THE SISTERHOOD OF THE TRAVELING PANTS: LITERATURE NOTES

CHAPTER 10


If You Feel Like You’re Under Control, You’re Just Not Going Fast Enough. - Mario Andretti

Summary

This chapter opens with Carmen who is driving with her father. Carmen asked her dad if he were excited about his wedding. He admitted he was and that he was very glad Carmen would be there for it. She also commented on how hard Lydia seemed to be working on the details of the wedding, and her dad responded that she wanted it perfect, because she hadn’t had a real wedding the first time she got married. When Carmen asked why not, her dad explained how Lydia’s mother died six weeks before her first wedding, and she was too broken-hearted to carry on with her plans. Carmen hadn’t expected to feel bad for Lydia, and she promised herself she would smile at her and talk to her when she got home. Then, her father suggested they stop to watch Paul in his summer soccer league, an idea that made Carmen angry once more.

The scene shifts to Bridget who is playing in her first scrimmage of the summer. Her coach warned the players, looking specifically at Bee, that she expected them to pass the ball and if they hogged it, she would pull them out. However, Bee focused totally on how she could impress Eric with her abilities. She found herself in a zone where she ran and stole the ball as much as she could. Even when she passed it off, her teammates recognized how well she was playing and passed it back. Then, her coach, Molly Brevin, made good on her threat and pulled Bee from the scrimmage. She sarcastically remarked that she knew Bee was a “superhero,” but the point of the scrimmage was to see everyone perform. Bee knew she should have toned it down, but asked herself why was it so hard for her to make herself stop?

Carmen wrote to Tibby complaining about how everyone in the family talked of nothing but the wedding and wondered what her dad had gotten himself into. She ended the letter with the words “love and bitterness.”

The scene shifts to Carmen. Carmen, who had been promised a tennis date with her father, now must watch Paul play soccer. A man in the crowd complimented her dad on how well his “son” played and how he was built just like Carmen’s dad. Carmen was angry that her dad didn’t set the man straight. Even Kelly, also known as “Skeletor,” mentioned that Carmen’s dad must be “proud” of Paul. Meanwhile, her dad lengthened the time they spent there as if the tennis courts would always be available. Then, Lydia showed up all upset, because the reception hall had cancelled their booking. So, Carmen’s dad immediately, and with little concern for how he had moved on from her so easily, turned and left, promising their tennis game another day. At the end of the game, Paul came to take her home and offered to play tennis with her. She agreed and “creamed him” 6-0, 6-0.

Notes

Following the idea of the introductory quote to the chapter, we can see the characters going too fast, as Bee said, to slow themselves down. For example, Carmen can’t see how she isn’t examining her feelings. She is just reacting emotionally to everything that happens to her, building up real bitterness toward her dad and his new family. Bee is so wrapped up in impressing Eric that she doesn’t see how she’s not only hurting herself, but also those around her. She knows she needs to stop, but finds it too hard.

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