91 pages • 3 hours read
Caitlin Alifirenka, Liz Welch, Martin GandaA modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.
Summary
“Caitlin: September 1997”-“Martin: November 1997”
“Caitlin: January 1998”-“Caitlin: May 1998”
“Martin: June 1998”-“Martin: October 1998”
“Caitlin: December 1998”-“Martin: April 1999”
“Caitlin: May 1999”-“Caitlin: June 1999”
“Martin: June 1999”-“Caitlin: December 1999”
“Martin: January 2000”-“Caitlin: February 2000”
“Martin: February 2000”-“Caitlin: September 2000”
“Martin: November 2000”-“Caitlin: December 2000”
“Martin: January 2001”-“Martin: April 2001”
“Caitlin: April 2001”-“Martin: July 2001”
“Caitlin: September 2001”-“Martin: June 2002”
“Caitlin: August 2002”-“Martin: September 2002”
“Caitlin: October 2002”-“Martin: December 2002”
“Caitlin: January 2003”-“Martin: April 2003”
“Caitlin: April 2003”-“Caitlin: July 2003”
“Martin–July 2003”-“Martin–August 14, 2003”
“Caitlin: August 15, 2003”-“Caitlin: October 2015”
Key Figures
Themes
Symbols & Motifs
Important Quotes
Essay Topics
The trajectory of Caitlin and Martin’s friendship reflects the possibilities of cross-cultural connection over time. What begins as a simple pen-pal exchange eventually flourishes into a deeper connection. In the beginning, Caitlin and Martin’s connection exists on a superficial level, where they bond over shared tastes in popular culture and the exchange of cultural artifacts. They both sustain a friendship over the years based upon a promise to “always reply no matter what happens” (62). This promise is a catalyst for the ways in which their friendship eventually deepens and grows. It is tested when Martin experiences financial hardship that prevents him from writing back to Caitlin. In a decision that alters both of their lives, Caitlin offers financial support, deepening the course of their connection for the future.
However, Caitlin and Martin’s cross-culturalism does harbor mishaps. When Caitlin makes repeated requests for Martin to send her a photograph of himself, she does not realize that photographs are a prized commodity in Zimbabwe and that Martin’s family cannot afford them. When Martin sends her the only photograph that his family owns, she requests another, still unaware that it would pose an issue for Martin. Martin never expresses this difficulty explicitly to Caitlin out of cultural etiquette and fear that his inability to reciprocate will lead to the dissolution of their exchange.