In chapters 5-6, we learn more about our main characters and their backgrounds. We also learn why the book is named “The Pinballs”. Carlie makes the comparison between herself, Harvey, and Thomas J to the pinballs in a pinball machine. She claims that they’re always sitting there waiting for another person to put in a dime and send them bouncing out of their control.

Has there ever been a time in your life when you felt like a pinball and your life was out of your control? Explain that experience and whether or not you think you truly did not have the option of changing that situation.