The novel opens with two questions: “Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth? Does anyone say no?”(1). The questions are followed by a district-wide memo by Assistant Principal Palleni on conducting morning announcements. During the announcements, students are to “rise and stand at respectful, silent attention for the playing of our national anthem”(1). 

The chapter opens with a diary entry from Philip Malloy, who is excited because the track coach said that with Philip’s help, the track team may well win state championships this year. Philip also hears the welcome news that a girl in his English class, Allison Doresett, likes him. The only thing that Philip is not excited about is being in Ms. Narwin’s English class because the teacher is boring and does not find his jokes amusing.

The next document in the chapter is a letter from twenty-one-year teaching veteran Margaret “Peg” Narwin to her sister Anita about how challenging it is to reach her students these days. The most challenging student for her is Philip, who cracks jokes in class and refuses to take her English course seriously. Maybe, she muses, it is time to take Anita up on her offer and retire to Florida where Anita and her husband live.