Skip to main content

Why does Miss Franny Block finally allow Winn-Dixie into the library in Kate DiCamillo's Because of Winn-Dixie?

It is in chapters 6 and 7 of Kate DiCamilla's Because of Winn-Dixie that Miss Franny block, the tiny old librarian in Naomi, Florida, makes friends with both Opal and Winn-Dixie and decides he is welcome to visit the library any time.In Chapter 6, Opal brings Winn-Dixie with her to the library and teaches him to stand on his hind legs so he can see through the window to watch her as she picks...

It is in chapters 6 and 7 of Kate DiCamilla's Because of Winn-Dixie that Miss Franny block, the tiny old librarian in Naomi, Florida, makes friends with both Opal and Winn-Dixie and decides he is welcome to visit the library any time.

In Chapter 6, Opal brings Winn-Dixie with her to the library and teaches him to stand on his hind legs so he can see through the window to watch her as she picks out books, which keeps him from feeling lonely. When Miss Franny sees Winn-Dixie through the window, she mistakes him for a bear she once saw in the library long ago and grows terrified. Opal must comfort her and assure her that Winn-Dixie is just her dog, but she is also very curious about the story of the bear and asks to hear it. When Miss Franny says it is a long story, Opal says she likes long stories and asks permission to bring Winn-Dixie in to hear the story too since he'll get lonely if Opal is gone a long time. Before Miss Franny can reply, Opal brings him inside.

As soon as Opal brings him inside, Winn-Dixie "came in and lay down with a 'huummmppff' and a sigh right at Miss Franny's feet." When she pats him, he wags his tail and nuzzles her feet. In Chapter 7, he sits quietly through the whole story of the library being built when Florida was still rugged and wild, of the bear wandering into the library, and of the bear running off with the book War and Peace. Miss Franny ends her story by saying, "I imagine I'm the only one left from those days," and recalling that all of her friends from that time period are now dead.

Winn-Dixie, having been lonely himself, is very quick to recognize loneliness in others such as in Opal and in Miss Franny. As soon as he recognizes Miss Franny's loneliness, he raises his head and looks "back and forth between [Opal] and Miss Franny" to show he recognizes they share loneliness in common, and smiles at Miss Franny. As soon as he smiles at her, Opal suggests they can all three be friends. It's at this point that Miss Franny agrees to let Winn-Dixie into the library any time.

Popular posts from this blog

In chapter one of The Great Gatsby, what advice does Nick's father give him? How does this make him a good person to tell this story?

Nick says that his father advised him that, before "criticizing anyone," he "remember that all the people in this world haven't had the same advantages" as Nick.  As a result, Nick claims that he is "inclined to reserve all judgments," presenting himself to the reader as a fair and dispassionate arbiter of character, and thus, a reliable narrator.   The problem is that Nick immediately reveals himself as anything but reliable, as he then launches... Nick says that his father advised him that, before "criticizing anyone," he "remember that all the people in this world haven't had the same advantages" as Nick.  As a result, Nick claims that he is "inclined to reserve all judgments," presenting himself to the reader as a fair and dispassionate arbiter of character, and thus, a reliable narrator.   The problem is that Nick immediately reveals himself as anything but reliable, as he then launches into a discussion of how pe...
Post a Comment
Read more

How and why does James Gatz become Jay Gatsby? Describe the young Gatsby/Gatz.

James Gatz, a poor Midwestern boy of probable Jewish lineage, becomes Jay Gatsby, a presumed WASP and wealthy socialite, when he moves to New York City and acquires his fortune. It is wealth that has allowed Gatz to transform himself into Gatsby. However, those who know his background (e.g., Daisy and Tom Buchanan) never allow him to forget that he is nouveau riche -- that is, an upstart who has just recently made his fortune,... James Gatz, a poor Midwestern boy of probable Jewish lineage, becomes Jay Gatsby, a presumed WASP and wealthy socialite, when he moves to New York City and acquires his fortune. It is wealth that has allowed Gatz to transform himself into Gatsby. However, those who know his background (e.g., Daisy and Tom Buchanan) never allow him to forget that he is nouveau riche -- that is, an upstart who has just recently made his fortune, whereas they arose from well-to-do families. Gatz became Gatsby through determination and discipline. At the end of the novel, the narr...
Post a Comment
Read more

Explain and discuss how the definitions of freedom change for the nation, for the freedmen and for southern whites after the Civil War.

After the Civil War, the definition of freedom changed in the nation, as slavery was ended with the 13th Amendment to the Constitution in 1865. The practice of slavery was disallowed, but definition of the freedom that would take its place was a subject of controversy, ongoing debate, and even violence in the decades to come.  For freedmen, freedom often meant reconciling with their families, who were broken up by slavery; choosing which church to... After the Civil War, the definition of freedom changed in the nation, as slavery was ended with the 13th Amendment to the Constitution in 1865. The practice of slavery was disallowed, but definition of the freedom that would take its place was a subject of controversy, ongoing debate, and even violence in the decades to come.  For freedmen, freedom often meant reconciling with their families, who were broken up by slavery; choosing which church to belong to without being ordered to attend religious services (or not to attend) by their mast...
Post a Comment
Read more