Chapter 16 — Teaching Companion

What it asks It asks about the first lie of the chapter, and whether it works. Lily has climbed a piling in her Sunday dress and squeezed in through her screen just as Gram came home. Now she has locked herself in the bathroom. The dress is “a mess, filthy, with a rip in the hem,” rolled into a ball. Gram knocks and says, “I’d like to see the condition of that dress.” Lily crosses her fingers and says, “It’s all right.” Gram answers, “I’ll bet.” The prompt leaves Gram’s answer for the student to find. The student decides whom the lie fools: nobody, since Gram doubts it and Lily knows better, or Lily herself, who crosses her fingers so the lie won’t count. It opens the chapter’s line of hiding (the climb, the dress, the towel) that the last written question sets against Albert’s collar. If a student says only that Lily is lying, ask what the lie gets her in the next few minutes. The card claims nothing about whether Gram finds the dress.

One reading

Nobody. Gram’s “I’ll bet” shows she does not believe it. Lily knows the dress is ruined. The lie only buys a few minutes, long enough to get the picture out of the house.

• “I’ll bet,” Gram said.
• She’d figure out what to do with it later.

Another reading

Lily herself. Crossing her fingers lets her pretend the lie does not count. She is not ready to tell Gram the truth, so she tells herself this is not really a lie.

• Her dress was a mess, filthy, with a rip in the hem.
• Lily crossed her fingers.

Listen for

• Tells what Lily says about the dress and what the dress really looks like.
• Says whom the lie fools, with a reason from the chapter.
• Uses Gram’s “I’ll bet,” the crossed fingers, or the mattress.
• Claims nothing about whether Gram finds the dress.

If stuck

• What happened to Lily’s Sunday dress on the piling?
• What does Gram say back when Lily calls it “all right”?
• Why would someone cross their fingers while they talk?

A strong answer A strong response might say the lie fools nobody: Gram answers “I’ll bet,” and Lily knows the dress is “a mess, filthy, with a rip in the hem.” All the lie buys is time to get the picture out, and she will “figure out what to do with it later.” Another might say it fools Lily herself: crossing her fingers lets her feel the lie does not count. A thoughtful student may notice that Lily still hides the dress under the mattress, as if she knows the lie will not hold. Look for a reason tied to what the lie gets Lily, and no claim that Gram finds the dress.

What it asks It asks the student to set two moments side by side. Gram scolds through the bathroom door: “Whatever made you think of getting into the house like that? You could fall and kill yourself.” Minutes later, as Lily runs out before she can hear about the piano, Gram has turned on the news: “It is estimated that ten thousand have been killed in the invasion of France.” Giff puts the radio right after the climb. The student decides whether the news shrinks Gram’s worry or makes it weigh more; the prompt names no answer. It keeps the climb from being only a funny caper, and it brings the war into a chapter that ends on a boy who left home in a coat wet with tears. If a student says only that the news is sad, ask what it does to the way the climb looks now. The card claims nothing about whom the news is about, beyond what the radio says.

One reading

Smaller. Ten thousand people are dead. Next to that, a girl on a piling and a ripped dress seem tiny. Gram fusses about washing and ironing while the world is at war.

• Gram would go on and on about how she’d have to wash, starch, and iron it again.
• It is estimated that ten thousand have been killed in the invasion of France.

Another reading

Bigger. The news shows how close death is that summer. Gram is not being silly when she is afraid for the one girl in her house. Her worry is the same worry the radio is about, only small enough to say.

• You could fall and kill yourself.
• But Gram had turned on the news.

Listen for

• Tells what Gram says about the climb and what the radio says.
• Says smaller or bigger, with a reason.
• Uses the words “kill yourself” and “killed,” the dress, or the piano.
• Claims nothing about the news beyond what the radio says.

If stuck

• What does Gram say could happen to Lily on the piling?
• What does the radio say as Lily runs out?
• Does a scare about one girl feel different after hearing about ten thousand people?

A strong answer A strong response might say the news makes Gram’s worry seem smaller: next to “ten thousand have been killed,” a ripped hem she would have to “wash, starch, and iron” looks tiny. Another might say it makes the worry bigger: Gram says “kill yourself,” the radio says “killed,” and in a summer like this a grandmother’s fear for one girl is not silly. A thoughtful student may notice the same word in both places and say Giff wants us to hear it twice. Look for the two moments weighed together, not one alone.

What it asks It asks about what Lily keeps back on the run to the wharf. Albert asks where, why, what and when. Lily tells him a lot: a tan purse lost in about seven feet of water, Gram coming “to capture me any minute,” the “soaking wet, ripped Sunday dress.” But when he asks, “And what is in that towel?” she says, “Don’t say another word, Albert,” and at last, “Will you stop asking questions? We’re in a hurry here.” The student decides why the towel is the one thing she won’t explain. It takes up the hinge’s fault line: the chapter turns on the moment she finally does. If a student says only that she is in a hurry, ask why she has time to tell him about the dress. The card claims nothing about where the picture came from before this chapter.

One reading

It would take too long. One thing leads to the next: Eddie, Margaret, the face Margaret can’t remember. Lily can’t say a little of it. When she does start, it all comes out at once.

• We’re in a hurry here.
• Then she said the rest in a rush, the words spilling out

Another reading

It is too sad, and it is not only hers. The picture is Eddie’s, and the reason is Margaret’s grief. That is not something to shout while running down a road. She waits until she can sit and show him.

• “It’s for Margaret,” she told him, going over to unroll the towel, sitting on the bench.
• how Margaret couldn’t remember his face

Listen for

• Tells what Lily does tell Albert and what she won’t.
• Gives a reason the towel is different from the rest.
• Uses “Will you stop asking questions?”, the rush at the bench, or Margaret.
• Claims nothing about where the picture came from.

If stuck

• What does Lily tell Albert on the way to the wharf?
• What does she say when he asks about the towel?
• What would she have to explain if she told him about the picture?

A strong answer A strong response might say telling about the towel would take too long: the picture leads to Eddie and Margaret, and once Lily starts at the bench, it comes out “in a rush, the words spilling out.” Another might say it is too sad, and Margaret’s more than hers: she waits until she can sit and say “It’s for Margaret.” A thoughtful student may notice she tells Albert about her ruined dress, the thing she hid from Gram, but not about the picture. Look for a reason that sets the towel apart from what she does say.

What it asks It asks about one word Albert says twice. Lily has come up from the dark water gasping, sure she must try again. Earlier she told him not to say a word “unless you have a pack of money in your pocket.” Now he grabs her wrist and won’t let go: “Let me give you this money,” he says slowly, “if it is important. It is important money.” The prompt leaves both lines for the student to find. The student says what each “important” means: the first is about Lily’s need, the second about the money itself, and the two may or may not be the same kind. It feeds the last written question, which asks whether this money should be spent. If a student says only that he wants to help, ask what “important money” could mean that plain money would not. The card claims nothing about how much money there is or whether it is spent.

One reading

Two kinds. The first is about Lily: her reason has to matter. The second is about Albert: this money means a lot to him. He is telling her the gift costs him something.

• “Let me give you this money,” he said slowly
• It is important money.

Another reading

One kind. He is weighing them against each other. The money is important, so he will give it only if her reason is important too. He holds on to her until he knows.

• But he wouldn’t let go.
• if it is important.

Listen for

• Tells what Albert offers and how he stops Lily.
• Says what each “important” means, and whether they match, with a reason.
• Uses his hold on her wrist, “slowly,” or what Lily said about money on the road.
• Claims nothing about how much money there is or whether it is spent.

If stuck

• What is Lily trying to do when Albert grabs her wrist?
• What does Albert say, word for word?
• Why might he add that it is “important money”?

A strong answer A strong response might say the two are different: “if it is important” is about Lily’s reason, and “It is important money” warns her that this gift costs him something. Another might say they are one weighing: he will spend money that matters only on a need that matters, which is why “he wouldn’t let go” until he knows. A thoughtful student may notice he says it “slowly,” after a morning of Lily rushing. Look for an answer built on the two uses of the word.

What it asks It asks about one small act at the bench. Lily has unrolled the towel and told Albert everything in a rush: what Eddie was like, how much Margaret loved him, how Margaret can’t remember his face. “Albert listened; then he touched the edge of the picture.” Then he says, “I cannot remember Ruth’s face.” Touch runs through what he says next. He felt the collar crackle, and Nagymamma told him to remember “when I touched it again.” The student decides what the touch is doing: taking care with something that is not his, or reaching for a memory of his own. It is the hinge’s turn, the moment Albert answers Lily’s telling with his own, asked through one gesture rather than as a verdict. If a student says only that he is being nice, ask why he touches just the edge, and what he says right after. The card claims nothing about why he cannot remember Ruth’s face, or what has happened to Ruth or Nagymamma.

One reading

Taking care. The picture is Eddie’s and Margaret’s, not his. He touches only the edge, the way you handle something precious that belongs to someone sad. It is his way of saying he understands before he says anything.

• Albert listened; then he touched the edge of the picture.
• how much Margaret loved him

Another reading

Remembering. Touch is how Albert holds on to the past. He felt the collar crackle, and Nagymamma told him to remember when he touched it. Touching Eddie’s picture brings him to the face he cannot remember, Ruth’s.

• It crackled when I felt it.
• “I cannot remember Ruth’s face,” he said.

Listen for

• Tells what Lily has just told Albert and what he does before he speaks.
• Says what the touch is doing, with a reason from the chapter.
• Uses the edge of the picture, “I cannot remember Ruth’s face,” or the crackle of the collar.
• Claims nothing about why he cannot remember Ruth, or what happened to her.

If stuck

• What has Lily just told Albert about Eddie and Margaret?
• Where does Albert touch the picture, and what does he say right after?
• What did Nagymamma tell Albert to do when he touched the money?

A strong answer A strong response might say Albert is taking care: the picture belongs to Eddie and Margaret, so he touches only “the edge,” the way you handle something that matters to someone else. Another might say he is remembering: right after the touch he says, “I cannot remember Ruth’s face,” and soon he tells how the collar “crackled when I felt it.” For Albert, touch is how memory comes. A thoughtful student may link this to Nagymamma’s words, that he should remember when he touched the money again, and see why the last written question is hard. Look for a reason tied to the touch and the words that follow, and no claim about what happened to Ruth.

What it asks It asks the student to set the end of the chapter beside the road to the wharf. On the way, Albert asks where, why, what and when, and Lily cuts him off: “Will you stop asking questions? We’re in a hurry here.” At the bench, after he tells about the wet collar, he stops in the middle of a sentence: “Nagymamma said when I touched it again to remember . . .” Lily wants to ask “Remember what?” but he looks so sad that she just nods and dries her face with the towel. The student judges whether this is the same Lily, who knows what it is like to be pushed with questions, or a changed one, who has stopped rushing and put Albert first. The student gives reasons and answers the other side. It goes one step toward the last written question without asking it: what Albert was told to remember is what the money carries. If a student guesses what Nagymamma said, bring them back: the chapter never tells, and Lily does not ask. The card claims nothing about what he was told to remember.

One reading

The same Lily. On the road she did not want to be asked things she was not ready to answer. Now she sees Albert in that spot. She gives him what she wanted for herself: no more questions.

• Will you stop asking questions?
• but he looked so sad, she just nodded

Another reading

A changed Lily. On the way she rushed and thought about the purse. Now she has given up the dive, told the whole story, and listened. For once she puts what someone else feels ahead of what she wants to know.

• She knew she wouldn’t find the purse today.
• Lily wanted to ask him “Remember what?”

Listen for

• Takes a position on whether Lily is the same or changed and gives at least two reasons from the chapter.
• Sets the road (“Will you stop asking questions?”) beside the end (“Remember what?”).
• Answers the other side: someone who reads Lily the other way.
• Writes in complete sentences, and claims nothing about what Nagymamma told him to remember.

If stuck

• What does Lily say to Albert’s questions on the road?
• Where does Albert stop talking, and what does Lily want to ask?
• What has Lily done between the road and the bench?

A strong answer A strong response takes a position and answers the other side. A student might argue she is the same Lily: on the road she snapped, “Will you stop asking questions?”, and now she gives Albert the quiet she wanted, because she knows how it feels. Another might argue she has changed: she has given up the dive, told Albert everything, and now, though she wants to ask “Remember what?”, she puts how sad he looks ahead of what she wants to know. A thoughtful student may say both are true: the same feeling, turned toward someone else. Look for the road and the bench weighed together, with no guess at what Nagymamma said.

What it asks It asks the whole question of the chapter. Lily spends the morning hiding: the climb up the piling, the dress under the mattress, the picture in the towel. She dives for the tan purse until her lungs nearly burst. Albert offers money, “important money.” At the bench she finally tells him about Eddie and Margaret, who can’t remember his face. Albert says he cannot remember Ruth’s face either. Then he tells about Nagymamma sewing his coat the day they went away. The collar was wet from her crying, and it crackled. There is Hungarian, English and American money in it, and she told him that when he touched it again, he should remember . . . and he stops. The student judges whether he should spend that money to help send Eddie’s picture, gives reasons, and answers the other side. If a student says yes because Margaret needs it, ask what would be gone once the collar is opened; if a student says no, ask what Albert himself offered at the wharf. The card claims nothing about what Nagymamma told him to remember, how much money there is, or whether any of it is spent.

One reading

Yes. Albert offers it himself, twice, before he knows the reason. Margaret has lost a face the way he has lost Ruth’s. Money kept for remembering would be well spent helping someone else remember.

• Let me give you this money,
• “I cannot remember Ruth’s face,” he said.

Another reading

No. The money is the last thing Nagymamma gave him, sewn in while she cried. It was meant for him to touch and remember. Once it is spent, the crackle in the collar is gone.

• It was wet from where she was crying.
• Nagymamma said when I touched it again to remember . . .

Listen for

• Takes a position on whether Albert should spend the money and gives at least two reasons from the chapter.
• Weighs Albert’s offer and Margaret’s need against the wet collar and Nagymamma’s words.
• Answers the other side: someone who judges the money the other way.
• Writes in complete sentences, and claims nothing about what he was told to remember or whether the money is spent.

If stuck

• Where is Albert’s money, and who put it there?
• What can’t Margaret remember? What can’t Albert remember?
• Is money for remembering spent best by keeping it, or by using it?

A strong answer A strong response takes a position and answers the other side. A student might argue he should spend it: he offers it himself, “Let me give you this money,” and Margaret has lost a face just as he has lost Ruth’s, so money kept for remembering could help someone else remember. Another might argue he should keep it: it was sewn in while Nagymamma cried, the collar “wet from where she was crying,” and she meant him to touch it and remember, which he cannot do once it is gone. A thoughtful student may notice that we never learn what she told him to remember, and that this gap makes the choice harder. Look for the offer and the wet collar both weighed, and no claim about what happens to the money.