This phrase kind of shows how some groups are easier to belong in because they accept more people despite differences.

I like how the meaning of the chapter title finally revealed itself, and I like how the author did it.

The ablity to speak many languages is especially useful to get people to see you as one of them.

Language became a way to make people let their guard down. It was a special tool in his life.

Many white people spoke english so it was therefore related to intelligence. Why they thought this I'm not sure.

Was this because they thought he was better than the rest or because pale people burn easily in the sun?

It's sad how skin color makes all the difference in our world. By trying to observe our different appearances we are enforcing a shared mind, set on categorizing.

Trevor has no mixed kids in his life so there is no "us" or "we", there's only "I" which is why he thinks of this cause for special treatment as himself instead of his skin color.

The narrator looks at his advantages as a physical/tangible win instead of a ethical/moral dilemma.

I think the reason the mom thought this way was because he was her kid and she felt that his different appearance should not obligate him to receive a free pass.

It's so sad how accurate this statement is...

Kind of crazy how despite how flawed ones perception can be some people don't questioned it because of their age. Almost like if your old you're automatically wise.

This quote is so sad. Why was it normalized in his time to hit black people but not white/pale people. Why did certain skin colors receive special treatment.

Could the narrator be receiving special treatment, but why? It was clearly just as much their fault as it was the other two kids.

I guess I never thought about this but when a pale person bruises it's easily noticeable, like that force affected them, but i guess bruises don't show up as easily on black people so you can't tell if it hurt or if they bruised. The grandma's way of thinking is so weird because she's never experienced bruising on on pale people; she's afraid to hit him because she doesn't know how much he can withstand.

Interesting way to pull readers in.

Who thought it was okay for kids to play with matches?

what??

I like the choice of details it paints an image.

I take back what I said about the teacher becoming friends with the guy because now I don't even know what's going on.

I feel so lost, what reservation?

Wait did I miss something, Mia hit the teacher??

wait who's Mia? The sister?

Kind of funny how the teacher brings that up after saying that the student's sister was smarter than him.

Well that's a depressing way to think of life. I think it's all about balance, having the will power to succeed while continuing to enjoy life.

It's interesting how supportive the brother is despite him not knowing much of his sisters personal life.

Wow.. crazy how it takes some different perspectives to realize what his family is actually going through.

It sort of seems like the father and the son don't have a close relationship.

That's so sad, despite her dreams being a bit peculiar.

I like the idea that the student unintentionally harming the teacher, in a way, brought them closer, like he's not just his teacher anymore, they're friends now.

Interesting choice of words

This phrase just makes so much sense.

I feel like if this book was published in this day and age it wouldn't survive. The dialogue is very controversial.

Huh.. this shouldn't be a phrase what....

Sheesh.. the guilt-trip

The teacher seems really nice, like not even the slightest bit mad.

The fact that the teacher isn't even mad is kind of ironic, the suspension wasn't even his idea and somehow the kid still got suspended.

I don't think I would be ashamed, probably embarassed or upset but not ashamed because it was an accident.

I honestly don't think it's a huge deal for the grandmother to start crying, like it was an accident he didn't mean to hit the teacher.

Oh so it was an accident... that sucks.

Now the truth comes out...

How exactly do you accidentally smash someone in the face?

After the author finally got to play the piano for fun, she found hidden details that she never bothered to notice.

The author finally found a way to enjoy playing the piano again.

Once the mother stopped pushing the author, the author was able to realize that she really did like playing the piano.

Just like I had said in the beginning; this strive for fame and glory only drove them apart. Life would have probably been a lot better if the mother had just let her find her way instead of trying to mold her into something she's not.

The author finally got tired of trying to meet expectations that she wanted nothing to do with.

I feel like this "American dream" the mother is pushing for is only making things worse. America isn't just about becoming famous and I think that's where the mother got it all wrong.

I think it's probably a bad sign if you dread doing something that you will be later known for when the time comes. The mother seems to be pushing her too hard instead of just letting her be a kid.

The mother's main goal is for the daughter to become famous because in her eyes fame brought fortune. Fame was in a way the American dream.

The mother views the author as ungrateful when she gets upset about not being able to meet the mother's high expectations.

Her mother pushed her so hard to become this perfect Shirley temple image that it's now causing her to think badly of herself when she can't meet those expectations.

Overnight fame is always glamorized, that it makes people inpatient when trying to reach towards their goals of becoming famous.

Almost like fame and fortune is unreachable once you spend too much time trying to earn it.

Her mother believed that once they had something they could make a living off things would be good, so she pressured her into becoming different things.

I think the author's use of "could" in this piece is interesting because "could" makes things sound like they're possible, when in reality it could go either way.

I like how the author starts the piece off with sentences that all start with "you could", basically implying that they believed anything was possible in America.

I like how she thinks of a person's story as a tangible thing, like something you can own and carry around with you. It is an interesting perspective and one I would like to hear more in writing pieces.

I really like this piece of text because it's so concise and to the point, and at the same time it makes a big impact on the whole piece

Wow :O