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And the trees all died. They were orange trees. I don’t know why they died, they just died. Something wrong with the soil possibly or maybe the stuff we got from the nursery wasn’t the best.
The students plant trees for a lesson on root systems and individual responsibility. But the trees all die. This quote introduces readers to Edgar and to his reaction to death. He reacts with uncertainty and can’t explain why the trees died. He speculates about the soil or the quality of the trees, but he reaches no conclusions. He expresses only two certainties: the trees were orange trees, and they died. The first fact exemplifies how Edgar sometimes inserts apparently trivial information while leaving out important facts, without explanation. The type of tree may matter in some symbolic way; perhaps an orange tree better symbolizes life since its fruit can provide nourishment. Regardless, Edgar doesn’t bother to explain why the type of tree matters. The second fact, “they just died,” expresses Edgar’s belief that death is inescapable.
It wasn’t supposed to be in the classroom at all, there’s some kind of regulation about it, but you can’t tell them they can’t have a puppy when the puppy is already there, right in front of them, running around on the floor and yap yap yapping.
The Murdoch girl brings a rescued puppy to school. Edgar is certain that it will soon die based on the pattern of death his classroom has seen so far in the year. He knows that the puppy should not be there, not just because of some vague school regulation, but because it will likely die. Edgar shows his weak-willed nature by letting the kids keep the puppy. He says, “You can’t tell them they can’t have a puppy,” but readers know that a responsible adult can, should, and would say “no.”
But I don’t think there’s anything wrong with the school, particularly, I’ve seen better and I’ve seen worse. It was just a run of bad luck.
After the death of Kim, the Korean orphan, the children are disheartened and begin to feel that there’s something wrong with the school. Readers cannot help but share their feeling. Yet Edgar’s response reflects his uncertainty. He starts with the equivocal, “But I don’t think . . .,” not wanting to commit himself to any belief that there is a cause to the school’s misfortunes. Similarly equivocal is his statement, “I’ve seen better and I’ve seen worse.” The idea that he has “seen better” is reassuring, but that he has seen worse is quite unsettling. Even so, this statement, along with his phrase “just a run of bad luck,” are both trite sayings that lack any real meaning. Instead, they function to help him downplay the significance of the school’s troubles and the issues facing his students.
