Extra Credit

In these chapters Clements develops his main characters and their relationship by giving the reader an increasingly intimate window into their inner thoughts, especially as revealed through their exchange with each other. This section especially develops the theme of Reciprocally Sharing One’s Inner Life. By enabling the reader to compare the internal monologues of each character with their letters, the narrative shows how they increasingly share their innermost thoughts and feelings, and how their discourse helps grow their self-awareness. This is key to the theme of Friendship and Personal Growth.

These chapter show how Sadeed longs for respect and validation, and is jealous of Amira for enjoying the spotlight of being Abby’s pen pal. He is also overcome with curiosity about Abby and a desire to have a genuine exchange with her. Sadeed’s secret letter to Abby, and his gift of a rock inside it, shows that he has let down his guard and become more invested in the experience. Sadeed writes in his letter to Abby, “I think no other person in all of time has ever touched that stone until I picked it up and put it into the envelope with your name on it. So you will be just the second person to ever hold it” (116). This language, while innocent, is almost romantic in its intimacy and intensity, linking the two of them together through a unique physical bond that defies geographical separation. Abby’s response shows her undergoing a similar development of her feelings. used to be more avoidant about schoolwork, her attitude has also changed, and she is now excited to hear from Amira and Sadeed. She is especially thrilled to read Sadeed’s private letter, after which, “her heart was racing. And she wasn’t sure why. Perhaps just because the letter was such a surprise. But also because it was a secret” (116). Her inner monologue echoes the combination of innocence and proto-romantic intensity experienced by Sadeed: “Sadeed Bayat had picked up this very same little piece of rock. And he had sent it halfway around the Earth. To her” (117). The use of his full name intimates the seriousness of her feelings and the shortness of the last sentence expresses her breathlessness and emphasizes the private nature of their exchange.

In these passages Clements develops his theme on Friendship and Personal Growth, as he shows how both Abby and Sadeed begin to grow personally because of their correspondence. By developing her long-distance friendship with Sadeed and Amira, Abby becomes more disciplined about her schoolwork, and learns to think more about others. For instance, Sadeed’s detailed and effortful reply inspires Abby to send a more interesting letter back to him:

Rereading the letter, then looking more carefully at each picture, Abby felt ashamed of the letter she had sent to Afghanistan. As near as she could recall, she had spent about ten minutes on it. […] But Abby’s feeling of shame didn’t last. It was replaced almost instantly by determination. Because she decided that her next letter was going to be as good as the one she had just gotten, maybe even better (81).

Abby’s “determination” to impress Amira and Sadeed prompts her to include more details, photos and decorations in her next letter to Amira. This careful effort shows that Abby’s pen pal project is helping her become more conscientious toward others, and that she now recognizes the value of doing her best work.

Similarly, by reading Abby’s letters Sadeed becomes more open-minded and interested in her as a person. Abby’s photos and details humanize her to Sadeed, who now sees her as a “real person” and not just a “girl”: The author makes it clear that Sadeed’s curiosity about Abby is an especially valuable learning opportunity because it breaks through the taboo of intergender friendships in Afghanistan. Clements writes: “Sadeed that right now he probably knew more about this Abby Carson in America than he had ever known about any other girl in his whole life, including his own sister” (96). In these ways, the narrative makes it explicit that Sadeed has had this revelation: his new awareness is a conscious one.

Sadeed’s personal growth adds to the author’s theme on The Value of Open-mindedness Toward Difference. Sadeed and Abby live in very different countries, with starkly different geographies and cultures. Sadeed feels that it is “strange” to communicate with Abby, since she and her family were so foreign “it was like these people lived on the moon, or in a whole other universe” (96). However, they both show increasing open-mindedness as they learn more about each other and accept each other’s differences in interest, gender, and ability. Clements uses the rock and soil that Sadeed and Abby send to each other to symbolize their different backgrounds, both geographically and culturally. While Sadeed’s jagged rock and Abby’s soft soil are very different, they are both special to the child receiving them. Sadeed is amazed by the rich Illinois soil and imagines it in the farm fields, while Abby is envious of Sadeed’s dynamic, rocky mountains. By describing how the children appreciate each other’s gifts, Clements suggests that by being kind and open minded, people can embrace different cultures and positively share their own. Abby and Sadeed’s exchange of physical objects echoes their ongoing exchange of ideas and personal stories, showing how people can appreciate and understand other cultures by being willing to give and receive.