Fish in a Tree

At lunchtime, Albert explains a personal system of metaphorical labeling he developed before he knew Ally and Keisha well. In his mind, Albert used to refer to Ally as “The Flying Tiger” after the painted fighter planes in WWII. The pilots would constantly change the designs on the planes so the enemy would think there were more planes in their air fleet than they actually had. This metaphor relates to Ally’s constant adaptation to her surroundings.

Keisha urges Albert to reveal his nickname for her. He used to refer to her as “The Baby” because when she wants something she is “loud about it” and “usually [gets] your way pretty fast” (234). Albert then explains his own nickname for himself: “The Elephant,” a descriptor of the “thick skin” (235) he’s forced himself to acquire.

Ally is impressed by Albert’s perceptiveness. She often thinks of him as “the science guy” (235) who isn’t as feeling or expressive as other people she knows. With his descriptions of these nicknames, she recognizes that he “definitely gets” (235) her as a person.