The caning incident in chapter 7 sheds light on what is going on inside the Haywards’ and at the same time it gives us a new insight into Keith's character and behaviour.
When Mr. Hayward utters the word “thermos”, Keith turns red and understands he is being accused of a crime he cannot even identify. Little by little, we see how he suffers as he understands that the thermos flask is missing and his father thinks he has taken it. He can only limit himself to look at the ground, as he knows that even when he speaks the truth: “I didn´t take it”, he won't be believed. His defencelessness in this section of the novel offers a striking contrast with the leading role he takes in his relationship with Keith in other chapters.
