Zachary Beaver
50October 3, 2013 by Mrs. Spiegelman
We just read a really emotional part of the book. Please choose one of the following questions to answer, and respond to one other person’s comment.
- Why does Mrs. McKnight try to ignore the army officers? Have you ever done something similar? Expand.
- Why does Toby stay inside for three days? Have you ever done something similar? Why?
- Do you agree with Toby’s decision to not go to the wake? Will he regret his decision? Have you ever done something similar?
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I think Toby stays inside because he doesn’t want to see cal or anyone else. No I have never done anything like that because I don’t like to stay in my room all the time like a hermit crab.
I agree with you i do not like to be cooped up in my room.
Matthew, I think the deeper question is did you ever try to avoid something hard? If you don’t like to isolate, how did you avoid it?
I agree with you, I hate being in my room. I always have to do something or else i’ll die of boredness. 😵
I agree it was an emocinal part for the mcknights.
I have done something very similar to Ms. McKnight. Sometimes I try to get away from the problem without facing it. Ms. McKnight knows that they carry bad news and does not want to hear it. I feel very bad for her and wish I could be there to try to cheer her up.
I’ve done the same thing, Simone, although I’m not proud of it. I think when someone gets news like that it’s impossible to cheer them up. I think in situations like this one the best thing you can do is give someone a hug and spend time with them.
Mrs.McKnight doesn’t listen to the army officers because she already knows that Wayne died and doesn’t want to hear it from anyone.
I have never ignored someone like that because later I get in trouble.
Mrs. McKnight tried to ignore the army officers because she knew the war didn’t end and that Wayne gad died in the war. I tried to ignore a fact once when everyone told me that Maya was leaving and I said ,” Nope.” But she did leave and I thought if I ignored it long enough it really didn’t happen.
I’ve done the same thing, Caiya! When I read your comment, I wondered what happened when you eventually realized it did happen. Did you spend time with her or write her a letter?
Mrs.McKnight ignored them because she knew her son was dead. Yes I have because I did not want to go do what my parents told me too.
When I read this I wondered if ignoring the situation, in your case, made things better or worse.
Toby stayed inside because he was sad that Wayne had died.
There was a time that my dog past away, and I was very sad and I stayed in my room for a long time like i didn’t want to come out
Sometimes, when I’m sad about something, I want to be alone, too. When Daisy died, I wanted to be around my family and people that loved her. I did NOT want to spend time with people who didn’t understand how special she was.
Toby stayed inside for three days because he felt gilty for taking his best friends letter from his brother who died and wrote the letter back to him. yes,I lied to my dad about something for a while and I lied to him because I was scared he would be disapointed in me,but I learned my lesson.
When I read this, I wondered, what lesson did you learn? That it would be better to just get it over with or that your dad wasn’t as disappointed as you had imagined he’d be?
My dad was disappointed in me and we made a deal to try better not to lie to each other so no more new problems will come up and like my dad says when you lie it will just come right back at you
Mrs. McKnight ignores the soldiers because she knows that they’re going to tell her that Wayne had died. I’ve done that before, when my coaches correct me in a sport and I know what’s coming.
Toby stays inside because he’s guilty of all of the lies he’s told. I haven’t really stayed in all day because of guilt, I come out. Yet still feel guilty. If I were Toby, though, I would go to the wake. I would go because he didn’t get very close to Wayne, but he still cared a lot about him.
Alana, there have been many times that I’ve reacted the same was to feedback that you do when your coaches correct you! Sometimes it’s still hard for me to hear in the moment, but I really try to listen because there’s usually some truth to it. Sometimes it takes me a few days to see it, and admit where I’m wrong instead of just feeling hurt and angry. If I take some time, though, and listen to their instructions, I almost always become a better teacher, friend, or sister. Have you had an experience where feedback has helped you?
Yes, Mrs. Spiegelman. There have been some times when I look back on the things they had told me to do and I work on it. Once I work on it, I realize that it made me a better player and that their advice really helped me in the game.
That’s a very mature attitude to have. I wish I had been as wise as you in 6th grade!
I agree and disagree with toby not going to the wake because, I understand that he dose not want to be somewhere were everyone is crying, and sad. I also disagree with him because sometimes you have to go to things that you do not really want to go to. An yes I do think that he will regret not going to the wake because he might feel that he never got a chance to say goodbye. An no I have not done something similar.
Roslyn, I agree that sometimes you have to show up when you don’t want to, because it’s the right thing to do. You have never avoided a situation, like Toby did. Can you write about a time when you went to something, even though you knew it would be difficult?
I think Mrs.McKnight knew that (like what Caiya said) the war hadn’t ended so she knew there was bad news and she didn’t want to here it. Yes I have done something like that: like when my sister says something mean and she tries to apologize, my reaction is just like Mrs. McKnight’s
Nick, I don’t understand why you react the same was as Mrs. McKnight when your sister apologizes. She’s ignoring the officers because she doesn’t want the painful experience to happen. I would think you would react like her when your sister is saying the mean thing. Why do you pretend like it’s not happening when she apologizes?
Mrs. McKnight ignored the soldiers because she already knew that they were there to tell her that her son Wayne had died in the Vietnam War.
I sometimes do the same thing when something bad happens, I try to ignore it hoping it’ll go away.
I do, too, Lily. Do you have a specific experience you can share about?
Mrs. McKnight ignored the officers because she knows the only reason that officer would be at her hous eis to tell her that her poor son Wayne dided in the Vietnam War. I have done that before. When Coach Agasino died, i knew it was gonna happen soon. The day after my friend told me he was in the hospital because of cancer, I knew it was gonna happen and i didn’t want one of the people I look up to the most to pass away. When someone tried to tell me, i didn’t listen because I already felt like it happened.
Toby stays inside for 3 days because he doesn’t know what talk to Cal about.
I understand he’s hurt. When Coach died, I didn’t personaly want to go but I did anyways because the team needed me. He should’ve gone.
Wow, Gaby. You dealt with something so similar here! That’s a pretty strong connection you made to the text. I bet you felt proud of yourself for going. I’m guessing Toby will only feel ashamed. Sometimes it’s hard for me to be there for people when the situation is really painful. When one of my uncles got really sick, I pretended like it wasn’t happening for two months! The funny thing is that the whole time I was pretending, I knew it was happening and I felt horrible anyways. Then I had to call and apologize. I didn’t know what to say, because nothing I said could make him better, and I just told him and my aunt that. They understood, and I flew out to visit him a couple of weeks later. It was really hard, but it was the right thing to do, and in some ways it was a lot easier than the pretending.
That must have been hard for you.
I understand why Toby would not want to go to the wake because he would have to see the body of somebody he really cared about, but I do not agree with his decision because I would still go because I did care about that person and I would probebly like to see them one more time. I think Toby will not go to the funeral either so I think some people will be mad at him for not comeing to any memorial’s of for Whayn. The only time I ever refuse to go somewhere is if I already have something to do or if it is like a ride or some thing that will lift me high off the ground like a ride or a plane only because I am afraid of hights.
I agree with you, Serene. Like Gaby said earlier, sometimes you have to go to things even when it’s hard because if you don’t, you let your team down. I think it’s pretty amazing that you’re always able to show up for people, even when the situation is difficult. I hope that you will always be able to do that. I try my best, but I’m not always able to. I find comfort in the fact that God is always ready to forgive us, and we can try again to make things right, even when we make mistakes.
Mrs. Mcknight ignores the offficers because she knows what happened to her son. Yes i have done somemthing similar when my dog past away 🙏. Toby stays inside for three days because he’s disappointed because Wayne has past away.Yes, because we miss the people we loved and care about.If its someone you really care about them alot and miss them so much you should go so you can see them one last time. Yes he will regret his dision. No i have not done something like that.
Brian, I think you make a good point that it’s good for people to say good-bye one last time. Another think to consider is the obligation we have to be there for the other people. Toby had a responsibility to show up for his best friend, and he chose not to.
I think Mrs.McKnight tries to ignore the army officers because she knows that there coming to tell her about how Wayne had past away.I think Toby stays inside for three days because he sad that Wayne past away and he doesn’t want to face Cal.No I have not done something like what Toby did because I wouldn’t want to waist three days off my life.I disagree with Toby decision not to go to the wake because Cal needed Toby there with him.Yes I think he will regret his decision and feel guilty. No I have not done something similar because no one in my family has past away.
I would just ignore the problem and if it doesnt stop then I will just stay in my house but not just in my room
I think Mrs.McNight tried to ignore the army guys because she new what they were to tell her and she just didn’t want to hear that and she didn’t want to believe it. I don’t really remember doing anything like that. I probably might have done something like that before when my Mom or Dad were yelling at me.
I think that toby stayed in his room cause he was to sad to go to the funeral.
I also think that he didn’t go to the funeral because he didn’t want to see cal.
And I would have done the same thing, because when i’m sad I wan’t to shut out everyone else and pretend that they don’t even exist.
And about what Christian said my profile picture is a crab so maybe that is why because I do shut out everyone when I am sad so I think that is why I am a crab in the picture.
I disagree because, I think Toby should have at least gone to the wake. yes I think toby will regret it. I can’t think of a time when i did that.
I know how Mrs. McKnight feels I have been in the same place as her. I really don’t want to talk about it so only a few people respond to this. It is probably very tough for her. Don’t you agree?
Mrs.McKnight tried to ignore the army officers because she knew what they were going to tell her. No,I haev no memory of shutting someone out because I knew the news they were going to tell me because honestly I have no memory and I think its better to here it now then later.
Sorry I meant have.
Because she new what they where gonna say and it was not gonna be good.When I was at the hospital, seeing Christina.I got a call from my grandma, who only calls on holidays or birthdays, so we knew something was wrong. So we did not answer the phone but she called again.
Because he was trying to avoid cal and the fact that wane had died. We went to visit them but ever since, we have not called because we do not want to know the bad news.
I think he has his opinion to go or not go but he will regret the disision because it is betrayal to cal.
Mrs.McKnight was trying to ignore the army officers because she knew it was going to be bad.
Nothing really happened like that to me.
Toby stayed inside for three days because he didn’t want to be sad and cry again.
This never happened to me.
I disagree because he should at least be there to supportive.
Mrs.McKnight ignored the army officers cause she knew what was going to happen,I have done the same thing to someone who I was mad at so I wouldn’t cry cause of how upset I was.Toby stay’s inside for three days because he was upset from Wayne dying,no I have never done any thing like that cause I love the outdoors and no emotion will stop me from going outside.Toby didn’t go to the wake because he couldn’t handle the sadness and he will regret it cause cal might thing differently,no i have never done any thing like that.
I think Mrs. McKnight tries to ignore the officers because she knows it was bad news about her son. No.
Toby stays inside because he is said that wade died and doesn’t want to face the fact that he died because Toby felt that Wade was an older brother him and doesn’t want to see Cal also. No.
No I do not agree with his decision to go to the wake. I think Toby will regret his decision. No I have not.
I think Mrs.McKnight tries to ignore the army officers because she knows that there coming to tell her about how Wayne had past away.I think Toby stays inside for three days because he sad that Wayne past away and he doesn’t want to face Cal. I have stayed inside ounce because I was really sad about my cousin dying (didn’t want to share that, but I had nothing else). Toby will regret his decision.
I think Mrs.McKnight tries to ignore the army officers because she’s trying to ignore the fact that her son had pasted away. I think Toby stays inside for 3 days because he picks up on the fact the entire town is sad its self and finds out Wanye died, and doesn’t want to talk to Cal about the letter he sent. I haven’t really experienced anything like this. Toby will regret not going outside, and missing Wanye’s funeral