Chapter 13 — Teaching Companion

What it asks It asks about the walk out to the jetty, before either of them tells anything. Lily teases Albert about Mr. Orban’s beach slippers (“Not with a baby who has beach slippers on his feet”), he pulls them off and tosses them into the marshes, and he follows her along the rocks one foot at a time, wincing. When she asks if he never went barefoot in Hungary, he says “Certainly not,” and asks if she thinks they were poor. Lily only laughs. The student decides what Albert is defending. It feeds the last written question: before he tells what happened to his mother and father, Albert is quick to stand up for the home they gave him. The card says nothing about his family beyond what he says in this chapter.

One reading

Himself. Lily has just called him a baby for wearing the slippers. He threw them away to show her, and now every rock hurts. He will not let her think he is soft, or poor, on top of that.

• Not with a baby who has beach slippers on his feet
• He followed her slowly, one foot at a time, wincing.

Another reading

His family and his home. In Hungary they had shoes; they were not poor. Albert is proud of the life he had there, and later he remembers his grandmother cooking for him.

• Do you think we were poor, that we had no shoes?
• My grandmother, Nagymamma, loved to cook for me.

Listen for

• Tells what Lily says about the slippers and what Albert does with them.
• Says what Albert is sticking up for, himself or his family, with a reason from the walk.
• Uses Albert’s own question about being poor.
• Makes no claim about Albert’s family beyond what he says in this chapter.

If stuck

• What does Lily call Albert when she sees the slippers? What does he do with them?
• How does Albert walk on the rocks? How does Lily walk?
• What does Albert think Lily believes about his family? How might that feel to him?

A strong answer A strong response might say Albert is sticking up for himself: Lily has just called him “a baby” for the slippers, he has thrown them away and is “wincing” on every rock, and he will not let her think he is soft or poor as well. Another might say he is sticking up for his family: they had shoes, and later he says his grandmother “loved to cook for me,” so his home was a good one. A thoughtful student may notice that Albert defends his mother and father here, before he says angry things about them later on the rock. Look for a reason from the walk and Albert’s own question used.

What it asks It asks about Lily’s half of the trade, which comes first and opens Albert’s. On the gray rock Lily tells what she has never told anyone, not even Poppy: her mother pasted stars on her ceiling when she was a baby, to make a world for her, and every year Lily brings one to Rockaway. She has counted the dozens left and says she will be “thirty or forty” before they are all used up. Then she says, “I make them presents to me from my mother, every year on my birthday, in July.” Her mother gave the stars long ago, yet Lily is the one who takes one down each July. The student decides who is doing the giving, and why Lily needs to make the stars into presents. It feeds the last written question: Lily holds on to her mother’s love through something her mother did for her, while Albert has his mother’s last word and a choice he is angry about. Keep to what Lily knows at this point: Albert tells her about his own mother and father only later.

One reading

Lily does the giving now. Her mother cannot give her a birthday present, so each July Lily takes a star and gives it for her. That way Lily gets what anyone with a mother gets on a birthday.

• I make them presents to me from my mother, every year on my birthday, in July.
• It was so nice to talk about her mother as if she, Lily, were like everyone else, like everyone who had a mother.

Another reading

The present is still her mother’s. Her mother meant the stars as a gift, the whole world, all at once. Lily is only opening it one star a year, and she has counted so it will last.

• She said she wanted to give me the whole world.
• I’ll be thirty or forty before they’re all used up.

Listen for

• Tells what the stars are and what Lily does with one each year.
• Says who is doing the giving, Lily or her mother, with a reason from the rock.
• Uses Lily’s words about the presents, or about how many stars are left.
• Keeps to what Lily knows here: Albert speaks of his own mother only later.

If stuck

• Who put the stars on Lily’s ceiling? Why did she do it?
• What does Lily do with one star every July?
• Can Lily’s mother give her a birthday present now? So who takes the star down?

A strong answer A strong response might say Lily does the giving: her mother cannot give her a birthday present now, so every July Lily takes a star and makes it one, the way anyone with a mother gets a present. Another might say the present is still her mother’s: she pasted the stars up because she “wanted to give me the whole world,” and Lily is only opening that gift slowly, counting so it lasts until she is “thirty or forty.” A thoughtful student may notice that both can be true at once, and that Lily, who does not remember her mother, has found a way to get something from her every year. Look for Lily’s own words about the presents, and for no claim that Lily already knew Albert’s story.

What it asks It sets the two mothers side by side. Lily’s mother died in Poppy’s bedroom on a sunny day, with a heart that was “too big.” Lily calls that an all right way to die, “but it’s not all right that I don’t remember her.” Poppy has pictures, but they are blurry, and Lily does not know what her mother’s voice was like. She has the stars. Albert’s mother had no time and said no goodbye. Burning papers at the stove, she looked over her shoulder and said “Szeretlek,” then looked back because the stove was hot. He tells Lily it means “I love you,” and in the next breath says that if they loved him and Ruth they would not have bothered with newspapers. All the family knows after that is a postcard from the police. The student weighs which of the two has more. It feeds the last written question: Albert holds his mother’s “I love you” and doubts it at the same time. The card says nothing about what happened to his mother and father beyond the postcard.

One reading

Albert has more. He has his mother’s own voice saying “I love you,” right at the end. Lily has only blurry pictures and does not even know how her mother sounded.

• she looked over her shoulder and told us, ‘Szeretlek,’
• Poppy has a book with her pictures, but they’re blurry, and I don’t know what her voice was like.

Another reading

Lily has more. Her mother’s love is plain: a ceiling of stars, a present every birthday, and a death Lily can call all right. Albert’s one word comes with burning papers and no goodbye, and he is not sure he believes it.

• She said she wanted to give me the whole world.
• But if they loved us, they would not have done that, they would not have bothered with newspapers.

Listen for

• Tells what Lily has of her mother and what Albert has of his.
• Says who has more to hold on to, with a reason.
• Uses “Szeretlek” or what Lily says she cannot remember.
• Claims nothing about Albert’s mother and father beyond the postcard from the police.

If stuck

• What does Lily have from her mother? What is missing?
• What was Albert’s mother doing when she said “Szeretlek”? What does it mean?
• What does Albert say right after he tells Lily what the word means?

A strong answer A strong response might say Albert has more: he has his mother’s voice saying “Szeretlek” at the very end, while Lily’s pictures are “blurry” and she does not know her mother’s voice at all. Another might say Lily has more: her mother “wanted to give me the whole world,” the stars are a present every year, and Lily can call the death “an all right way to die,” while Albert’s word comes with burning papers, no goodbye, and the angry “But” that follows it. A thoughtful student may notice that each has what the other is missing: Lily has a love she is sure of but no voice, and Albert has the voice but cannot rest in it. Look for both mothers weighed, and for nothing added about what became of Albert’s mother and father.

What it asks It asks about how Lily listens. The Spam begins as a joke: Lily hates it, and she tosses a piece in “For the fish,” since “They probably don’t like it either.” Then Albert starts his story. While he tells about his mother at the stove, Lily bites her lip and watches a small fish tear at the Spam. When he tells about the mountains and the Nazis, she cannot look at him, and she tears off another piece, and the crust of her bread. Once she glances at him, and his eyes are dry. The student decides who the feeding is for: Lily, Albert, or both. It feeds the last written question: the trade is between two people, and how each one listens is part of it. If a student says only that Lily is bored or hungry, ask what Albert is saying each time she does it.

One reading

For Lily. She cannot bear to look at Albert while he tells it. The fish give her eyes and hands something to do, so she does not stare at him or cry.

• Lily couldn’t look at him.
• Lily was biting her own lip, chewing on her lip, watching a small fish tear a piece of the Spam, and then another . . .

Another reading

For Albert. With Lily’s eyes on the water, he can tell it without being watched. She is doing for him what he did for her when she told about her mother: looking away and listening hard.

• She didn’t want to look in his eyes, but she couldn’t help it, she glanced at him quickly, but he didn’t look as if he would cry.
• Albert wasn’t looking at her, his head was turned

Listen for

• Tells what Albert is saying at one of the times Lily feeds the fish.
• Says who the feeding is for, with a reason.
• Uses something Lily does with her eyes or her mouth: she bites her lip, she can’t look, she glances.
• Notices that the Spam starts as a joke before Albert’s story.

If stuck

• Why does Lily throw the first piece of Spam in the water?
• What is Albert telling her when she tears off the next pieces?
• Where does Lily look while Albert talks? Where did Albert look while she talked?

A strong answer A strong response might say the feeding is for Lily: she “couldn’t look at him,” and the fish give her something to watch while she bites her lip. Another might say it is for Albert: with her eyes on the water, he can go on, just as she could go on while “his head was turned.” A thoughtful student may say it is both, and may notice that the Spam began as a joke, “They probably don’t like it either,” and turns into the only thing Lily can do with her hands while he tells the hardest part. Look for a moment in Albert’s story tied to a moment of feeding.

What it asks It asks about the end of Albert’s story. Ruth had measles, and a nun in a long gray dress said she belonged in a hospital and not on a ship. Albert said it was not measles, but later he fell asleep, they took her, and he did not even say goodbye. Now Ruth is in a convent in France, the war may last forever, the Nazis are right there, and, he asks, suppose they find out about the newspaper in Hungary? Lily asks, “Isn’t Hungary far away from France? How would they know?” The page says, “Albert didn’t stop.” What he says instead is that Nagymamma told them to stay together, no matter what, and that as long as they did, they would have a family. Then he picks up the bag with the apples. The student decides why a fair question gets no answer. It feeds the last written question: in Albert’s mind the newspaper he blames is still a danger to Ruth. The card does not say Ruth is safe or in danger, and it treats the Nazis finding her as Albert’s fear, which Lily questions. It keeps to his words: he “fell asleep.”

One reading

Her question cannot reach his fear. To Albert the newspaper is the reason his mother and father are dead, so it seems strong enough to reach Ruth anywhere. A sensible point about how far away Hungary is does not help.

• They are dead because they had a newspaper.
• The war may last forever, and Ruth is in a convent, with the lady in the gray dress, and the Nazis are right there, and suppose they find out about our newspaper in Hungary?

Another reading

The newspaper is not the worst of it. Instead of answering, Albert goes to Nagymamma’s rule about staying together. Ruth was taken without a goodbye, so the family she told them to keep is already broken.

• Nagymamma said to stay together, no matter what. She said as long as we did, we’d have a family.
• but later I fell asleep, and they took her, and I did not even say goodbye.

Listen for

• Tells what Lily asks and what Albert says instead.
• Gives a reason he does not stop, from the end of his story.
• Uses Nagymamma’s words or Albert’s words about the newspaper and the Nazis.
• Keeps to Albert’s words about Ruth: he “fell asleep,” and no one knows if she is safe.

If stuck

• Where is Ruth now? Who is she with?
• What does Lily ask Albert? What does he say next?
• What did Nagymamma tell Albert and Ruth to do? Have they been able to do it?

A strong answer A strong response might say Lily’s question cannot reach his fear: the newspaper is why his mother and father are dead, so to Albert it can reach Ruth too, and he asks, “suppose they find out about our newspaper in Hungary?” Another might say the newspaper is not the worst of it: instead of answering, he says Nagymamma told them “to stay together, no matter what,” and Ruth was taken while he slept, with no goodbye. A thoughtful student may notice that Lily tried once before, with “But how . . .,” and he went on then too, as if he has to get the whole story out before he can stop; then he picks up the bag with the apples. Look for Lily’s question and Albert’s next words both used, and for the Nazis finding Ruth kept as Albert’s fear.

What it asks It asks about the one moment Lily’s own anger shows. The prompt places the thought only in the middle of Albert’s story; finding what comes just before it is the student’s work. Albert has just said that if his mother and father loved him and Ruth, they would not have bothered with newspapers, and that the family knows only what a postcard from the police said. “Oh, Albert,” Lily says, thinking how angry he looks, thinking she is angry too. Then comes the thought about Poppy. A little earlier, when Albert says his mother and father are both dead, Lily cannot picture what it would be like with Poppy dead: “So terrible . . .” The student explains where the thought comes from, gives reasons, and answers the other side. It goes a step past the last written question without asking it: Lily’s anger at Poppy sits beside Albert’s anger at his mother and father, and the last question asks whether Albert’s judgment is right. The card claims nothing about where Poppy is beyond the fact that he is not at home.

One reading

From Albert. Lily sees how angry he looks and catches it from him. His anger at his mother and father for going toward danger becomes her anger at Poppy for going away.

• thinking how angry he looked, thinking she was angry too.
• But if they loved us, they would not have done that, they would not have bothered with newspapers.

Another reading

From fear. Albert’s mother and father are dead because of what they chose to do. Lily has just tried to picture Poppy dead and could not bear it. The anger covers how scared she is.

• She couldn’t picture what it would be like with Poppy dead.
• They are dead because they had a newspaper.

Listen for

• Takes a position on where the thought comes from and gives at least two reasons from the chapter.
• Uses what Lily notices about Albert’s face, or what she thinks when he says his mother and father are dead.
• Answers the other side: someone who picks the other source.
• Writes in complete sentences, and claims nothing about where Poppy is or what he is doing.

If stuck

• What has Albert just said about his mother and father?
• How does Albert look to Lily? How does she feel?
• What can’t Lily picture when Albert says “my mother is dead too, and my father”?

A strong answer A strong response takes a position and answers the other side. A student might argue the thought comes from Albert: Lily is “thinking how angry he looked, thinking she was angry too,” so his anger at a mother and father who “bothered with newspapers” becomes her anger at Poppy for leaving. Another might argue it comes from fear: “They are dead because they had a newspaper,” and Lily has just found she “couldn’t picture what it would be like with Poppy dead.” A thoughtful student may notice that Lily thinks it and does not say it, and that the two readings fit together: she is angry because she is afraid. Look for the line read in its place, right after Albert’s “But if they loved us.”

What it asks It asks the whole question of the chapter. Albert’s mother and father had a newspaper that wrote bad things about Hitler and the Nazis; their friends gave out the papers, and they were caught. Nagymamma came for Albert and Ruth just before the Nazis came to the house. There was no time and no goodbye. His mother was at the stove, trying to burn small pieces of paper, and she looked over her shoulder and said “Szeretlek.” Albert tells Lily it means “I love you,” and then says, “But if they loved us, they would not have done that.” His story also holds the police postcard, the long trip with Mr. Kovacs, Ruth’s fever, and Ruth left in a convent in France. The student judges whether Albert is right, gives reasons, and answers the other side. If a student says only that Albert is sad, ask what he is angry about, and what his mother said over her shoulder. The card gives no grown-up verdict that his mother and father were heroes; nobody in the chapter says so, and the chapter leaves Albert’s anger standing. It claims nothing about what became of Nagymamma or whether Ruth is safe.

One reading

He has a point. The newspaper cost Albert and Ruth almost everything: no time, no goodbye, a postcard from the police, and now Ruth alone in France. Nagymamma’s own rule is to stay together, and the newspaper broke the family apart.

• And there was no time, not one minute.
• Nagymamma just got a postcard from the police that they were dead.

Another reading

He is not right. His mother’s last word, even while she burned the papers, was “I love you.” The newspaper was against Hitler and the Nazis, the same people Albert is afraid of now. His mother and father could love Albert and Ruth and still write it.

• she looked over her shoulder and told us, ‘Szeretlek,’
• They wrote bad things about Hitler and the Nazis.

Listen for

• Takes a position on whether Albert is right and gives at least two reasons from the chapter.
• Uses “Szeretlek,” or something the newspaper cost Albert and Ruth: no goodbye, the postcard, Ruth in France.
• Answers the other side: someone who judges Albert the other way.
• Writes in complete sentences, gives no verdict the chapter does not give, and claims nothing about whether Ruth is safe.

If stuck

• What did Albert’s mother and father write in their newspaper? What happened to them?
• What was Albert’s mother doing in the kitchen? What did she say over her shoulder?
• Albert says, “if they loved us.” Is he sure they did not? What in his story makes him doubt it?

A strong answer A strong response takes a position and answers the other side. A student might argue Albert has a point: there was “no time, not one minute,” no goodbye, and then only “a postcard from the police,” and the family Nagymamma wanted kept together is now split, with Ruth in France. Another might argue he is not right: his mother’s last word, said over her shoulder at the stove, was “Szeretlek,” and the newspaper “wrote bad things about Hitler and the Nazis,” so his mother and father could love Albert and Ruth and still not stay quiet. A thoughtful student may notice the “if” in “if they loved us,” as though Albert is not sure himself, and that Lily’s own thought, “Poppy should have stayed home,” is the same anger aimed at someone she loves. Look for both the stove and the cost to Albert and Ruth weighed, and for Albert’s anger left standing rather than waved away.