For the Life of

Laetitia
Pages 11-19
1
Pages 11-13
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 Important Event

Laetitia’s mother, Patsy Johnson, sends a letter expressing her

relief that Laetitia is able to attend secondary school, and
highlights the conditions she has to live in order to be able to
afford a better life. She also gives permission for Laetitia to live
with her father.
 Characterization : Miss Pasty
Patsy Johnson- Caring and considerate

In her letter she expresses concern for everyone in her family,

that she will send a barrel for all of them and when it arrives,
Leroy (Laetitia’s uncle) must take dresses and give to other
family members. She also says that if Laetitia was not able to
attend secondary school, she would have to bring her to America
for her to get an education.

This highlights that she wants the best for her family and works
for them to life comfortably while trying to better herself, even
if it means living in deplorable conditions.
 Technique- Verbal Irony
Theme- Love and family
Relationships
Verbal Irony- using expression to highlight the opposite of what is
meant, stated or implied.

Ma acts as if she has no opinion on Laetitia going to live with her

father for school and that she would let the others decide while she
will actually agrees that it will be better for Laetitia to live with him
while attending school. She has a bad opinion of Laetitia’s father, and
doesn’t what her to live with him, knowing the controlling, simply,
bad person that she is but she considers that it will be easier for
Laetitia to go to school. She does the opposite of what she implies on,
in order to support in some way for her to have better schooling.
02
Pages 14-19
Important Event- The School
Registration
Laetitia registers at the secondary school with
her grandmother, who is noted as her legal
guardian. She registers with a woman, Miss
Lopez,whom they call a “circus horse” based on
how she dresses. Upon noticing that Laetitia
doesn’t have her father’s last name, nor is he her
legal guardian, she immediately discriminates
against her and displays classist behaviour,
which upsets Laetitia’s grandmother who makes
an outburst. A different teacher, Mr Joseph, then
handles their registration instead.
 Characterization: Miss Lopez
Miss Johnson “Circus Horse” (Laetitia”s future math teacher)- discriminatory
(classist), prideful, impatient.

E.g: Upon noticing that Laetitia doesn’t have her father’s last name, nor is he
her legal guardian, she immediately discriminates against her, giving her a
look of disgust.

When Mrs. Johnson was telling her to “Put Sookla trace” for their address,
She replies “What do mean Put Sookla Trace Balatier? Is it the child’s address
of not? You people always giving bogus information, and when something
happen, nobody know where to find the parents.” She said this upon realizing
that Laetitia isn’t from the ideal nuclear family background.

A person’s background can be identified based on certain details, and she

assumed that Laetitia is from a bad one and treats her less than she should be
treated.
Technique- Juxtaposition, Theme-
Discrimination (Classism)
Juxtaposition is the act of placing two contrasting elements beside each other.

Discrimination is the unjust or prejudicial treatment of different categories of people,

Miss Lopez is unwilling to register Laetitia due to what she assumes of her background
while the male teacher isn’t. She is unwilling to help as her sees Laetitia and Ma as people
that are ‘lower’ than her due their address and the stigma that comes with Laetitia having
her mother’s last name instead of her father’s than her and discriminates against them
because of this. However the male teacher doesn’t and treats them how all humans should
be- politely.
 Thanks for Reading
● Yes, I made it prettier this time :)