Work, Chapter 6 summary
Chapter 6 of 20 · 21 min to read the chapter
In Chapter 6, Christie becomes a seamstress and befriends Rachel, whose undisclosed past brings public condemnation and dismissal, prompting Christie to leave her job in solidarity. Rachel refuses to share her home and disappears for months, but a Christmas rose tree and note assure Christie that her friendship still matters.
What happens
- Christie repays Uncle Enos, helps Hepsey support freedom from slavery, gives Lucy wedding presents, and takes a dressmaking job.
- She patiently wins Rachel’s friendship, finding companionship that makes her work and daily life happier.
- Miss Cotton exposes Rachel’s past, and Mrs. King dismisses her despite Christie’s appeal for mercy.
- Christie leaves rather than abandon Rachel, but Rachel refuses her offer of a shared home and departs.
- Christie sews at home and waits through months without news, struggling with loneliness while continuing to help others.
- At Christmas, Rachel secretly leaves a flowering rose tree and a note reporting that she is safe and working.
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In this chapter
What to notice
Christie treats support as a duty rather than a threat to respectability. Her words explain why she risks her livelihood for Rachel.
Quick check
What does Rachel’s Christmas note tell Christie?
Cite this page
“Work, Chapter 6 summary.” Library of Alexandria, 2026, libraryofalexandria.com/pages/work-chapter-6-summary.
Library of Alexandria. (2026). Work, Chapter 6 summary. https://libraryofalexandria.com/pages/work-chapter-6-summary
“Work, Chapter 6 summary.” Library of Alexandria, 2026. https://libraryofalexandria.com/pages/work-chapter-6-summary.
@misc{work_chapter_6_summary_2026,
title = {Work, Chapter 6 summary},
publisher = {Library of Alexandria},
year = {2026},
url = {https://libraryofalexandria.com/pages/work-chapter-6-summary}
}
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