James, an eight-year-old boy, lives in the outskirts of Bayonne in a farming community with his mother, auntie, and siblings. His father has been drafted into the war, World War II, so his mother has to try to support the family by working in the fields. His mother tries to teach him to fight starvation, cold, and hardship with pride.

James has a very bad tooth ache, but he does not tell his mother because she would say he was acting like a crybaby. His mother finds out about the tooth and has just enough money for the trip to Bayonne and back, to get the tooth pulled, and some salt meat.

While James and his mother wait for the bus, James starts to think about how much he loves his mother. He wants to tell her and hug her but he knows she would see that as a sign of weakness. He remembers once that his mother wanted him to kill two blackbirds

On the way back to the dentist office, a lady stops them and says she wants to give them something to eat. James's mother refuses, she says they don't take handouts. The lady replies by telling her that James will work for the food. When they get ready to leave, James's mother asks to buy two bits worth of salt meat. The woman tries to give her more and James's mother refuses. The lady cuts the meat in half, and James's mother expresses her gratitude. Outside, James's mother tells James to turn down his coat collar; she tells him he is not a bum but a man.

A nurse in the dentist office tells everyone that the office will be closed for lunch and that they must come back later. This makes James's mother very angry because she wanted to get home early to go to work. She asks the nurse to let James be taken care of right away, but the nurse tells James's mother to come back later. A lady tells

Some common words found in the essay are:
War II, James James, Gaines James, james's mother, Outside James's, james mother, dentist office, , james's mother refuses, tells james's mother, salt meat, tell mother, tells james's, james starts, mother refuses,
Approximate Word count = 603
Approximate Pages = 2 (250 words per page double spaced)