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Part 1: Martin, June 1998
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in I Will Always Write Back, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Kindness and Generosity
Friendship
Family
Education
Summary
Analysis
In Pennsylvania, it gets to be July, and Caitlin still hasn’t heard from Martin. She wonders if he’s too busy with his own life to write back. One day in early August, Caitlin’s dad comes home looking upset. He tells them to put on the news, and they see that there has been a bombing at the American embassies in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam (African capital cities in countries not too far from Zimbabwe). Caitlin worries Zimbabwe could be next, even though she knows Martin doesn’t live in the capital.
One of the consequences of Martin’s decision not to open up to Caitlin is that it causes her to get the wrong idea about his letters. She doesn’t know that he always intends to write back and is only stopped by his circumstances, not by his willingness. Caitlin’s interest in the African terrorist bombings shows a greater awareness of the world around her, while simultaneously highlighting how sometimes only the most sensational events make international news.
Themes
That same August, Caitlin and her family go on vacation to the Thousand Islands in Canada. Caitlin picks a photo from this trip to send to Martin. A few weeks into eighth grade, Caitlin receives a new letter from Martin with earrings enclosed. She is happy to hear how much he likes his Reebok shirt. She loves how unique her new earrings are (they are decorated with hand-carved guinea fowls), although she is also worried what other people will think.
Caitlin continues to struggle with her desire to fit in and be average, and how it conflicts with her desire to be exceptional and try new things. The two goals are often at odds with each other. Though Caitlin will ultimately embrace her relationship with Martin without shame, she continues for much of the story to be plagued by concerns about what other people think about her life and Martin’s.
Themes
Caitlin’s friends are all intrigued by the earrings. Lauren teases that Caitlin is in love with Martin, which annoys Caitlin. Caitlin is fighting with Lauren again, and she appreciates how there’s never any of this kind of drama with Martin.
Caitlin’s decision to wear the earrings shows that she is willing the accept the consequences of doing things that are out of the ordinary. Her friends are intrigued, suggesting that sometimes the fear of being thought of as different is much worse than what will actually happen as a result of being different.
Themes
In October of 1998, Caitlin sits down to write a letter that will go with a Nike shirt for Martin that her brother, Richie, is getting rid of. She also includes a postcard from Canada and some mechanical pencils. After some hesitation, she mentions the recent terrorist attacks and says she hopes the attacks stop. She ends her letter with “BF4E-Best Friends Forever.”
The mention of the terrorist attacks marks the first time in Caitlin and Martin’s letters that one of them has acknowledged a darker topic. Caitlin has signaled that she is willing to write about less happy topics, which gives Martin permission to talk in more detail about his own life.
Themes
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