Chapter 21

And a Partridge in a Pear Tree

Class-edition pages 150–151. Cite each quotation with the printed page shown beside it—for example, (Alexie 150).

Your aimAt the Wellpinit game, the whole gym turns its back on Junior. Who has Junior's back now, and how do you know?

Read and make your own notes. Turn the highlights on when you are ready to compare. Other choices can work when you explain them.

When the holidays rolled around, we didn’t have any money for presents, so Dad did what he always does when we don’t have enough money.

He took what little money we did have and ran away to get drunk.¹

He left on Christmas Eve and came back on January 2.

With an epic hangover, he just lay on his bed for hours.

“Hey, Dad,” I said.

“Hey, kid,” he said. “I’m sorry about Christmas.”

“It’s okay,” I said.

But it wasn’t okay. It was about as far from okay as you can get. If okay was the earth, then I was standing on Jupiter. I don’t know why I said it was okay. For some reason, I was protecting the feelings of the man who had broken my heart yet again.²

Jeez, I’d just won the Silver Medal in the Children of Alcoholics Olympics.³

“I got you something,” he said.

“What?”

“It’s in my boot.”

I picked up one of his cowboy boots.

“No, the other one,” he said. “Inside, under that foot-pad thing.”

I picked up the other boot and dug inside. Man, that thing smelled like booze and fear and failure.

I found a wrinkled and damp five dollar bill.

“Merry Christmas,” he said.

Wow.

Drunk for a week, my father must have really wanted to spend those last five dollars. Shoot, you can buy a bottle of the worst whiskey for five dollars. He could have spent that five bucks and stayed drunk for another day or two. But he saved it for me.⁴

It was a beautiful and ugly thing.⁵

“Thanks, Dad,” I said.

He was asleep.

“Merry Christmas,” I said, and kissed him on the cheek.⁶

Sherman Alexie, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian · printed pages 150–151. Parenthetical citations use author and printed page: (Alexie 150).

After reading

What happened?

Dad disappears to drink over Christmas and returns with five dollars saved for Junior. Junior sees affection in the gift without forgetting the hurt caused by his father's absence.

Close-reading practice

Compare with model highlights

Aim evidenceConnections

These are possible notes. A different detail can be useful if you can explain your choice.

Reading practice · Chapter 21

A beautiful and ugly gift

When the holidays rolled around, we didn’t have any money for presents, so Dad did what he always does when we don’t have enough money. He took what little money we did have and ran away to get drunk.¹ He left on Christmas Eve and came back on January 2.²

With an epic hangover, he just lay on his bed for hours. “Hey, Dad,” I said. “Hey, kid,” he said. “I’m sorry about Christmas.³” “It’s okay,” I said. But it wasn’t okay.⁴ It was about as far from okay as you can get. If okay was the earth, then I was standing on Jupiter.⁵

I don’t know why I said it was okay. For some reason, I was protecting the feelings of the man who had broken my heart yet again.⁶ Jeez, I’d just won the Silver Medal in the Children of Alcoholics Olympics. “I got you something,” he said. “What?”

“It’s in my boot.” I picked up one of his cowboy boots. “No, the other one,” he said. “Inside, under that foot-pad thing.” I picked up the other boot and dug inside. Man, that thing smelled like booze and fear and failure.⁷ I found a wrinkled and damp five dollar bill.⁸

“Merry Christmas,” he said. Wow. Drunk for a week, my father must have really wanted to spend those last five dollars. Shoot, you can buy a bottle of the worst whiskey for five dollars. He could have spent that five bucks and stayed drunk for another day or two.⁹ But he saved it for me.¹⁰ It was a beautiful and ugly thing.¹¹ “Thanks, Dad,” I said. He was asleep.¹² “Merry Christmas,” I said, and kissed him on the cheek.

Sherman Alexie, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian (Alexie 150–151). Selected passage from the course plan.

Try it, then compare

Why does Junior call the gift both beautiful and ugly?

One possible explanation

The gift is beautiful because Dad saved five dollars for Junior. It is ugly because Dad spent the holiday drinking and broke Junior’s heart. Dad loves Junior, but his actions also hurt him.

Evidence to consider

Hold care and harm together

Junior reflects on a Christmas gift from his father.

“It was a beautiful and ugly thing.” (Alexie 151)

What it shows: Junior calls Dad’s gift beautiful and ugly at once. Saving money for him can show care while Dad’s drinking and absence still hurt him.

Read in the chapterThemes

Keep the harm in view

Junior describes his father leaving with the family’s remaining money at Christmas.

“He took what little money we did have and ran away to get drunk.” (Alexie 150)

What it shows: Dad takes scarce family money and leaves. His later gift cannot erase this action or make his support dependable.

Read in the chapterCharacters

Track the people

Dad

Hurts the family through drinking but saves a small gift.

Junior

Feels both gratitude and pain.

Use your notes to build the Aim Response →