If These Wings Could Fly
Chapter Eleven
by McCauley, KyrieIn Chapter Eleven, the narrator reflects on the allure of brand-new notebooks, appreciating their untouched perfection and boundless potential before they become marked and filled with personal stories. This metaphor extends to the narrator’s own aspirations and challenges as she embarks on writing her first newspaper column. Despite having secured this coveted role, she struggles with the pressure of deadlines and finding a compelling theme. The local high school football team, steeped in tradition and community passion despite repeated losses, serves as a backdrop to her thoughts, highlighting the town’s enduring spirit and the weight of expectations.
The chapter also explores the narrator’s complicated feelings about Liam McNamara, a classmate with whom she shares a growing but undefined connection. Their interaction, marked by casual locker-side conversations, contrasts with her usual intense focus on academics and future ambitions. Her friend Sofia playfully probes into the nature of their relationship, revealing a lighter, more youthful side to the narrator that she normally keeps guarded. This dynamic adds depth to her character, showing the tension between personal desires and professional goals.
Amidst these personal developments, the narrator’s attention shifts to a practical concern: a local scholarship essay contest. The scholarship represents a crucial opportunity to fund her dream of attending New York University for journalism, diverging from her parents’ wishes for her to stay local. The prompt, “What does Auburn born, Auburn proud mean to you?” challenges her to reconcile her hometown pride with her ambition to leave and forge her own path. This conflict underscores the broader theme of identity and belonging that permeates the chapter.
Finally, the narrator finds inspiration for her column in the persistent presence of crows around the baseball fields, symbolizing both continuity and mystery in her small town. This idea offers a tangible focus amid her uncertainties, blending local color with her journalistic curiosity. The chapter closes with a sense of tentative hope and determination as she prepares to pitch her idea and face the challenges ahead, capturing the blend of youthful optimism and the realities of growing up in a close-knit community.
FAQs
1. How does the narrator describe brand-new notebooks, and what metaphorical significance do they hold in the chapter?
Answer:
The narrator describes brand-new notebooks as perfect, unblemished, and full of pure potential, comparing them to babies. This metaphor highlights the idea of beginnings and possibilities—just as babies represent new life and potential, blank notebooks symbolize untapped creativity and future stories. However, the narrator also notes that once we begin to write in them, we “ruin” their perfection by adding marks, erasing, and rewriting, which reflects the imperfect, ongoing process of creation and self-expression. This sets a tone of both hope and the imperfect reality of growth and change.2. What challenges does the narrator face in starting her newspaper column, and how do these reflect her personal situation?
Answer:
The narrator struggles to find a theme for her new newspaper column despite having the opportunity to write it. She experiences writer’s block, symbolized by the broken pencil tip and hesitation to start writing. This challenge reflects her internal conflict and distraction, particularly around her feelings for Liam McNamara, which she tries to avoid thinking about. Additionally, the pressure of deadlines and the desire to produce meaningful content while managing personal emotions illustrate the tension between her responsibilities and her evolving personal life.3. Analyze the dynamic between Leighton and Sofia. How does their interaction reveal different aspects of Leighton’s character?
Answer:
Leighton and Sofia’s interaction reveals two sides of Leighton’s personality. With Sofia, Leighton is more relaxed, playful, and open—she even entertains the idea of a romantic connection with Liam, which contrasts with her usual intense, focused demeanor when alone. Sofia acts as a catalyst, encouraging Leighton to explore her feelings and lighten up. This dynamic shows Leighton’s struggle to balance her ambitious, disciplined self with her natural teenage desires and vulnerabilities, highlighting the complexity of her character as she navigates adolescence and personal growth.4. What significance do the crows outside the window hold in the story, and how does the narrator plan to incorporate them into her column?
Answer:
The crows outside the window symbolize a persistent and somewhat mysterious presence in the narrator’s environment—they are numerous, noisy, and impossible to ignore. Their constant cawing and the recent local news coverage about them spark the narrator’s curiosity, leading to an idea for her column. She plans to continue the local news story by researching the crows’ behavior, interviewing an expert, and exploring their significance to the town. This idea shows her journalistic instincts and desire to connect local phenomena with broader stories, while also reflecting the theme of observing and making sense of one’s surroundings.5. How does the narrator’s attitude toward her future education and hometown reflect broader themes in the chapter?
Answer:
The narrator expresses a strong desire to leave her rural hometown and attend a prestigious journalism school in a city, specifically New York University. She feels trapped by her parents’ expectations to attend the local state college and is motivated by a yearning for independence and a different life. This tension between hometown loyalty (“Auburn born, Auburn proud”) and personal ambition underscores themes of identity, belonging, and aspiration. The scholarship essay prompt forces her to reflect on what her hometown means to her, highlighting the internal conflict between honoring her roots and pursuing her dreams elsewhere.
Quotes
1. “I THINK I LOVE BRAND-NEW NOTEBOOKS for the same reason people love babies. For a moment in time, they are perfect. Unblemished. Pure potential.”
This opening metaphor sets the tone for the chapter, capturing the theme of possibility and the bittersweet reality of imperfection that follows. It reflects the narrator’s introspective view on beginnings and creativity, framing the personal and journalistic challenges ahead.
2. “We add to them, encumber them. Erase and try again, never quite able to fully obliterate the original mark. We fill them up with our words and wishes and desires. It is an imperfect, imprecise process, and we don’t always get it right.”
This passage deepens the earlier metaphor by acknowledging the inevitable flaws and struggles in the creative and personal process. It highlights the human tendency to strive for perfection yet accept imperfection, which mirrors the narrator’s internal conflict and growth.
3. “Our team is the high school equivalent of a Greek tragedy every week. Everyone is hoping for a better ending than what is delivered to them, yet they keep coming back for more.”
Here, the author uses vivid imagery to describe the community’s attachment to football despite repeated disappointments. This quote illustrates the themes of hope, resilience, and the complex relationship between identity and tradition in the narrator’s hometown.
4. “I could pick up where it left off, following the numbers, interviewing a bird expert. Maybe I can even figure out what the hell they’re doing here.”
This moment marks a turning point where the narrator finds inspiration for her column, symbolizing a shift from internal distraction to external curiosity. It represents the emerging journalistic voice and the beginning of engagement with the world beyond personal concerns.
5. “‘Submit two thousand words answering the following prompt: What does Auburn born, Auburn proud mean to you?’”
This scholarship prompt encapsulates the chapter’s underlying tension between hometown loyalty and the desire to escape. It sets up a central conflict for the narrator, reflecting broader themes of identity, belonging, and ambition.
Quotes
1. “I THINK I LOVE BRAND-NEW NOTEBOOKS for the same reason people love babies. For a moment in time, they are perfect. Unblemished. Pure potential.”
This opening metaphor sets the tone for the chapter, capturing the theme of possibility and the bittersweet reality of imperfection that follows. It reflects the narrator’s introspective view on beginnings and creativity, framing the personal and journalistic challenges ahead.
2. “We add to them, encumber them. Erase and try again, never quite able to fully obliterate the original mark. We fill them up with our words and wishes and desires. It is an imperfect, imprecise process, and we don’t always get it right.”
This passage deepens the earlier metaphor by acknowledging the inevitable flaws and struggles in the creative and personal process. It highlights the human tendency to strive for perfection yet accept imperfection, which mirrors the narrator’s internal conflict and growth.
3. “Our team is the high school equivalent of a Greek tragedy every week. Everyone is hoping for a better ending than what is delivered to them, yet they keep coming back for more.”
Here, the author uses vivid imagery to describe the community’s attachment to football despite repeated disappointments. This quote illustrates the themes of hope, resilience, and the complex relationship between identity and tradition in the narrator’s hometown.
4. “I could pick up where it left off, following the numbers, interviewing a bird expert. Maybe I can even figure out what the hell they’re doing here.”
This moment marks a turning point where the narrator finds inspiration for her column, symbolizing a shift from internal distraction to external curiosity. It represents the emerging journalistic voice and the beginning of engagement with the world beyond personal concerns.
5. “‘Submit two thousand words answering the following prompt: What does Auburn born, Auburn proud mean to you?’”
This scholarship prompt encapsulates the chapter’s underlying tension between hometown loyalty and the desire to escape. It sets up a central conflict for the narrator, reflecting broader themes of identity, belonging, and ambition.
— Unknown
FAQs
1. How does the narrator describe brand-new notebooks, and what metaphorical significance do they hold in the chapter?
Answer:
The narrator describes brand-new notebooks as perfect, unblemished, and full of pure potential, comparing them to babies. This metaphor highlights the idea of beginnings and possibilities—just as babies represent new life and potential, blank notebooks symbolize untapped creativity and future stories. However, the narrator also notes that once we begin to write in them, we “ruin” their perfection by adding marks, erasing, and rewriting, which reflects the imperfect, ongoing process of creation and self-expression. This sets a tone of both hope and the imperfect reality of growth and change.
2. What challenges does the narrator face in starting her newspaper column, and how do these reflect her personal situation?
Answer:
The narrator struggles to find a theme for her new newspaper column despite having the opportunity to write it. She experiences writer’s block, symbolized by the broken pencil tip and hesitation to start writing. This challenge reflects her internal conflict and distraction, particularly around her feelings for Liam McNamara, which she tries to avoid thinking about. Additionally, the pressure of deadlines and the desire to produce meaningful content while managing personal emotions illustrate the tension between her responsibilities and her evolving personal life.
3. Analyze the dynamic between Leighton and Sofia. How does their interaction reveal different aspects of Leighton’s character?
Answer:
Leighton and Sofia’s interaction reveals two sides of Leighton’s personality. With Sofia, Leighton is more relaxed, playful, and open—she even entertains the idea of a romantic connection with Liam, which contrasts with her usual intense, focused demeanor when alone. Sofia acts as a catalyst, encouraging Leighton to explore her feelings and lighten up. This dynamic shows Leighton’s struggle to balance her ambitious, disciplined self with her natural teenage desires and vulnerabilities, highlighting the complexity of her character as she navigates adolescence and personal growth.
4. What significance do the crows outside the window hold in the story, and how does the narrator plan to incorporate them into her column?
Answer:
The crows outside the window symbolize a persistent and somewhat mysterious presence in the narrator’s environment—they are numerous, noisy, and impossible to ignore. Their constant cawing and the recent local news coverage about them spark the narrator’s curiosity, leading to an idea for her column. She plans to continue the local news story by researching the crows’ behavior, interviewing an expert, and exploring their significance to the town. This idea shows her journalistic instincts and desire to connect local phenomena with broader stories, while also reflecting the theme of observing and making sense of one’s surroundings.
5. How does the narrator’s attitude toward her future education and hometown reflect broader themes in the chapter?
Answer:
The narrator expresses a strong desire to leave her rural hometown and attend a prestigious journalism school in a city, specifically New York University. She feels trapped by her parents’ expectations to attend the local state college and is motivated by a yearning for independence and a different life. This tension between hometown loyalty (“Auburn born, Auburn proud”) and personal ambition underscores themes of identity, belonging, and aspiration. The scholarship essay prompt forces her to reflect on what her hometown means to her, highlighting the internal conflict between honoring her roots and pursuing her dreams elsewhere.
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