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Copywork
About This Passage
Paterson closes the chapter with one of the book's most revealing sentences. Jess watches Leslie run and the word 'beautiful' arrives involuntarily — he does not choose it, it 'comes to his mind.' Then he shakes it away. This single moment captures Jess's entire conflict: he perceives beauty naturally (he is an artist) but rejects it reflexively (his world does not allow boys to call other things beautiful). The duck simile elevates Leslie's running to art, connecting Jess's aesthetic sense to the natural world.
she ran as though it was her nature reminders of the flight of wild ducks in the autumn so smooth the word beautiful came to his mind but he shook it away and hurried up toward the house
Full copywork activity with handwriting lines available in the complete study guide.
Discussion Questions
Narration Prompt
Tell someone what happened in this chapter in order. When you get to the most important part, slow down and tell it carefully — what happened, why it mattered, and what you think about it.
Discussion Questions
- Leslie shows up on the first day of school wearing faded cut-offs and a blue undershirt while everyone else is in their Sunday best. She does not seem bothered by being different. Was Leslie brave for not caring what people thought, or was she just not paying attention? What in the story makes you think so?
- Jess practiced running all summer because he wanted to be the fastest kid in fifth grade. Then Leslie joins the race and beats everyone, including Jess. How do you think Jess feels — is he only angry, or is something more complicated happening inside him? What in the story makes you think so?
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Critical Thinking
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