Multicultural/ Global Literature Book

"Pink and Say"

Patricia Polacco

 

Bibliographical Info: Polacco,P. (1994) Pink and Say. New York: Philomel Books

Response: This story really touched my heart and the fact that it has such a personal connection to the author makes it even more special. This story really moves you and the reader can not help but fall in love with the characters and the friendship they develop. This book also reminded me of a childhood friend I used to have back in the day named Mickey. She lived on my block and as a kid we would roller blade around the neighborhood or she would come over my house to play. Though she was African- American and I was Mexican-American,  our race never really hindered our friendship and at such a young age we had no idea of such concepts. She ended up having to move, and to this day I often wonder what ever became of her. It saddens me that despite all the progress that has been made, racism is still prominent today and that some people are not willing to look past their discrimination.

Critique: 

• Setting: The opening scenes begins with Pinkus Aylee (Pink) findign Sheldon (Say) in a Georgia battlefield close to death. It later switches to the Aylee household in the outskirts of their old master's house.
• Point of View: At first the story is told in the perspective of the narrator (Polacco) and switches back to her in the end. The rest of story is told by Sheldon Russel Curtis (Say) at fifteen years of age and his experience during the Civil War.
• Character: Say is revealed in the opening scene slipping in and out of consciousness until Pink comes along and comes to his aide. Moe Moe Bay is the mother of Pink and with a gentle and caring heart nurses Say back to health. All the characters grow to love one another and become a family. The character who goes under the greatest growth and change is Say who at first feels like a coward for running away from his unit and doesn't feel he is nearly as brave as Pink because he fears death. It isn't until Moe Moe Bay is killed by Marauders that his "steps were as sure as they had ever been since the war started."
• Theme: Paying tribute to an unheard of hero and the power of friendship and love.
• Style: The author pays particular attention to language in regards to Pink and Moe Moe Bay. She creates a southern accent and colloquial terms such as 'gotta,' 'mornin,'  and 'gittin' that would be used during that time period.

Connections: There are very few children's books about the Civil War and Pink and Say  tells the story of the unsung hero who is rarely talked about. Often when learning about wars in history class, all those people who sacrificed their lives become a number and we often forget that they were somebody's son/daughter, husband/wife, or brother/sister. Though this story isn't a perfect picture of happiness and has a dark ending, it adequately depicts the negative effects of war. This reading also provided insight into Polacco's family history as she is the great-great-grandaughter of Sheldon Russel Curtis (Say) who owes his life to Pinkus Aylee (Pink) and keeps his memory and honor alive by telling his story.

Discussion Questions:

1. What really happened to Say that made his leg burn and prevented him from walking?
2. Why was finding his unit and fighting for the war so important to Pink? 
3. What is Pink so afraid of?
4. Is Pink a hero? Why or why not? 
5. How does Patricia Polacco tie into the story and what does she ask the reader to do at the end of the story?