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Part 1: Caitlin, May 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 Zimbabwe, Martin continues to enjoy reading Caitlin’s letters, and his family and friends come to enjoy hearing about Caitlin too. One day, Martin gets a package larger than a letter, with BFF written on it in purple pen (an abbreviation Martin knows from Caitlin’s letters).
Martin’s knowledge of the acronym “BFF” (“Best Friends Forever”) shows not only that he’s building a closer relationship with Caitlin but also that he’s beginning to get a better understanding of American culture.
Themes
Inside the envelope is a letter wishing Martin a happy belated birthday. Most of the time, Martin doesn’t get anything for his birthday. He is amazed to find a genuine Reebok shirt, which even the rich kids in his school can’t afford. He puts it on right away. Normally, Martin’s parents are happy about gifts from Caitlin, but Martin’s father seems distracted when he sees the shirt, and Martin can tell something is wrong. Martin’s mother and father are fighting—there are rumors of layoffs at the paper mill, and lately Martin’s father has been getting drunk.
Once again, the value of the Reebok shirt to Martin is far beyond anything Caitlin could have anticipated. Despite her misunderstandings about Zimbabwean culture, Caitlin’s generosity shines through, and her small acts of kindness (to her) have a huge impact on Martin and his family. The timing of the gift is particularly lucky, since Martin’s family is having a tough time financially, causing stress for all of them.
Themes
Martin wants to show his appreciation to Caitlin for his Reebok shirt, but he doesn’t know how. He starts working to pay for postage stamps, and eventually he gets the idea of using his earnings to buy earrings (instead of making them as he originally planned). The ones he wants to buy cost 20 Zimbabwe dollars.
Though Caitlin’s gifts to Martin are generous, they also put him in the difficult position of wanting to show gratitude but often not being able to afford it. It takes more sacrifice from him to get Caitlin a gift that is much less valuable, at least in terms of money spent.
Themes
Martin saves up enough for the earrings. He gets special stationary from his father through the paper mill. He writes a very appreciative letter and keeps things light, because he doesn’t think someone like Caitlin could understand issues like the problems at the paper mill. He closes the letter by sending his love and repeating that he will always write back to her, no matter what.
Martin’s dedication to saving enough money to send Caitlin a gift shows that he is determined to keep their relationship reciprocal, even if he can’t provide the same sort of big gifts that she does. Despite his dedication to maintaining their relationship, however, he still doesn’t feel comfortable opening up to her about his problems, showing that the stigma associated with poverty can make people ashamed to discuss it openly.
Themes
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