The Button Box/Buttons Symbol in Al Capone Does My Shirts

The way that various characters think about and interact with Natalie’s beloved button box mirrors how they view her—and specifically, whether they see her as a full person with agency, or whether they see her as someone they can control. One aspect of Natalie’s autism is that she obsessively counts and organizes her buttons into elaborate grids, something that, at the beginning of the novel, Mom, Mr. Purdy, and even Mrs. Kelly see as inappropriate and as indicating that Natalie just needs to be forced to behave to their standards. They all try to take her buttons away in an attempt to “cure” or “fix” her, believing that if they deny her the buttons, the rest of her odd behavior will simply stop.

Moose, however, finds taking Natalie’s buttons away cruel, and so he makes a point to give them to her every afternoon and hide them before Mom gets home. The other kids on the island also accept Natalie’s buttons as just a part of who Natalie is, and they bring her rocks and feathers for her to add to her arrangements. This is one way they show Natalie that they respect her—her love of buttons is, their behavior seems to suggest, little different than Jimmy’s love of creating machines, Theresa’s flair for drama, or Annie’s insistence on dutifully doing her homework, quirks and qualities that the children just accept. Thanks to this, the children of Alcatraz become Natalie’s first friends in her life. Unlike adults who wish to mold Natalie and make her who they’d like her to be, the children appreciate Natalie for who she is.

The Button Box/Buttons Quotes in Al Capone Does My Shirts

The Al Capone Does My Shirts quotes below all refer to the symbol of The Button Box/Buttons. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:

Disability, Dignity, and Shared Humanity Theme Icon

“Dad! Could you show me the cell house, and then maybe could we play ball?” I sound like I’m six and a half now, but I can’t help it. He’s been gone forever and I hardly got to see him at all yesterday. It’s lonely in my family when he’s not around.

His smile seems to lose its pink. He puts Natalie’s buttons down in two careful piles, gets up and brushes his uniform off.

I follow him into the kitchen. “You’re not working today, are you?”

Related Characters: Moose Flanagan (speaker), Natalie Flanagan, Dad/Cam Flanagan

Related Symbols: The Button Box/Buttons

Page Number and Citation: 7

Explanation and Analysis:

“Whatever you say, Mom,” I say, watching Nat fuss with her clothes like something’s too tight.

“What’s the matter?” I ask Natalie.

“She’s fine,” my mother answers for her. “We’ve been all over. We’ve had a lovely day.” My mom glances quickly at me and then away.

“She looks upset.”

“It’s just hot, that’s all.” My mom rubs her neck.

“She wants her buttons.”

“Well...yes...,” my mom admits. “But I’m sure once you take her out, she’ll forget all about it. Mrs. Kelly says it’s just a matter of redirecting her attention.” My mom’s voice isn’t quite so sure as her words are. She and Natalie have clearly had a hard time today.

“Don’t you think it’s kind of mean, taking her buttons away?”

Related Characters: Moose Flanagan (speaker), Mom/Helen Flanagan (speaker), Natalie Flanagan, Mrs. Carrie Kelly

Related Symbols: The Button Box/Buttons

Page Number and Citation: 90-91

Explanation and Analysis:

We sit with her. Annie and Theresa, Jimmy and me. Keep her company wherever she’s gone.

That is the way my mom finds us when she gets off the boat, her music bag over her shoulder.

[...]

“Get them out of here.” My mom spits the words out.

“Mom, it’s—”

“I won’t have her made a spectacle.”

“It’s really not like that. They like her,” I say.

“NOW, Moose.”

Related Characters: Moose Flanagan (speaker), Mom/Helen Flanagan (speaker), Natalie Flanagan, Theresa Mattaman, Jimmy Mattaman, Annie

Related Symbols: Alcatraz, The Button Box/Buttons

Page Number and Citation: 118-119

Explanation and Analysis:

“Stop it! Stop it!” I have my hands on Nat’s arms. I want to shake her, shake her hard. My arms tremble with the effort not to.

Natalie screams louder. I look into those trapped eyes. Wherever she is, she can’t get out, which only makes her scream louder. And suddenly I’m not angry anymore.

Related Characters: Moose Flanagan (speaker), Natalie Flanagan, Mom/Helen Flanagan, 105/Onion

Related Symbols: Alcatraz, The Button Box/Buttons

Page Number and Citation: 168

Explanation and Analysis:

“I know what Mrs. Kelly says. I’m talking about Moose now and what he thinks. He’s good with Natalie. They’ve worked out a relationship. We have to respect that and trust him.”

“Well, yes, but—”

“You have to let him care about her his way.”

And then something I can’t hear.

“I got one child who has everything,” my mom says, “big, strapping, healthy, smart...makes people laugh. Got kids coming over looking for him night and day, just like at home. Little ones, big ones and the girls—they all like Moose. But Natalie, Natalie doesn’t have the whole world looking out for her. She needs me.”

“Moose needs you too.”

Related Characters: Mom/Helen Flanagan (speaker), Dad/Cam Flanagan (speaker), Moose Flanagan, Natalie Flanagan, Piper Williams, Theresa Mattaman, Jimmy Mattaman, Annie, Mrs. Carrie Kelly

Related Symbols: The Button Box/Buttons

Page Number and Citation: 174-175

Explanation and Analysis:

The Button Box/Buttons Symbol Timeline in Al Capone Does My Shirts

The timeline below shows where the symbol The Button Box/Buttons appears in Al Capone Does My Shirts. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

...unpacking boxes in her room, while Natalie is sitting on the kitchen floor with her button box. Moose sits with her and asks if she’s okay. In her stilted way of... (full context)

...gets up and discovers Dad in the living room with Natalie, holding two handfuls of buttons. Moose asks if Dad will show him around and then play ball with him, but... (full context)

Soon after, Dad hands Natalie her button box and picks up her suitcase. Mom says that Moose doesn’t need to come and... (full context)

Growing Up and Doing the Right Thing Theme Icon

...had to leave Santa Monica. Back there, Natalie was going to live her life counting buttons on Gram’s back porch. At the Esther P. Marinoff, there are skilled teachers to work... (full context)

...question, but he says there was “a bit of a skirmish over a box of buttons and some unfortunate behavior.” He asks if Natalie is 10 and if she likes to... (full context)

...she met with Mrs. Kelly yesterday. Mrs. Kelly says they need to throw away the button box and stop Natalie from counting. Moose’s stomach tightens as Mom continues to say that... (full context)

...had a hard day. Moose asks if Mom doesn’t think it’s mean to take Natalie’s buttons away, but Mom says they have to try to follow Mrs. Kelly’s advice. Once Mom... (full context)

...They have five minutes until they absolutely have to leave, so Moose promises Natalie her buttons if she puts her dress and underwear on. He promises to take her swimming later... (full context)

...he’ll never play with Moose again. Moose goes home that afternoon and gives Natalie her buttons and lemon cake as soon as Mom leaves. (full context)

...piques Natalie’s interest, so she and Moose follow Theresa. Natalie sits down and begins matching buttons with stones and feathers, but Piper calls to Natalie: she needs Natalie to divide the... (full context)

...but Theresa just tells Natalie to come with them. To Moose’s amazement, Natalie leaves her buttons and follows the group up the hill to Piper’s house. (full context)

...parade grounds, and then they all follow Natalie down to the dock to retrieve her buttons. Annie and Moose kick a can around, while Jimmy builds a machine and offers Natalie... (full context)

Mom asks what happened and why Natalie has her buttons at all, and then she icily says to “[g]et them out of here,” meaning the... (full context)

...Kelly’s address—and then does an impression of Mrs. Kelly telling her she can’t have her buttons. It’s the funniest thing Moose has ever heard. Is Mrs. Kelly helping? He asks Natalie... (full context)

...and Moose prays Piper won’t understand. But Natalie says, “Pocket” and pulls out two yellow buttons. Piper seems to understand, smiles big, and asks who they got to give them a... (full context)

...“105” all the time and reaches for the door. Moose lets her play with her buttons and feeds her lemon cake to keep her inside. Mom seems to know Moose and... (full context)

The next day, as soon as Mom leaves, Natalie says, “105,” and Moose offers her buttons. But Moose can’t find the buttons—Mom must’ve taken them. There’s only a tiny bit of... (full context)

Mom is shocked when she comes home, Natalie’s button box obviously in her purse, and sees Moose with a beer. She asks about Natalie,... (full context)

...On Natalie’s birthday, Mom reminds Moose about the interview, says Natalie can have as much button time and cake as she wants, and considers staying home. Moose asks if she’ll stay,... (full context)

...her job, which makes Mom and Dad smile. Natalie gets a math workbook from Moose, buttons from Piper, and a book on birds with a huge index from Dad. From Mom,... (full context)

Al Capone Does My Shirts

Gennifer Choldenko

The Button Box/Buttons Symbol Analysis

The Button Box/Buttons Quotes in Al Capone Does My Shirts

The Button Box/Buttons Symbol Timeline in Al Capone Does My Shirts