91 pages • 3 hours read
Caitlin Alifirenka, Liz Welch, Martin GandaA modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.
Summary
“Caitlin: September 1997”-“Martin: November 1997”
“Caitlin: January 1998”-“Caitlin: May 1998”
“Martin: June 1998”-“Martin: October 1998”
“Caitlin: December 1998”-“Martin: April 1999”
“Caitlin: May 1999”-“Caitlin: June 1999”
“Martin: June 1999”-“Caitlin: December 1999”
“Martin: January 2000”-“Caitlin: February 2000”
“Martin: February 2000”-“Caitlin: September 2000”
“Martin: November 2000”-“Caitlin: December 2000”
“Martin: January 2001”-“Martin: April 2001”
“Caitlin: April 2001”-“Martin: July 2001”
“Caitlin: September 2001”-“Martin: June 2002”
“Caitlin: August 2002”-“Martin: September 2002”
“Caitlin: October 2002”-“Martin: December 2002”
“Caitlin: January 2003”-“Martin: April 2003”
“Caitlin: April 2003”-“Caitlin: July 2003”
“Martin–July 2003”-“Martin–August 14, 2003”
“Caitlin: August 15, 2003”-“Caitlin: October 2015”
Key Figures
Themes
Symbols & Motifs
Important Quotes
Essay Topics
Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Caitlin finally receives Martin’s letter and is astonished to see that it is written on trash. In the letter, Martin relays his struggles to return to school and the conditions that have befallen his family. Caitlin is in disbelief, since every youth is required to attend school in the US. The thought that there may be people who do not even have school as an immediately-available option in some countries is new to her. When she relays the news of Martin’s conditions to her parents, they reassure her that Martin is a “smart boy” (106) and that he will be back in school eventually. However, Caitlin is not reassured. Wracked with concern, her grades in school slip.
When Caitlin sits down to write her letter to Martin, she thinks of a dozen questions to ask him but refrains from asking too many so as not to overwhelm him. She encloses a $20 bill from her babysitting job that she had earned over the summer. She hopes that the money may help him and his family out. She does not tell her parents that she has sent Martin money.