Trescott does not use the word in a mean or demeaning manor. The impersonal word comes to him naturally when he talks to Henry. Now, the man who saved Henry’s life twice, has even succumbed to the monster Henry instead of the human Henry.

Link to text:

http://etext.virginia.edu/etcbin/toccer-new2?id=CraMons.sgm&images=images/modeng&data=/texts/english/modeng/parsed&tag=public&part=12&division=div2