The Twenty-One Balloons

by William Pene du Bois

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Discussion Topic

Summary and Focus of Early Chapters in The Twenty-One Balloons

Summary:

In William Pène du Bois's The Twenty-One Balloons, Chapter Two focuses on Professor Sherman's journey to San Francisco to share his balloon adventure with the Western American Explorers' Club, amidst a city decorated with balloons. Chapter Three describes his arrival and preparations for the journey, emphasizing his desire for solitude and the innovative design of his large balloon and basket. The chapter highlights his plans to stay airborne for a year and the trial run before his departure.

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What is the main focus of Chapter Two in The Twenty-One Balloons?

Professor Sherman, having insisted on telling the amazing tale of his balloon adventure to the Western American Explorers' Club first, is on his way to San Francisco on the Presidential train. In preparation for his arrival, the city is decorating with balloons of all shapes and sizes, with some hilarious results. For example, the large balloons adorning the cupola atop the Explorers' Club building pull the dome right off the building and carry it to an Indian Reservation to the East, where it is made into a new house for the chief! A young boy notes that the Professor may have beaten the longstanding record for circumnavigating the world in eighty days by half, multiplying the atmosphere of speculation and excitement. The chapter ends when the train finally arrives with its long-awaited guest.

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How would you summarize Chapter 3 of The Twenty-One Balloons by William Pene du Bois?

Chapter 3 opens with Professor Sherman arriving in San Francisco via the US President's train. The whole city of San Francisco celebrates his return, and the mayor whisks him away to the auditorium of the Western American Explorers' Club in San Francisco, where he can relay his adventure travel story. The rest of the chapter details his preparations for his journey.

Two important details about his preparations concern his balloon and basket design. He explains that, having been an arithmetic teacher for 40 years, he grew tired of being around people because of all the pranks his pupils played. Therefore, he thought of taking a balloon trip to stay far away from people for hopefully "one full year" (p. 40). Since he wanted to be up in the air for as close to a year as possible, he knew he needed to design a very large balloon. He studied the designs of other balloonists, such as of the French balloonist Giffard, and designed a balloon that was "ten times the size of a standard balloon" and made with "four alternating thicknesses of rubber and silk" (p. 40). He also used the idea of French balloonist Nadar to design a basket house rather than a standard basket. He also made plans for stocking and replenishing provisions. After his balloon was built by the Higgins Balloon Factory, he took it for a trial run then set sail from San Francisco on August 15th.

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