Because of Winn-Dixie — Chapter 2

About This Passage

This is the first metaphor Opal gives us for her father, and it is worth studying because it does two things at once. First, it shows us exactly what the preacher is like, in one crisp image. Second, it tells us something about Opal: she does not say 'my dad is shy' (a direct statement) — she compares him to a turtle (an observation). The difference matters. A child who says 'my dad is shy' has a complaint. A child who says 'my dad is like a turtle hiding in its shell' has a portrait. Opal has become, in one sentence, a writer of people. Notice also the rhythm: the main comparison ('a turtle hiding inside its shell') is followed by a longer phrase that expands the picture ('in there thinking about things and not ever sticking his head out into the world'). This is called an appositive — an explanation that follows a name and unfolds it. Writers use appositives to let an image bloom without breaking it into a new sentence.

Narration Prompt

Retell the chapter, paying attention to the moment the preacher changes his mind about keeping Winn-Dixie. What specifically made him change his mind — was it the dog, was it Opal's argument, or was it something else?

Discussion Questions

1. Opal uses a specific word from the preacher's own sermons — 'less fortunate' — to make her case for keeping the dog. Why does she choose that word instead of just saying 'poor' or 'sad'? What is she understanding about how her father thinks?
2. The preacher says 'no dogs' and then changes his mind within one paragraph. Is this because he is easily convinced, or because he WANTED to say yes the whole time and just needed an excuse? What in the chapter makes you think so?

+ 3 more questions in the complete study guide