Student Question
What does Officer Delinko reveal about himself when asking Mr. Eberhardt for a note?
Quick answer:
Officer Delinko reveals a willingness to leverage personal connections to advance his career when he asks Mr. Eberhardt for a letter of praise. This request highlights his desire to become a detective and his readiness to seek shortcuts rather than relying solely on hard work. Additionally, it is revealed that Delinko previously fell asleep at a construction site, which led to his squad car being spray-painted. His request also shows desperation and a pushy attitude.
Officer Delinko reveals something about his past and something about his integrity when he asks Mr. Eberhardt to write him a letter of praise for his personnel file.
By asking for the letter, Officer Delinko reveals that he is willing to use the concept of "it's not what you know, but who you know that's important" to his advantage. Delinko wants to be detective in a bad way, and he is willing to look for shortcuts to get there. That doesn't make him a bad person, but it does show that he is willing to use other people's influence to further his career instead of personal hard work and diligence.
The specific part of his past that it reveals is that he is the officer that fell asleep at the construction site. He was there investigating something on his own time, which is good, but while asleep in the...
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squad car, it was spray painted.
What does Officer Delinko reveal by asking Mr. Eberhardt for a note for his file?
The first time that this topic comes up, Officer Delinko does not actually ask Mr. Eberhardt. Officer Delinko first asks Roy to ask his dad to write a letter of recommendation about Officer Delinko to any of the police superiors. Being a typical teenager, Roy does not remember to do this.
Delinko will eventually meet with Mr. Eberhardt near the end of chapter 11. Delinko asks Mr. Eberhardt if Roy mentioned the letter writing request. Roy's father admits that Roy did not mention anything, so Delinko asks if Mr. Eberhardt would be willing to write a note saying that he appreciated the help that Delinko gave the the family. Mr. Eberhardt is not thrilled at the conversation, and he lets his lack of enthusiasm show; however, he doesn't give a flat "no" either. Delinko then thanks Mr. Eberhardt and reveals that he thinks that Mr. Eberhardt is a federal agent. That is never confirmed for readers. All we know is that Mr. Eberhardt works for the Department of Justice in some capacity. Delinko also reveals that he is trying to get ahead and even a little note might help. The brief exchange also shows readers that Delinko is a bit desperate and even a tad pushy about his own career.
Roy's father made no effort to conceal his lack of enthusiasm. He was running out of tolerance for the pushy young cop.