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Copywork
About This Passage
Read this speech twice: once as kindness, once as a verdict. Mr. Pendanski says he respects Stanley — and in the same breath assumes he is guilty: 'Otherwise you wouldn't be here.' Stanley, who is innocent, decides it is pointless to argue. Copy the speech with its punctuation exactly, and watch how the kind words and the assumption ride together: every sentence is gentle, and every sentence supposes the worst. That combination — warmth on top, judgment underneath — is worth learning to hear, in books and in life.
“I want you to know, Stanley, that I respect you,” Mr. Pendanski said. “I understand you’ve made some bad mistakes in your life. Otherwise you wouldn’t be here. But everyone makes mistakes. You may ha...
Full copywork activity with handwriting lines available in the complete study guide.
Discussion Questions
Narration Prompt
Summarize Stanley's introduction to D tent in order: the counselor, the one rule, the boys, the cot, and the lesson about names. Then explain which moment would worry you most in Stanley's place, and use the chapter's words to show why that moment matters.
Discussion Questions
- Mr. Pendanski tells Stanley 'I respect you,' then says 'Otherwise you wouldn't be here' — he assumes Stanley did something bad. Stanley, who is innocent, decides it is 'pointless' to argue. Why might Stanley stay quiet instead of defending himself? Use the chapter's words about what Stanley figures — 'everyone probably said that' — to explain his choice and what it costs him.
- Mr. Pendanski calls the boys José, Theodore, and Ricky — 'the names society will recognize them by.' The boys call themselves Magnet, Armpit, and Zigzag, and X-Ray says, 'It ain't just a nickname.' Compare the two sets of names: what does each set say about who the boys are? Use the chapter's words from the introductions to explain why the boys choose their own names over the ones society recognizes.
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Vocabulary Builder
Item 1
Given a place or job by someone in charge — not chosen
Item 2
Not guilty; having done nothing wrong
Item 3
Useless; certain to change nothing
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Critical Thinking
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