Wise Blood

This chapter is narrated from Enoch Emery’s perspective. After showing Motes the ancient human remains at the park’s museum, Enoch becomes convinced that a mystery is unfolding and he begins saving all of his wages, though he doesn’t knows what for. He also cleans his room, which is unusual for him.

The next morning, Enoch has an overwhelming sense of foreboding and finds it difficult to get out of bed. He goes to work but is constantly distracted by the strange feeling he is harboring inside him. Later, feeling exhausted, he goes into town, buys some popcorn from a street vendor and steps inside a Walgreens to grab a drink. When he brings his drink to the register, he tells the cashier that “Something’s going to happen to me today” (136).

Enoch wanders over to a movie theater and decides to go in. After watching three different picture shows, Enoch stumbles back out onto the street and collapses. At this moment, he feels as if something is going to be revealed to him. He looks up to see Motes driving by in his Essex, and walks to where Motes has parked. Enoch watched as a small crowd quickly forms around Motes, who starts to preach again about his Church Without Christ.

As people walk by Motes, he explains the vision of his new church: “I preach peace, I preach the Church Without Christ, the church peaceful and satisfied” (139). Enoch approaches Motes and begins bellowing at him. The chapter ends with Enoch receiving the revelation he has been waiting for: he will steal the corpse from the park’s museum and give it to Motes for his church.

Motes has taken to knocking on Asa Hawks’ door two to three times a day, but Asa always just pushes Sabbath outside and locks the door. Motes is obsessed with trying to understand Asa, but Asa refuses to let him into his home. Sabbath has been trying to cultivate Motes’ interest in her, but she returns home every day with nothing to show for it. Asa tells her , “I’m leaving out of here in a couple of days … you better make it work if you want to eat after I’m gone” (146).

Meanwhile, Motes has been trying to build a following for his new church—but has been largely unsuccessful. No one wants to be his disciple or apostle, which is what he desires most. One day, when Motes is preaching from his car, he is surprised to see a large man named Onnie Jay Holy approach and claim that Motes is a prophet. He begins to speak loudly to the street and a large crowd gathers.

Motes has never seen Onnie before, but Onnie claims that Motes has changed his life with his idea for a “new jesus.” Onnie claims that Motes is the prophet and that everyone should join their Church of Christ Without Christ. Motes becomes angry and tells the crowd that that’s not the name of his church, but Onnie continues to speak and the crowd listens attentively.

Onnie tells everyone in the crowd that they can join Motes’ church, but that they will have to pay one dollar each to become a member. Motes tells Onnie that he’s a liar, and he kicks Onnie out of the Essex. Motes says that his church is the Church Without Christ, not the Church of Christ Without Christ as Onnie puts it. Motes tries to drive away, but his car won’t start, so he pushes it into a parking spot and lies down.

Onnie continues to pester Motes with questions about the “new jesus,” but Motes responds by slamming Onnie’s fingers in his car door. This enrages Onnie, and he tells Motes, “You watch out, friend. I’m going to run you out of business. I can get my own new jesus and I can get Prophets for peanuts, you hear” (159). Onnie claims that he will start his own church and that Motes should be aware that he now has a rival.

Motes falls asleep in his car that night and dreams of being trapped in a coffin. The coffin has a window, and people are passing by and looking at him inside the closed casket. Motes eventually wakes up and finds that his car will start so he drives home. When he arrives, he approaches Hawks’ door and tries to pick its lock. Motes quietly enters the room, and the chapter ends when Hawks discovers Motes and tells him to get out.