The Lemonade Crime

Fairness is quickly established as a recurring theme in the opening chapter. Evan and Jessie are packing their school lunchboxes; Jessie is angry that Evan allocates more to himself. Jessie stridently tells her brother, “It’s about being fair” (2), when he resignedly gives her the same number of cookies as himself. Later, Jessie is infuriated when Scott pushes into the front of the line to enter Grade 4-O. Jessie angrily reminds him that “it’s a line […]. The rule is you go to the end of the line” (8). Jessie is offended that all other class members must wait patiently while Scott excuses himself from the rules. Rules are important to Jessie because she believes that they ensure fairness.

Jessie later violates her principles of fairness in her determination to find Scott guilty of stealing the money. Ironically, she wants to achieve a fair and just result through unfair and unjust means; she intentionally withholds the fact that Evan first stole the $208 from her. She also limits Scott’s options for a lawyer to a group of girls with whom he is not close. On the other hand, she—the person with the most legal knowledge—represents Evan. Unsurprisingly, the trial, which was built on a premise of dishonesty and unfairness, leads to an unfair and incorrect conclusion.