Chapter 2: The Medal in the Cabinet from "The Boy at the Top of The Mountain"

Pierrot arrives at the Durand sisters' orphanage, feeling apprehensive after leaving his mother and friend behind. The contrasting personalities of the sisters, Adèle and Simone, shape his new environment. Pierrot struggles with grief over his mother's death and worries about his future as an orphan. A mystery surrounding a medal in a cabinet introduces deeper themes and unresolved stories, amplifying Pierrot's feelings of loneliness and longing for belonging.

1. Before Reading the Chapter: Activating Schema.

Activity: First Impressions, First Feelings

orphanage – loss – belonging – secrets – identity

Work in pairs and choose two words to predict:

• What role these ideas might play in the chapter
• How a child might feel if surrounded by them

2. Character Focus

Activity: Two Sisters, Two Worlds

Complete a Venn diagram comparing Simone and Adèle: personality traits, the ways they treat Pierrot and what they hide vs. what they show.

ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTION: Which sister do you think Pierrot trusts more? Why? 

Support your answers with evidence from the book.

3. Vocabulary & Inference

Activity: Reading Between the Lines

emotional weight - protectively reacts - not as rosy as portrayed - grapples silently

1. Rewrite each phrase in simpler language.

2. Explain what the phrase reveals about Pierrot’s emotions or the orphanage atmosphere.

4. Symbolism: “The Medal in the Cabinet”

1. Why do you think the medal is kept in a cabinet?
2. Why does Simone react so strongly to it?
3. What could the medal symbolise? Write one sentence beginning with: The medal represents…

5. Themes & Discussion

Activity: Belonging or Being Alone?

In pairs, discuss the following questions, find evidence in the text to support your answers:

1. How does Pierrot feel about belonging at the orphanage?
2. What moments show he feels like an outsider?
3. How do prejudice and labels (example: gentile) affect him?

Follow-up: Can you link Pierrot’s experience to real-life situations? 

6. Writing Task: Pierrot’s Silent Voice

Write a short diary entry from Pierrot’s perspective on his first night at the orphanage. Include:

1. One memory from Paris
2. One fear about the orphanage
3. One question about his future

Use sensory language: sounds, shadows, silence.

7. Reflection: One Line That Lingers

Use a post-it note and complete this sentence:

After this chapter, I think Pierrot is most afraid of….