Because of Winn-Dixie — Chapter 9

About This Passage

This is one of the most important passages in the whole book. Notice how Gloria turns her bad eyesight into a gift — she cannot see faces, so she has learned to see hearts instead. The sentence 'I got to rely on my heart' is a small invention: Gloria has named her own way of knowing people, and given it a name. Notice also the rhythm of the last sentence: 'why don't you go on and tell me everything about yourself, so as I can see you with my heart.' The phrase 'so as I can' is dialect — it sounds older and more Southern than 'so I can.' DiCamillo is keeping Gloria's voice specific to Gloria, not making it sound like everyone else's. Copying this passage teaches a writer how to give a character a way of talking that no one else in the book has, and how to turn a limitation into a kind of wisdom.

Narration Prompt

Retell the chapter. Why do you think Gloria asked Opal to tell her everything about herself instead of just asking a few questions?

Discussion Questions

1. When Opal first hears the Dewberry boys call Gloria a 'witch,' she is afraid. But when she meets Gloria, Gloria says 'You can always trust a dog that likes peanut butter,' and Opal is no longer afraid. How does the peanut butter line do so much work in changing Opal's mind?
2. Gloria's house is overgrown — DiCamillo describes it as 'the most overgrown jungle of a yard' Opal had ever seen. But Gloria is the warmest character we have met so far. What is the chapter saying about the relationship between how a place looks and what kind of person lives there?

+ 3 more questions in the complete study guide