93 pages • 3-hour read
Al Capone Does My Shirts
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Symbols & Motifs
Box of Buttons
One of the ways the Flanagans’ conflict over how to do what’s best for Natalie expresses itself is through the box of buttons. The box is one of Natalie’s favorite playthings—a comfort object that allows her to count, make patterns, and otherwise sort through its small collection in order to calm or entertain herself. Natalie’s love of the button box is clearly neuroatypical, so it is not surprising that Helen—who desperately wants Natalie to be “normal” wants to take the box away from her daughter. Mrs. Kelly, Natalie’s special education tutor agrees with Helen, arguing that depriving Natalie of her favorite things will stimulate Natalie’s development.
On the other hand, Moose realizes that it is wrong to take Natalie’s buttons away—she finds deep enjoyment in playing with them, so it is cruel to refuse her something that is so essential to her. Learning more about his sister during the time they spend together, Moose decides to give her back the buttons in secret, demonstrating his love for Natalie, his rejection of his mother’s obsession with “fixing” her, and his understanding that Natalie is a person in her own right.
Baseball
This sport functions as a way to connect to others, whether for good or ill. Moose loves to play baseball, and finding a friend to play with after school is the first positive thing that happens to Moose on the mainland. Playing on the team with Scout makes Moose feel connected to typical teen life—something that takes him away from his stressful home life. However, Moose is soon faced with a complex choice when playing with his friends conflicts with the need to watch Natalie. Part of Moose’s maturity is not taking his frustration with this situation out on his sister.
Baseball is also a pastime for Alcatraz prisoners, whose games are a source of fascination for mainland kids. Piper and Moose want to find convict-game baseballs to show off in school, vying to impress their classmates with their proximity to the infamous prisoners. Moose’s panicked obsession with finding one of these ball lands him and Natalie in trouble, when he leaves her alone and she befriends inmate 105, whose intentions towards the naïve and relatively helpless 16-year-old are unclear. The prisoner gives one of the balls to Moose as a way of ingratiating himself—a ball that Moose never ends up bringing to school.
Rules
Early on in the novel, Moose describes himself as a rule-abiding person and within his first couple of days on Alcatraz Island, Warden Williams provides strict rules for living alongside convicted criminals. Even the Flanagans have specific routines they abide by due to Natalie’s condition. To further emphasize the importance of these boundaries we are reminded of the consequences if rules are not followed through the severe sentencing and isolation of Alcatraz’s criminal population.
However, Choldenko also provides other perspectives on rules. Piper’s character shows us that some people believe they are above the system, and/or know how to manipulate their boundaries in order to get what they want. Also, when Moose bends the rules at the end of the story by asking Al Capone to help him, we also see an example of when bending the rules may be necessary in order to achieve a good aim.
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