Because of Winn-Dixie — Chapter 5

About This Passage

This passage is a little comedy in three acts. Act one: the preacher says something unexpected ('let us pray, for this mouse'). Act two: the congregation laughs and claps. Act three: the preacher does the thing the mouse needs done (releases it out the door). Notice that DiCamillo chooses the word 'finally' — 'the preacher finally said' — which is the funniest word in the sentence because it tells us the preacher had to think for a long time before he figured out what to say. The whole church was watching, waiting, and the preacher was thinking. Notice also the rhythm: short sentences that chain together ('everybody started laughing and clapping... everybody applauded again... we all prayed together'). The chain builds up the sense of a room becoming one shared feeling. Copying this passage teaches the writer how to set up a gentle joke and land it, and how quickly an entire mood can change when someone responds to a surprise with kindness instead of annoyance.

Narration Prompt

Retell the chapter. Why do you think DiCamillo chose to make the chapter's climax a dog catching a mouse in church, of all things?

Discussion Questions

1. The Open Arms Baptist Church is built inside an old Pick-It-Quick convenience store. The floor tiles still spell out 'PICK PICK PICK QUICK QUICK QUICK,' and the preacher tried to paint over them but they keep showing through. Why do you think DiCamillo put that specific detail in the chapter? What does it tell us about the church, about the preacher, and about what DiCamillo thinks is holy?
2. The narrator tells us the preacher 'couldn't stand the thought of hurting anything — even a mouse.' Is this a strength of character or a weakness? How do you decide — and what does the chapter seem to believe?

+ 3 more questions in the complete study guide