Previous
Keys
The $20,000 Pyramid, the television gameshow on which Mom is selected to compete, represents second chances. For Mom, Miranda, and Richard, the potential prize money offers the chance for Mom to fulfill her dream of going to law school and eventually to make her life look more like the one she used to imagine for herself. Going to law school will allow Mom to make the best use of her considerable compassion toward those who have fallen into difficult circumstances (like the pregnant women who have been jailed whom she supports) and the extensive legal knowledge and presence she displays when she rescues Marcus from the police.
The $20,000 Pyramid Quotes in When You Reach Me
The When You Reach Me quotes below all refer to the symbol of The $20,000 Pyramid . For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Chapter 21: Things You Push Away Quotes
Mom says each of us has a veil between ourselves and the rest of the world, like a bride wears on her wedding day, except that this kind of veil is invisible. We walk around happily with these invisible veils hanging down over our faces. The world is kind of blurry, and we like it that way.
But sometimes our veils are pushed away for a few moments, like there’s a wind blowing it from our faces. And when the veil lifts, we can see the world as it really is, just for those few seconds before it settles down again. We see all the beauty, and cruelty, and sadness, and love. Btu mostly we are happy not to. Some people learn to lift the veil for themselves. Then they don’t have to depend on the wind anymore.
Related Characters:
Related Symbols:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 53: Things That Blow Away Quotes
I’m at the top of the second page when it dawns on me that this letter I’m writing is kind of a horrible burden. And I start feeling really sorry for Marcus.
It’s not a letter that most people would want to get. I know it will be a big relief to know he didn’t accidentally cause the laughing man’s death—your death—after all. That’s a good thing. But at the same time, he’ll understand that he saw his own death, which I have to think is a very hard thing. And he’ll also realize that he’s going to discover the secret of traveling through time, which is a thing so incredible that most people would consider it a miracle. Of course, he’s the total hero of the story. But there isn’t a happy ending for him.
Related Characters:
Related Symbols:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Get the entire When You Reach Me LitChart as a printable PDF.
"My students can't get enough of your charts and their results have gone through the roof." -Graham S.
The $20,000 Pyramid Symbol Timeline in When You Reach Me
The timeline below shows where the symbol The $20,000 Pyramid appears in When You Reach Me. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 1: Things You Keep in a Box
...postcard informing her that, after three years of trying, she’s been selected to compete on The $20,000 Pyramid TV show on April 27, 1979. It’s the date that the note-writer predicted. Miranda knows...
(full context)
Chapter 4: The Speed Round
In the first of The $20,000 Pyramid ’s two rounds, celebrity partners have 30 seconds to give contestants clues and get them...
(full context)
Chapter 6: Things that Get Tangled
...who live at the nursing home where Louisa works as a nurse like to watch The $20,000 Pyramid , so she always writes down a list of the day’s words. Miranda transcribes these...
(full context)
Chapter 13: The Winner’s Circle
In the present, Mom starts practicing the Winner’s Circle round for her appearance on The $20,000 Pyramid . In this round, the celebrities have to get the contestants to guess a general...
(full context)
Chapter 49: Things You Line Up
...kisses Miranda few more times. But then the postcard arrives inviting Mom to participate on The $20,000 Pyramid . It’s the third proof, and Miranda now realizes that she can’t avoid writing the...
(full context)
