Section: Literature and Composition

33) View Additional Information

Why is "sabbatical" the "dirtiest word" for the children of college professors?

1. Because it means that your parents are always around.
2. Because it means you have to constantly uproot your life every few years.
3. Because it is a strange religious ritual that kids find boring.
4. Because it means the family will have to do without money until sabbatical is over.
5. Because it means the narrator will have to go to Germany.

While the narrator does seem somewhat annoyed by the constant presence of her parents, it's not that that makes "sabbatical" such a dirty word. Rather it's the fact that she has to get used to a new location and make new friends every time her parents move.