Anyway, why should I give thanks on Thanksgiving? What have I got to be thankful for? All it does is make more work for us at school.

Sally measures the holiday against its immediate effect on her own life: more schoolwork. That practical complaint interrupts the expected expression of gratitude. Her questions give a child’s local inconvenience the power to challenge the larger demand that everyone should feel thankful on schedule.

Context reviewed 28 September 2026