The photographs Caitlin and Martin send each other represent how different their lives are, but also how their friendship transcends those differences. The photos highlight the extreme economic disparity between their families: photographs are commonplace for Caitlin, whereas Martin must scrimp and save to afford having a family portrait taken. When Caitlin first sends a photo to Martin, it shows that she wants to have a deeper relationship with him than just a school project—she wants to show him her true self. Martin is eager to return the gesture. He goes to great lengths to get a photo of himself because he knows that a photo will communicate things about his identity that words never could, proving that he also wants to get to know Caitlin better. The first photos the two exchange are more formal and posed, but eventually Martin feels comfortable sending a more candid photo of him with his family. This photo helps Caitlin realize the extent of Martin’s family’s poverty—so different from her own upper-middle-class upbringing—and she begins to better understand where he’s coming from in his letters. The photos they exchange thus show how people from across the world can connect with each other, while also highlighting the different experiences of people in wealthy countries versus people in developing countries.
Photographs Quotes in I Will Always Write Back
The I Will Always Write Back quotes below all refer to the symbol of Photographs. 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:
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Part 1: Martin, November 1997
Quotes
When I unfolded the letter, a small snapshot fell onto my desk.
I could not believe my pen pal would send me something so precious. Photos are very rare and quite expensive in Zimbabwe.
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Photographs Symbol Timeline in I Will Always Write Back
The timeline below shows where the symbol Photographs appears in I Will Always Write Back. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Part 1: Caitlin, September 1997
Most of what Caitlin knows about Africa comes from colorful photos in National Geographic. She was born and raised in Hatfield, a middle-class town about 40...
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Part 1: Caitlin, October 1997
Because Caitlin wonders what Martin looks like, she decides to send a photo of herself and ask him to do the same. Her mom had just taken her...
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Part 1: Martin, November 1997
...from his pen pal. He carefully opens his letter and is shocked to see a photo come out (since photos are rare and expensive in Zimbabwe). He is also surprised how...
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...is very excited by the letter, he worries when he sees that Caitlin wants a photo of him in return, since getting a photo could be difficult for him. On top...
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...father are both surprised at Caitlin’s picture and find her very pretty. Martin puts Caitlin’s photo on his wall, next to a poster of Hulk Hogan.
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Martin explains to his mother his problem about how Caitlin wants a photograph of him. Hiring a photographer would cost as much as a week’s worth of food....
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Martin writes a new letter to send with his photo. He tells Caitlin his birthday (March 9), apologizes for the delay on his photo, and...
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Part 1: Caitlin, January 1998
...him very cute, although more as a little brother than a boyfriend. She puts his photo under the glass on her desk, where she keeps all her favorite photos.
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...store Spencer’s, then sends him a picture from her winter dance. She asks for another photo from him, hoping it will be more current.
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...calls her “Queen Caitlin.” He does this because of how she looks in the dance photo, but ironically, her parents and brother also sometimes do this (to jokingly suggest that she...
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...came from a wealthy family because of the school uniform he was wearing in his photo. She doesn’t understand at first what Martin means when he says Zimbabwe is “developing.” Still,...
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Part 1: Martin, June 1998
...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...
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Part 1: Caitlin, August 1998
...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...
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Part 1: Martin, October 1998
In Zimbabwe, Martin is fascinated by Caitlin’s photos, particularly her large house and multiple cars. He mistakes Caitlin’s braces for mouth jewelry. Martin...
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Martin is still struggling to get another photo of himself, so he decides to buy time by sending Caitlin a bangle from a...
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...Martin’s father surprises him by saying that he’s arranged with a friend’s help for a photographer to come that weekend. Martin wants to look nice, so he puts on his father’s...
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Part 2: Caitlin, December 1998
In Pennsylvania, Caitlin is surprised how formal Martin’s photo looks, but she can see him smiling beneath his serious pose. Caitlin realizes she is...
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Part 2: Martin, January 1999
...one. He wants to tell Caitlin, but it’s getting harder to put together money for stamps.
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Part 2: Martin, April 1999
...console him about being expelled from school. Martin keeps getting letters from Caitlin, asking for photos, and he still has no way to respond. He begins making some money by carrying...
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...from Caitlin and wants to write back, but he knows that any money spent on stamps will come out of his fund for school. Finally, he grabs an ice cream bar...
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Part 3: Martin, June 1999
Martin gets his photo taken in Harare (wearing a shirt Caitlin has recently given him). Just as he is...
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Part 3: Caitlin, November 1999
...(since postal workers sometimes open mail). Caitlin gets the idea of hiding $20 behind a photo and leaving clues in the letter. Her mom agrees to pay this time.
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Part 3: Martin, November 1999
...the next letter Martin receives, however, he finds the money Caitlin has hidden behind her photo. He takes it to his school to pay his tuition right away.
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Part 3: Martin, November 2000
...exams in October. He and his family use some of Caitlin’s money to hire a photographer to take a photo portrait of them wearing Caitlin’s clothes. Martin is worried that Caitlin...
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Part 3: Caitlin, December 2000
In Pennsylvania, Caitlin is surprised that Martin’s photo isn’t as bright and colorful as she pictured. The photo motivates Caitlin, as well as...
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...partying too much in college. Caitlin writes a new letter to Martin with some new photos and more cash.
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Part 6: Caitlin, August 15, 2003
Caitlin and Martin hug while Caitlin’s mom takes photos. Martin greets the other family members as if they’re his own family. Martin has arrived...
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Part 6: Martin, August 15, 2003
...show Martin around Villanova, then take him home to the house that Martin recognizes from photos.
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Epilogue: Caitlin, October 2015
...about what she’ll do for her talk at the high school. She puts together some photos in a slideshow that she hopes will give her something to talk about. When Caitlin...
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