Chapters 12-13, Toothbrush, Bread Summary and Analysis

Alicia had one non-edible belonging in the world: a small box of matches that contained a tooth she knocked out of her mouth on an iron grate. The tooth was acrylic; she had lost the real one several years before.

When Alicia's real tooth broke, her mother cried. It happened at an amusement park when she was twelve; she went without a replacement tooth for three years. She was then able to have her first boyfriend, Roberto, because her confidence returned. The tooth helped Alicia to feel whole and avoid being destroyed by the Little School. They could have taken her bread, but not her tooth.

Alicia was also able to play with her tooth to quiet her boredom. The little match box also gave her something to do. The smell of phosphorus pleased her...