Quarter 2: Blog 3

This week, I read more of Bee Season by Myla Goldberg. In this section, Eliza concludes that her spelling bee win is too little, too late for her father. Too afraid to step into her father's study to show him the envelope from her principal that tells of her accomplishment in the school spelling bee and when and where the district bee is, Eliza slips the notice under his door. Unfortunately, her father's study is extremely messy and Eliza's letter gets lost under papers on the floor. Eliza waits all week to hear her father tell her how proud he is of her and see his face flash with pride rather than the usual disappointment, but the encounter never comes. Finally, on the day of the bee, Eliza asks her junior brother, Aaron, to drive her and she tells him about her win and he asks why their dad won't drive her. Eliza explains that he doesn't care and Aaron takes her to their father's study to ask him about it. After a short conversation in which they realize that the letter was simply misplaced, the envelope is found and opened and Eliza is filled with joy when, "The smile that appears momentarily erases years of report card trauma.'This,' Saul says in a reverent voice, 'is a beautiful thing'" (27). Finally, her father is proud of her and Eliza realizes that she is someone of value and that she does matter. With this revelation, a win at the district spelling bee seems inevitable.