logo

52 pages 1 hour read

Matthew Quick

Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock

Fiction | Novel | YA | Published in 2013

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.

Chapters 18-23Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapter 18 Summary

Herr Silverman, always well-dressed, shakes every student’s hand as they enter his class each period. As Leonard greets his teacher, he asks to see Herr Silverman after class. Leonard seethes as two peers complain about Herr Silverman’s daily ritual. 

Herr Silverman opens the floor for an ethical question pertinent to the Holocaust. Leonard asks, “Let’s just say that an American teenager inherited a real Nazi gun from his grandfather, who captured and executed a high-ranking Nazi officer. What should be done with the gun?” (108). As students respond, Leonard feels superior because they won’t know his question’s significance until the following day. Although convinced his peers are “übermorons” (109), Leonard fears discovery, and his thoughts spiral. 

Herr Silverman asks Leonard to end the discussion about the Nazi gun, but the narrator cannot form an opinion. Herr Silverman lectures about the double identities of Nazi officers who treated people inhumanely at concentration camps but loved their families at home. Leonard considers how his classmates double, posing as perfect students at school but misbehaving on weekends.

Chapter 19 Summary

As Herr Silverman says goodbye to everyone in Leonard’s class, Leonard considers his teacher’s kindness: “There have been days when Herr Silverman was the only person to look me in the eye” (114).

blurred text
blurred text
blurred text
blurred text
blurred text
blurred text
blurred text
blurred text
Unlock IconUnlock all 52 pages of this Study Guide
Plus, gain access to 8,600+ more expert-written Study Guides.
Including features:
+ Mobile App
+ Printable PDF
+ Literary AI Tools