THE

SCHOLARSHIP
JACKET
Main Idea
The main idea of the short story
was that a 14 year old girl named
Marta who lives in Texas with her
Grandparents and isn't able to
afford playing sports to get a
school sports jacket so her only
option was to earn good grades to
receive the scholarship jacket. One
day she left her gym bag in her
teacher's classroom and spotted
her math and history teacher
talking about her. She finds out
that they are making her pay for
the jacket because they know that
Marta can't afford it and don't want
to look bad for giving it to another
girl named Joan who's dad is on the
school Board . Marta is forced to
ask her grandpa for money and he
talks with her about not paying
because she shouldn't have to.
Marta tells the principal what her
Grandpa said and he then changes
his mind to gives it to Marta who it
rightfully belongs to.
Theme
The theme is don't let
anyone take away what you
have worked hard to earn.
Martha says, "Then if you
pay for it, Marta, it's not a
scholarship jacket, is it?"
This is significant because,
Marta worked har to get
good grades so she could
get the scholarship jacket
for free. She wasn't able to
afford to play sports to get
the jacket so the only
option she has was to
earn good graades to get
the jacket for free. The
principal tried to take that
away from her by making
her pay.
 Exposition
The exposition is when the
author introduces a 14 year old
girl named Martha who lives in
Texas with her granparents. She
wanted to get a scholarship
jacket because her sister Rosie
had won the jacket a few years
before her and this is her only
opportunity to win. She can't
afford to play a sport and win a
jacket that way. Martha writes,
"This one, the scholarship jacket,
was our only chance" (1). Martha
shows, that she is determined
to get this jacket and will work
hard for it because it is her only
choice. This was all in the
beginning of the story.
Rising action
The rising action is when Martha
forgets her gym bag in her
teachers classroom and hears the
argument between her history and
math teacher about falsifying
records. Martha adds, "I just
hesitated, not knowing what to do.
I needed those shorts and I was
going to be late" (1). This is
important, beacause the teachers
were going to take the jacket away
from her and lie about it. The
teachers had assumed that she
didn't know about it. This was
leading up to her having to ask her
Grandpa for money for the jacket
and him saying no.
Climax
The Climax is when Martha tells
the principal that her Grandpa
will not pay for the jacket
because she shouldn't have to.
Martha tells the principal "He
said if I had to pay for it, then it
wouldn't be a scholarship
jacket " (2). This is important
because a scholarship is
supposed to be free but the
school was going to make her
pay. Martha not paying for the
jacket was the turning point of
the story.
 Resolution
The Resolution is when Martha
goes to tell her Grandpa the
good news. Martha explains
that, "He just gave me a pat on
the shoulder and a smile" (2). In
Falling action the end Martha got what she
The falling aaction is when the was determined to get. She put
principal gives Martha the jacket the effort in and will recieve the
because she earned it. She then
jacket she wanted so bad.
starts to cry tears of joy in the
hallway. Excited to tell her
grandparents. Martha's principal
exclaims, "We'll make an exception
in your case. I'll tell the Board, you'll
get your jacket"(2). This is
remarkable because she earned
the jacket with her grades and the
principal has changed his mind to
let her have the jacket for free like it
was before.