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Copywork
About This Passage
Kate DiCamillo lets the chapter's central pun ('toast' = food and honor) carry the entire celebration. Four speakers, four toasts, one pig. Even Eugenia speaks in the language she is trying to refuse. The pun is doing the moral work.
'A toast to Mercy,' said Mr. Watson, holding up his glass of orange juice. 'A toast to our darling, our dear,' said Mrs. Watson. 'A toast to Mercy,' said Baby. 'In my opinion,' said Eugenia, 'pigs sho...
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Discussion Questions
Narration Prompt
Summarize the breakfast table chapter. What is the most important moment?
Discussion Questions
- The chapter is the book's celebration meal. Everyone is at the table, including Eugenia who has been against Mercy throughout. In Greek tragedy, the shared meal often signals the end of conflict. Is the breakfast scene tragic, comic, or both?
- Kate DiCamillo organizes the entire book around the word 'toast.' The word does double duty — food and honor — and the book is built on the pun. Why does the author trust a pun with the central role? What does this tell us about how language can carry meaning?
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Vocabulary Builder
Item 1
both a food (bread) and an act of honor (raising a glass)
Item 2
a play on a word with two meanings, used to create resonance
Item 3
the act of giving public respect
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Critical Thinking
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