Question
Eraser Tattoo
By Jason Reynolds
Available on CommonLit. Licensed under CC-BY-NC-SA-4.0.
“Yeah... and, just so you know... um... it’s starting to burn.”
“Am I not worth the pain?” Shay tightened her face, cut her eyes at Dante playfully.
“Whatever, Shay. Ain’t like you getting my initial. So don’t give me that.”
“Come on, Dante. Let’s be real — ”
Just then, she was interrupted, not by Dante, or by any sound. Just by the other new tenant —
the white man from the truck, cradling a big box, waddling up the stoop. Dante scooted a little
more to the left, this time to let the guy pass before he was bowled over.
Shay picked up her thought. “Let’s be real,” she said. “What if we break up?” And before Dante
could interject with all the reasons they wouldn’t, and why would you even think like that, Shay
added, “Not that we will or that I want that, because I don’t. But... what if we do? Then I gotta
have that ugly D on my arm forever.” [39] “Whatever, Shay.” Dante winced as the eraser broke the skin, and the two people trotted
past them, back down the steps. Back to the truck.
[40] “Hurt?” Shay asked slyly.
[41] “A little,” Dante lied. It hurt! Like someone was trying to strike a match on his flesh. He
glanced down at his arm, the eraser rolling back the brown as Shay started on the curve.
[42] “You don’t gotta lie. Remember who you talkin’ to. The girl who healed your boo-boos when
we were kids.”
[43] “Uh-huh. Which is why this is so funny — the girl who taught me how to tie my shoes so I
wouldn’t hurt myself is now... hurting me,” Dante said, through his teeth.
[44] “Ah, so it does hurt.”
[45] “It hurts, Shay. It hurts. It didn’t at first, but now it does.”
© Houston ISD Curriculum 2023-2024 3
[46] “Just don’t think about it. Take your mind off of it.”
[47] “Um... I can’t. I mean, what you want me to think about? I can’t think of nothing except for
the fact that my arm’s on fire!” Dante now clinched his jaw and squirmed on the rough clay step.
He was doing his best not to quit, to keep his word and go through with this even though he was
regretting it more and more each second.
[48] “Okay, okay.” Shay stared up at the sky, thinking. “How ʼbout... You remember when you
told me you loved me?”
[49] “The first time?”
[50] “No. We were five. That ain’t count. You told everybody you loved them back then. You
used to kiss your juice boxes after you drank them and tell the straw the same thing.” Shay
shook her head.
[51] “I did love juice boxes, though.” Dante shrugged. “Seriously, straws are made for kissing!”
[52] “Whatever.” Shay shook her head again. “I’m talking about the first time you told me forreal.
In the ninth grade.”
[53] A smile crept onto Dante’s face. A perforated smile, interrupted every few seconds by a
grimace. Partly due to the burn from the eraser, partly due to the burn from the memory. “Yeah.
It was part of our secret handshake at first. Two claps, a pound, one clap, a dap, then ‘I love
you’ from the both of us.”
[54] “Exactly, and we had been friends so long that it was no big deal. Like family. Until one
day...” She was scrubbing his skin vigorously with the eraser, now coming into the second
curve. Almost done.
[55] “Until...” Dante’s words caught in his throat, overtaken by a painful hiss. “Until one day I hit
you with the smooth okey-doke.”
[56] “Wasn’t no okey-doke!” Shay teased. “You dapped me, and we both said ‘I love you,’ like
usual, except you wouldn’t let go. And you had this wild look in your eye like my face was lunch
or something.”
How do you think the act of creating a permanent mark (the eraser tattoo) on Dante
reflects on their personal relationship and societal perceptions?
By Jason Reynolds
Available on CommonLit. Licensed under CC-BY-NC-SA-4.0.
“Yeah... and, just so you know... um... it’s starting to burn.”
“Am I not worth the pain?” Shay tightened her face, cut her eyes at Dante playfully.
“Whatever, Shay. Ain’t like you getting my initial. So don’t give me that.”
“Come on, Dante. Let’s be real — ”
Just then, she was interrupted, not by Dante, or by any sound. Just by the other new tenant —
the white man from the truck, cradling a big box, waddling up the stoop. Dante scooted a little
more to the left, this time to let the guy pass before he was bowled over.
Shay picked up her thought. “Let’s be real,” she said. “What if we break up?” And before Dante
could interject with all the reasons they wouldn’t, and why would you even think like that, Shay
added, “Not that we will or that I want that, because I don’t. But... what if we do? Then I gotta
have that ugly D on my arm forever.” [39] “Whatever, Shay.” Dante winced as the eraser broke the skin, and the two people trotted
past them, back down the steps. Back to the truck.
[40] “Hurt?” Shay asked slyly.
[41] “A little,” Dante lied. It hurt! Like someone was trying to strike a match on his flesh. He
glanced down at his arm, the eraser rolling back the brown as Shay started on the curve.
[42] “You don’t gotta lie. Remember who you talkin’ to. The girl who healed your boo-boos when
we were kids.”
[43] “Uh-huh. Which is why this is so funny — the girl who taught me how to tie my shoes so I
wouldn’t hurt myself is now... hurting me,” Dante said, through his teeth.
[44] “Ah, so it does hurt.”
[45] “It hurts, Shay. It hurts. It didn’t at first, but now it does.”
© Houston ISD Curriculum 2023-2024 3
[46] “Just don’t think about it. Take your mind off of it.”
[47] “Um... I can’t. I mean, what you want me to think about? I can’t think of nothing except for
the fact that my arm’s on fire!” Dante now clinched his jaw and squirmed on the rough clay step.
He was doing his best not to quit, to keep his word and go through with this even though he was
regretting it more and more each second.
[48] “Okay, okay.” Shay stared up at the sky, thinking. “How ʼbout... You remember when you
told me you loved me?”
[49] “The first time?”
[50] “No. We were five. That ain’t count. You told everybody you loved them back then. You
used to kiss your juice boxes after you drank them and tell the straw the same thing.” Shay
shook her head.
[51] “I did love juice boxes, though.” Dante shrugged. “Seriously, straws are made for kissing!”
[52] “Whatever.” Shay shook her head again. “I’m talking about the first time you told me forreal.
In the ninth grade.”
[53] A smile crept onto Dante’s face. A perforated smile, interrupted every few seconds by a
grimace. Partly due to the burn from the eraser, partly due to the burn from the memory. “Yeah.
It was part of our secret handshake at first. Two claps, a pound, one clap, a dap, then ‘I love
you’ from the both of us.”
[54] “Exactly, and we had been friends so long that it was no big deal. Like family. Until one
day...” She was scrubbing his skin vigorously with the eraser, now coming into the second
curve. Almost done.
[55] “Until...” Dante’s words caught in his throat, overtaken by a painful hiss. “Until one day I hit
you with the smooth okey-doke.”
[56] “Wasn’t no okey-doke!” Shay teased. “You dapped me, and we both said ‘I love you,’ like
usual, except you wouldn’t let go. And you had this wild look in your eye like my face was lunch
or something.”
How do you think the act of creating a permanent mark (the eraser tattoo) on Dante
reflects on their personal relationship and societal perceptions?
Answers
GPT-4o mini
The act of creating a permanent mark—symbolized by the "eraser tattoo" in Jason Reynolds' excerpt—serves as a powerful metaphor for the complexities of Dante and Shay's relationship as well as the broader societal perceptions tied to love, pain, and permanence.
1. **Personal Relationship**:
- **Commitment and Vulnerability**: The process of getting an eraser tattoo, which is painful and significantly alters Dante's skin, suggests a level of commitment and vulnerability in their relationship. This shared experience reflects their deep bond and the transition from childhood friends to romantic partners. Shay’s insistence on the tattoo highlights her desire for a tangible symbol of their connection, while Dante's pain indicates the real sacrifices often required in a relationship.
- **Fear of Loss**: Shay's concern about potential breakup underscores the fears that can accompany deepening relationships. The temporary nature of tattoos (often perceived as permanent, but created with an eraser) reflects how love can feel both lasting and fleeting. Their playful banter about the tattoo also hints at the innocence and complexities of young love, showcasing how both individuals navigate their emotions.
2. **Societal Perceptions**:
- **Stigmas Surrounding Tattoos**: In broader society, tattoos can be seen as expressions of identity or commitment, but they can also carry negative connotations depending on the context. This mirrors how young love is often viewed—impulsive, fleeting, or not taken seriously by adults. The eraser tattoo symbolizes that struggle; while it’s a declaration of love, it could also be dismissed by outsiders as a reckless act of youthful impulse.
- **Expectations of Permanence**: The concept of a tattoo represents a societal expectation for relationships to be enduring and committed. Shay’s anxiety about the tattoo being “ugly” if they break up highlights the pressure young couples often feel to ensure that their relationships meet societal standards, where love is expected to be lasting and free from conflict.
In conclusion, the act of creating an eraser tattoo encapsulates the interplay of intimacy, fear of loss, and societal expectations surrounding relationships. It emphasizes how personal experiences can mirror broader societal values, illustrating the complexities of love, identity, and commitment in a nuanced, relatable manner.
1. **Personal Relationship**:
- **Commitment and Vulnerability**: The process of getting an eraser tattoo, which is painful and significantly alters Dante's skin, suggests a level of commitment and vulnerability in their relationship. This shared experience reflects their deep bond and the transition from childhood friends to romantic partners. Shay’s insistence on the tattoo highlights her desire for a tangible symbol of their connection, while Dante's pain indicates the real sacrifices often required in a relationship.
- **Fear of Loss**: Shay's concern about potential breakup underscores the fears that can accompany deepening relationships. The temporary nature of tattoos (often perceived as permanent, but created with an eraser) reflects how love can feel both lasting and fleeting. Their playful banter about the tattoo also hints at the innocence and complexities of young love, showcasing how both individuals navigate their emotions.
2. **Societal Perceptions**:
- **Stigmas Surrounding Tattoos**: In broader society, tattoos can be seen as expressions of identity or commitment, but they can also carry negative connotations depending on the context. This mirrors how young love is often viewed—impulsive, fleeting, or not taken seriously by adults. The eraser tattoo symbolizes that struggle; while it’s a declaration of love, it could also be dismissed by outsiders as a reckless act of youthful impulse.
- **Expectations of Permanence**: The concept of a tattoo represents a societal expectation for relationships to be enduring and committed. Shay’s anxiety about the tattoo being “ugly” if they break up highlights the pressure young couples often feel to ensure that their relationships meet societal standards, where love is expected to be lasting and free from conflict.
In conclusion, the act of creating an eraser tattoo encapsulates the interplay of intimacy, fear of loss, and societal expectations surrounding relationships. It emphasizes how personal experiences can mirror broader societal values, illustrating the complexities of love, identity, and commitment in a nuanced, relatable manner.