“Fortune Cookie” by Avi
Lesson 1.3: Big Ideas and Themes:
Divorce- Divorce is hard for a family.
Family Relationships- Divorce shapes new relationships between parents and their
children.
Love- Sometimes we hurt the people we love.
Completed Essay
Selected Theme Statement:
Divorce shapes new relationships between parents and their children.
Title: A New Type of Family
The short story “Fortune Cookie” by Avi is about a boy named Parker whose
parents recently divorced. For his 13th birthday he wants them all to be together for
dinner. His plan fails when they get in an argument and both mom and dad leave
him alone at the restaurant. Throughout the story, it is clear that the parents’
divorce has shaped new relationships between family members. Parker, along with
his mom and dad, are each trying to figure out their new role in the family.
After the divorce, Parker’s mom becomes the main caregiver for Parker and
his sister. She works long hours as a legal assistant, and then comes home to take
care of the two children. She used to share this responsibility with Parker’s dad, but
now the kids live only with their mom. She is prepared to listen to Parker when he
wants to talk. When Parker is about to tell his mom something really important, he
says, “I could tell she didn’t really believe me, but was prepared to listen to me like a
good ma should.” (p. 176) At the end, Parker is afraid that his parents won’t come
back to the table, but his mom returns. It is her responsibility to take care of Parker.
When she drives him home, they talk about his feelings.
Parker’s dad does not spend much time with Parker after the divorce. They
only talk once a week, and the conversations are just about shallow topics such as
sports and TV, rather than what Parker is really feeling. At the birthday dinner,
everything gets tense. Instead of taking responsibility for the problem, his father
throws down money and leaves dinner early.
Parker is put in a difficult position after the divorce, and he tries to figure out
his new role. He acts like a referee between his parents because they are no longer
speaking to each other. He gets tired of this and tries to get them together for
dinner. His plan falls apart, because both of his parents become angry and storm
away. When he is left alone, he feels disappointed and more like a child again.
The new roles are confusing for everyone in the family. Mom feels exhausted,
Dad feels left out, and Parker feels torn between being a child and an adult. When
Parker talks with his mom he begins to realize it is OK to be sad about the divorce.
Their conversation makes him feel more connected to his mom and makes him
realize that he does not have to be in charge. Teenagers with divorced parents
usually end up looking at their family relationships in a new way.