Stronger Together Than Apart
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In many of Almond's books, characters come together and become a more powerful unit than they could have been alone. For example, Daniel and Bobby work together to post flyers of Headmaster's Todd's corporal punishment in The Fire-Eaters. In that same book, the characters huddle around a huge bonfire as they await their fate during a particularly tense Cold War night. In Skellig, Michael and Mina's friendship with the arthritic, winged man they find in the garage saves the man's life. Interestingly, when Henry, Sue, and Ben collaboratively design a new animal species, they create an evil, dangerous wolf rather than the harmless mouse, snake, and bird they individually created. Therefore, Mouse Bird Snake Wolf warns that "power in numbers" can be dangrous, just as it can be strengthening. To teach this theme, teachers can distribute sticks to every student, and ask them to break them. After the students discuss the difficulty level of breaking the stick (i.e. easy), the teacher should distribute bundles of sticks to each student and ask them to break the bundle. With it being more difficult to break the bundle than the individual stick, this activity illustrates the concept that man is stronger together than apart. Whether that is a good or bad thing is explored in Almond's work. He accounts for both sides.
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