Mebel tries to integrate with other students at lunch. (p 66, 68-70). What did you think of her technique? Were you surprised at the other students’ reactions?
I found Mabel’s attempt to integrate at lunch quite brave. It is difficult to go into a situation where you feel like the outsider or newbie and make new connections. Unfortunately, I was not surprised (but disappointed) by the students’ reactions to Mebel’s attempt to join their table - their clique-ish behavior stemming from their age (and immaturity) as well as their “position” in the educational pecking order (third level versus first). I did, however, love Mabel’s response to the snotty young man shutting him down by asking for his mother’s phone number.
Having attended 4 schools before 9th grade I knew exactly how Mebel felt when trying to sit with strangers at a lunch table. You have to be bold and confident, otherwise no one will pay attention to you or worse. Her technique is what I would expect of her, matter-of-fact and being honest as well as letting them know she is not someone to disrespect.
I wasn’t surprised at the students reactions. Those are probably the same questions I would ask her.
This felt slightly arrogant to me - sitting down right in the middle of the group, thinking that they were just going to welcome her respectfully because she was their elder. I wasn’t surprised at the students reactions, including wanting to call her by her first name - but they certainly didn’t need to respond so rudely to her.
I thought it was fabulous that she simply took a seat and expected everyone to respond positively! When a more typical response might be to hide in a corner by herself and pull out a book, she took the (self-described) “overconfident” approach. This approach serves her well and helps shape her story as it progresses. The students did not disappoint – I expected them to act as they did. The younger cohort in the cooking class were maybe just as overconfident in their place in the pecking order as was Mebel.
I think she was confident that the group would take her in, but I am not sure that introducing herself as Ms. Tanadi rather than Mebel was the right tactic; it put more distance between the third-year students and herself. Maybe if she had tried a more open and curious approach to integrating, she would have had a better outcome and made new friends. Then again, she is 63 and was probably raised differently when it comes to treating elders.
I found it very embarrassing, but at the same time very brave. Although I think bravery from naivete is not exactly true bravery, but at the same time it had the same result so it was still good for her.
I was surprised at the students’ reactions from the perspective that it’s a book and you usually expect certain things to happen in books so I was surprised that they responded more like people would have responded in real life rather than only how they always respond in books. So yes, surprised that it didn’t follow the trope, but not surprised that students were mean to someone different from them. 