Trust

            Trust becomes invaluable in The Westing Game. The players need to learn to trust each other and to trust their clues. However, trust is not present where it would make a great deal of difference. In other places, it happens to be there when needed.

            In the pairing of J.J. Ford and Sandy, J.J does not include Sandy in her hiring of a private investigator. If she had, it may have unraveled the connections a little sooner. She also was reluctant to tell him about her connection to Sam Westing. Sandy, on the other hand, while keeping his true identity a secret, was very forthcoming about what his alias’ connection was. This partnership, for obvious reasons, was the one most based on deceit. However, she did trust him and his analysis enough that they were able to discover the identity of who Judge Ford thought needed protection.

            Mrs. Baumbach and Turtle had a relationship that initially was not about trust, just about one person having knowledge that the other was missing. However, as the story progresses, Mrs. Baumbach comes to trust in Turtle’s knowledge of the stock market even when it seemed like a very risky gamble. They come to a mother-daughter relationship that both were in need of, which means that they both trusted each other a lot by the end of the story.

            Mr. Hoo and Grace both obviously do not have a close friendship when they are paired up. She becomes his hostess and plans decorating his restaurant. They have to start to trust each other once they are assigned to be together. Their trust grows into not only being partners in their game, but also being partners in business.

            Chris and Denton are an unlikely pairing who don’t seem to have anything in common. However, Chris does not know who to trust with his information about the limping figure. He certainly doesn’t trust Denton enough to sign the check. He has to learn how to trust his partner when Denton comes to take him to the hospital for the new treatments that allow him to have a much more normal life.

            Doug and Theo are the only pairing who have trust from the very beginning. They are already school friends. Doug trusts Theo enough to trade in his normal exercise routine to follow Amber Otis around with his huge meet coming up. Theo also has to place a lot of faith in his friend to watch the game board while playing chess against the unknown opponent.

            Last, everyone ends up trusting Turtle. I am not sure if because of her youth everyone expects her to tell the truth or if she is that skillful at lying. Either way, the one time when trust should not be given, it freely is, to someone who already admitted to being a bomber. She pulls off a very effective story that she makes up off of the top of her head and they all believe her. The heirs have all grown to trust each other in this “game” that maybe they have grown too trusting.

            The heirs all grow in this game. At the beginning, most of them seem to be self-sufficient in their own families. By the end, they have come together to be more like one large family. Similar to when Sam Westing called them all his nieces and nephews. Trust grows and shifts in the book, but is always present and necessary.