Survival, pages 116-144 Summary

The Teacher tries to engage the boys in lessons by asking them to relate the lessons to their own lives. He asks Big Bellybutton to describe what he does at home. Big Bellybutton explains that he sleeps in a one room shack on the floor with all his siblings, that they fight for light around a single lamp to do their homework, that he must do a number of chores before running to school, and that they sleep without blankets. The children laugh and the Teacher is appalled. He is more indulgent of Big Bellybutton after this, but instead of trying to help him, he completely ignores him in class. He never tries to relate the lessons to the children's lives again.

The little boy begins to dream in the classes. He gets caught up in the strange French...