Question

linked
chapters twenty-nine
key ideas and details
summarize the chapter in just one sentence

re-read chapter two. citing evidence from both chapter two and chapter twenty-nine, explain how links character has changed as the novel has progressed.

Explanation:

⚡ Using what you learned: character development and narrative arcs

Step 1: Summarize Chapter 29

In Chapter 29 of Gordon Korman's novel Linked, Link (Lincoln Rowley) discovers a shocking truth about his own family history: his grandmother was born in a Jewish ghetto during World War II and was adopted by a non-Jewish family to save her life, meaning Link himself is Jewish.

Step 2: Analyze Link's Character in Chapter 2

In Chapter 2, Link is introduced as a popular, somewhat superficial prankster who does not take school, history, or the feelings of others very seriously. He is largely indifferent to the gravity of the swastika painted on the school wall, viewing the school's reaction and the subsequent assemblies as a minor annoyance or a joke rather than a serious hate crime.

Step 3: Analyze Link's Character in Chapter 29

By Chapter 29, Link has undergone a massive transformation. Upon learning about his Jewish heritage, he does not reject it; instead, he feels a deep, personal connection to the history he once ignored. He decides to take ownership of his identity by preparing for a Bar Mitzvah, showing a newfound maturity, responsibility, and empathy for the victims of intolerance.

Answer:

Part 1: Chapter 29 Summary

In Chapter 29, Link discovers the shocking truth about his family's past when his grandmother reveals that she is a Holocaust survivor, meaning that Link is Jewish.

Part 2: Character Change Analysis

Link changes from an indifferent, immature prankster who cares little about others into a mature, self-aware young man who takes responsibility for his identity and heritage.

• In Chapter 2, Link is careless and detached from the gravity of the swastika incident, viewing the school's serious reaction as an overblown disruption to his social life.
• By Chapter 29, after discovering his grandmother's secret past as a Jewish child hidden during the Holocaust, Link embraces his heritage with deep respect and decides to study for his Bar Mitzvah, demonstrating a profound shift toward empathy, maturity, and personal accountability.