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Part 3: Caitlin, December 1999
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’s family has chicken for Christmas because of Caitlin’s gift, and they share it with their neighbors. Martin finally decides that he can be more honest with Caitlin about what his life is like in Chisamba Singles. He writes a longer letter describing the difficulties he and his family face, then signs it “your ‘brother’ Martin.”
Though Martin’s family’s Christmas dinner is not nearly as lavish as Caitlin’s, the presence of chicken (which they haven’t been able to afford for the past couple Christmases) is a visible sign of how Caitlin’s generosity has improved not just Martin’s life, but the lives of his family and even his neighbors.
Themes
