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 gets an email from Wallace about how nice Caitlin’s family is. Martin also gets emails from Caitlin’s mom, updating him on his college scholarship search. Caitlin’s mom and Caitlin’s dad say that Martin can think of them as family, and he begins to refer to them as such in his letters and emails.
Wallace’s email confirms that, even though he was shy around Caitlin’s family, he still appreciated being included and taken care of by them. Perhaps because Wallace has made the idea of Martin coming to the United States feel more possible, Caitlin’s parents now feel increasingly comfortable referring to Martin as a son, and he returns the gesture.