Blubber

It’s Friday, so the music teacher, Mrs. Rothbelle, gives a lesson to Mrs. Minish’s class. After singing to them, she asks the students what was coming out of her mouth. They make several attempts, guessing words, sound, and song. When she gets to Linda, Linda guesses breath. Mrs. Rothbelle pulls a couple of strands of Linda’s hair and scolds her for not paying attention. Linda passes gas, which makes Jill smile. Mrs. Rothbelle turns her attention to Jill, asking Jill if she knows the answer. Jill guesses saliva, which offends Mrs. Rothbelle. Jill is sent to sit in the corner until music class is over. Jill blames Linda for making her smile and drawing the attention of Mrs. Rothbelle. When no one guesses by the end of class, Mrs. Rothbelle explains that it was melody coming out of her mouth. 

After music class, the students have lunch. The teachers go out to lunch together while one teacher pokes her head into each classroom to make sure the kids are behaving. Unsupervised, the kids move their desks to sit next to their friends. Jill sits with Wendy and Caroline. Linda eats by herself. Wendy makes fun of Linda’s lunch because she has a package of Hostess cupcakes, saying Linda will turn into a real whale if she eats like that. Linda tells Wendy to shut up. Jill, referring to Linda as Blubber, comments on how outlandish it is that Linda said that to Wendy. Caroline adds that “some people don’t know how to talk nice” (62). Wendy asks if Linda’s mom taught her any manners. Jill says she probably didn’t because “otherwise Blubber wouldn’t chew with her mouth open” (63). The girls continue to make fun of Linda’s chewing, talking about how she has a lot in common with whales. 

Linda gets up to throw away her trash, including her unopened cupcakes. Wendy stops her, grabbing the cupcakes because Linda shouldn’t waste them. Wendy throws the cupcakes to Robby, who offered to take them. Robby and several other boys throw the cupcakes around until someone eats them. Wendy follows Linda back to her desk and steals her apple. She plays with it, holding it on her head while another student, Michael, pretends to shoot arrows at it. Wendy playfully begs for help. Jill comes to the “rescue” by throwing her shoe at Michael, who then opens the window and throws Jill’s shoe out. Wendy throws the apple at Michael but misses. Another boy grabs the apple and takes a bite. He then pretends to die from the poison apple, causing the kids to chant. 

The lunchtime teacher checks in on the class, telling them it’s too loud. She spots Linda’s apple on the floor and asks whose it is. Linda reluctantly admits it’s hers. The teacher scolds Linda and makes her throw the apple away. After lunch, the kids go outside. Jill and Tracy spend the whole time tracking down Jill’s shoe in the bushes.

Jill’s mom has decided to quit smoking since Jill is doing a good job not biting her nails. Mom says Jill needs a dress for their family friend’s bar mitzvah. Jill doesn’t want to go because the boy’s parents always talk about how the two kids will like each other as they grow up. 

Monday morning, while Mrs. Minish collects milk money, Robby comes to Jill with pins stuck through the skin on his fingers. Jill is unimpressed because she’s done it before and knows it doesn’t hurt. Robby moves onto Linda, who screams. Mrs. Minish tells Robby to take the pins out of his fingers. 

During lunch, Jill sits with Wendy and Caroline again. Jill has her usual peanut butter sandwich. Caroline tells Jill that it’s good Jill is skinny because peanut butter is fattening. Wendy says Jill doesn’t have to worry, unlike some people, and the girls look at Linda. Linda has much less for lunch now. Celery, crackers, and a piece of cheese. They make fun of her for being on a diet. Linda asserts that she’s going to lose 10 pounds so no one can “call [her] that name anymore” (72). Wendy asks what name, and the girls giggle. Linda refuses, but Wendy gets up and threatens Linda, who reluctantly says Blubber. Wendy makes her say it louder, causing Caroline to laugh again. Wendy makes Linda say her name will always be Blubber. Linda does so with tears in her eyes. Wendy tells Linda she’ll always be a smelly whale. 

That night, before bed, Jill talks to her mom, recalling how Tracy had been called a slur. In return, Tracy punched the boy in the nose, and he didn’t bother her anymore. Jill tells her mom she’d do that if someone messed with her. Mom advises Jill that laughing it off is better, saying, “A person who can laugh at herself will be respected” (74). Mom wonders what brought up the discussion. Jill tells Mom about Linda letting others walk all over her. Mom tells Jill to put herself in Linda’s shoes. Jill tells Mom that she’ll never be in Linda’s place, but Mom warns her not to be too sure. 

On Wednesday, Jill gets a “C” on her explorers test. She is upset because Caroline and Wendy both got As even though Caroline copied off of Wendy. Afterward, the class must perform lullabies for an assembly, as directed by Mrs. Rothbelle. While they practice before the assembly, Wendy messes with Jill, trying to get her to laugh. One of the songs, “Sweet and Low,” has a line about a mother’s breast. When Mrs. Rothbelle has stepped away, Wendy whispers to Jill, “Nobody sings breast except Blubber. Pass it on…” (77). The message quickly moves through the group. 

The rest of the school files in and fills out the audience. The assembly begins. When they get to the right line in “Sweet and Low,” the students follow through, and only Linda sings the word breast loud and clear to the school. The kids in the audience burst into laughter. Linda turns red. Jill becomes distracted, however, because her loose tooth has come out and is bouncing around her mouth. 

After the assembly, Mrs. Rothbelle announces that everyone except Linda will have to stay after school the next day, threatening to fail them if they do something like that again. 

After school, Jill shows Tracy her tooth. Tracy suggests Jill try to get more than a quarter because they’re running out of baby teeth. At home, Jill asks her parents to tell the tooth fairy to write a check to the stamp company so Jill can order more stamps. Mom has Jill try on a dress for the bar mitzvah. Jill doesn’t like the dress because it’s itchy. 

The next morning, Jill is excited to find the check she asked for. She goes to thank her mom but catches Mom smoking a cigarette in the bathroom. Jill is upset that Mom broke her promise. Mom says she promised to try, and she is trying, but it’s difficult. Jill tells Mom that she has to stay after school, further stressing Mom out. Jill and Tracy walk to school together and admire the check. Tracy tries to get her loose teeth to fall out.