Previous
Chapter 29
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Fish in a Tree, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Dyslexia, Intelligence, and Learning
Teaching, Mentoring, and Trust
Identity and Self-Esteem
Bullying, Friendship, and Social Status
Summary
Analysis
Two days later, Miss Kessler pulls Ally out of class and they go through some puzzles and games. After school, Ally has her first chess lesson. Mr. Daniels goes through the pieces and the goal of the game. Surprisingly for Ally, she's relaxed. They begin to play and during their second game, Ally captures Mr. Daniels's queen. She wants to ask if he let her win, but she doesn't. She marvels that this game isn't hard and it's actually fun. Ally can see the moves in her head and watches a mind movie of living chess pieces.
Because chess is a very visual game that also can utilize math, it's the perfect game for Ally. It gives her a place where she can be successful and where Mr. Daniels can praise her for doing so well, which in turn will help their relationship. This will then help Mr. Daniels earn Ally's trust as he teaches her to read.
Themes
