Essay Questions

Analyse Jordan’s feelings after failing to get his preferred sitting position on the plane.

Jordan is sandwiched between his dad and his brother. It makes him feel powerless. Napolitano observes, "The elation—the power-he felt after the pat-down has been squashed. He had, for a few minutes, felt like a fully realized adult. Now he feels like a dumb kid buckled into a high-chair." Jordan is an adolescent who likes having his way at all times. Being denied want he wants makes him to feel like a child with no power. Although he is a teen, he wants to be viewed as an adult.

Why is Crispin unimpressed with his nurse?

Crispin's nurse touches his body while helping him settle on his seat. He does not appreciate her help; he gets irritated. Napolitano elucidates, "One of the worst things about being sick is that it gives people—goddamn strangers—full clearance to touch him." Crispin is frustrated by his helplessness, making it inevitable for the nurse to help him. He displaces his frustration on the nurse as if she is the one who caused his sickness.

Analyse Linda’s father’s reaction to Linda’s call.

The father doubts Linda would keep her word. Linda assures her father “That she would never ask him for money again.” However, the father “guffawed, even slapped his knee, like she’d just told the funniest joke he’d ever heard.” The father knows Linda’s tendencies; he is sure that she will violate the promise and come back asking her dad for financial support. Linda's call is intended to underscore her resolve to move into the future as an independent woman that does not depend on support from her father.