The Boy at the Back of the Class

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of death, loss, grief, war, discrimination, and bullying.

“There used to be an empty chair at the back of my classroom. It wasn’t special—it was just empty because no one was sitting in it. But then one day, just three weeks after school started, the most exciting thing that could ever happen to anyone happened to me and my three best friends. And it all began with that chair.”

Alexa’s description of the empty chair in Mrs. Khan’s classroom turns the chair into a symbol of new beginnings. When her classmate Dena first vacated the chair, Alexa and her classmates thought nothing of it. They didn’t think it was “special” and didn’t expect it to have anything to do with their school year’s “most exciting” event. Alexa uses the chair as a way to start her story about Ahmet’s arrival, the inciting incident of the narrative. It ends up being the chair that Ahmet sits in when he joins their class, and is thus important to how Alexa understands his role in her life and school community.

“After all, having four new friends would be much better than having none. Especially for a boy who looked as scared and as sad as the one now sitting at the back of our class.”

Alexa’s reflections on Ahmet’s situation capture The Importance of Compassion and Empathy. Alexa can see that Ahmet looks “scared” and “sad,” and therefore wants to help him feel safe. She is demonstrating empathy by imagining what it might be like to be Ahmet, and is showing compassion by planning to befriend him.