Lesson 25 — Activity 2: Chapters 21 – 22

Chapter 21 of the novel tells us more about what Marina has learned about the chemical company. When the chapter opens, Marina is teaching Chris more about the structure of the company they are fighting. One of the items of information she has discovered is that the company owns many smaller companies. Among those companies is one called Quality Consultants, the same company that did the study on the incinerator. This company wrote the report for the Regional Authority to support the second incinerator.

Chris realizes that Marina has uncovered something important — it is a major conflict of interest for Consolidated Holdings to be using its own company to approve the second incinerator. Marina knows that there is a Consolidated Holdings shareholders' meeting in Culverton the next day and wants Chris to attend the meeting with her.

The chapter ends with Marina and Chris arriving at the hotel with the rest of the shareholders. Chris and Marina are ready to share their information about the conflict of interest, so the shareholders have a better idea of what their company is doing.

Chapter 22 of the novel describes the shareholders' meeting.

When the chapter opens, Chris and Marina are joining the crowd going into the shareholders' meeting. There is a security guard and an elderly lady at the door who both try to prevent them from entering. After Marina shows her shareholder certificates and says they have every right to be there, the elderly woman, named Mrs. Jennings, smooths over the issue and suggests that they find a seat.

Chris and Marina listen to the various reports in the meeting's agenda. Marina is the first person to approach the microphone when the meeting is opened to new business. Marina speaks about the situation in Rocky Harbour, and then has Chris describe the place where he grew up. Some people in the crowd object, but Mrs. Jennings speaks up in support of hearing the two of them speak.

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Marina completes her speech by explaining the conflict of interest the shareholders are facing. Their company has been allowing the toxic waste to be taken to Rocky Harbour and burned in an incinerator, while their own lab and research consultants wrote up reports on the safety of the plant on the environment. After Marina's speech, Mrs. Jennings makes a motion that the company stop shipping chemical waste to Rocky Harbour and that the safety of the incinerator be investigated.

The chapter ends with the crowd sounding very excited about the motion while Chris and Marina sit close together in silence.