A race Peanut gag, Sally getting help with her homework from her favorite older brother, Charlie Brown, has had many comic strips throughout the comics. It was and is incredibly common for older siblings to help younger siblings with homework, making the Charlie Brown and Sally comic strips endlessly relatable.
That being said, Sally isn't always the most receptive or appreciative of her help. Likewise, Sally tends to make some unique mistakes that are completely in line with Sally and her personality. As a result, the running joke Peanut of Sally misunderstanding a lot of things also remains strong in the homework comics, with she always has her own view of things that don't quite align with reality.
10
“Oh!”
October 6, 1965
Charlie Brown enlists Linus to help Sally with her”new math“homework, only for her to reject the help since she doesn't see the point in learning mathematics because she says she will be a housewife when she grows up. Linus counters Sally's argument with a perfectly reasonable rebuttal, which she merely laughs at, leaving the usually eloquent Linus speechless.
Although the new math of 2024 may look different from the new math of 1965, the term, as well as the confusion and annoyance it creates, have remained timeless.
Although Sally constantly pesters Charlie Brown to help him with his homework, she is the first to fight it when someone actually offers her help for a change. Apparently, beggars can be choosers. It’s interesting to note that this comic is from 1965 – 59 years ago – and “new math” is still discussed today. Although the new math of 2024 may look different from the new math of 1965, the term, as well as the confusion and annoyance it creates, have remained timeless.
9
“I can't wait to see what comes next…”
December 13, 1972
While Sally does her homework on unit conversions, Charlie Brown is a dutiful big brother and sits by to make sure she is doing everything correctly. Unfortunately, sitting still while she does her work isn't the most interesting way to pass the time, but Sally makes this interesting when she misunderstands a form of measurement, thinking it is called “grandfather.“ Charlie Brown's interest is renewed by this eccentric error, and he sits anxiously, waiting to see what Sally will say next.
It's a shame she made such a mistake, because She was doing great until the “grandfather“inappropriate name. The upside to Sally's misunderstanding is that Charlie Brown is thoroughly entertained. Although his error amounts to egregiousness, one can see where it comes from, with “grandfather“having gram as decigram and milligram. Basically, any word with gram is not off limits for Sally.
8
“Eighty!”
May 25, 1994
Sally has asked Charlie Brown for help with her homework more times than one can count. When Sally asks for his help once again with her homework, he reluctantly agrees, but explains to her that at some point he will no longer be around to help her, so she shouldn't trust him so much. He questions how long she thinks she will need his helpto which Sally responds that when she turns eighty she will no longer need his help.
One can blame Sally for saying such a big number, but at least she is very honest. Sally's young age makes her feel like she will always need her older brother's help.even before the age of 80, at which point she cannot imagine receiving his assistance. For Sally's (and Charlie Brown's) sake, we hope that having to do math homework in her seventies isn't in her future.
7
“So much for higher thinking”
May 4, 1973
Writing dictation “Butterflies are free” and what does this mean for a homework assignment, Sally gives an answer that tells everyone that she didn't understand the saying, which Charlie Brown immediately notices. Sally can't see how her answer might not be what her teacher is looking for because she says that the quote doesn't really require much higher thought, which isn't particularly true.
She thinks the saying “Butterflies are free“means they don't cost any moneyso everyone can have as many butterflies as they want. Instead, the saying is about the desire for freedom from restrictions and freedom. As a result, Sally was no closer to correctly understanding the meaning of the saying. Then again, we must wonder why such an advanced question is being asked of an elementary school student.
6
“You can, if you force it!”
December 26, 1967
Mathematics is a challenging subject for many children around the world, and Sally Brown is no exception. Trying to teach Sally about division, Charlie Brown starts to lose his cool because she isn't following the rules of numbers. Instead of listening to her older brother and following the rules of mathematics, she reasons that fifty can actually fit into twenty-five…”if you push.“
Compared to the most neurotic Peanut children, Sally is the most traditionally childish in her behavior and thinking, with this comic being a perfect example of this trend. She wants the rules of mathematics to adapt to her perspective, not the other way aroundwhich is a common desire for children under a certain age. Likewise, Sally likes to do things her way, which is evidenced by this comic and her strategy with math.
5
“Ricardo Moby”
May 24, 1976
Book reports are a common assignment for school-age children like Sally. Tasked with writing a report on Moby Dick by Herman Melville, Sally misunderstands – as always – and thinks the book is Dick Moby. Charlie Brown, being the good homework helper that he is, corrects her, letting her know that Dick Moby is wrong. She questions the title of the book and then thinks the correct title could be Richard Moby, playing on the fact that Dick is a common nickname for Richard.
Most of the time, Sally misunderstands or confuses things, a trait that always shows up in her schoolwork and homework. Although Charlie Brown always tries to help, sometimes even he is surprised by her messes, especially when they are truly out of this world, as this comic illustrates. Fortunately, he corrects his younger sister before she turns in her report.
4
“The Icy Wrath of My Teacher”
October 31, 1995
Given how often Charlie Brown has to help Sally with her homework, it's more than understandable that he would want a night off for a change. He tells his younger sister that he wants to watch something on TV, so he can't help her with her homework that night. Sally takes the loss, but decides to leave a few words for her brother first, letting him know in the most dramatic way possible that she will look elsewhere for help to protect her from her teacher's “problem”icy rage.“
Unable to shake off the guilt, Charlie Brown is seen in the next panel helping Sally after all. Poor Charlie Brown can't watch the show, but I hope Sally at least gets a decent grade on her homework thanks to her big brother's help.
3
“Eternity is a long time”
November 26, 1977
Looking at her school book, Sally is desperate for help with her homework, thinking there's no way she can do it alone. Trying to keep her brother away from the TV, she tells him that she would be extremely grateful – “eternally grateful” – if he would help her. Charlie Brown lets her know that eternity is too long a time to maintain her gratitude, which leads Sally to rethink her gratitude schedule and revise it to just most of Sunday afternoon.
Most of a Sunday afternoon is better than nothing, but the question remains whether he will help Sally. leave with your work. Given Charlie Brown's helpful nature and Sally's propensity for feelings of guilt, it is likely that he will help her; he just wants her to know not to give checks she can't cash, like being grateful for an eternity.
2
“Why should this bother you?”
March 29, 1974
Practicing her cursive writing, Sally has fun doing things her way, which can sometimes drive Charlie Brown crazy. In an earlier strip, she even likes making a cursive G so much that she wants to frame it. Sally writes a lot of arabesques, but Charlie Brown can't tell what they are. Sally explains that she wrote “U and W”, but her older brother explains that she shouldn't have managed them together the way she did.
Charlie Brown doesn't really have an answer for her, mainly because it's impossible to fight such impeccable childish logic.
Since this is Sally, she refutes his words of advice, giving him the answer that If it doesn't bother the letters to stick together, then it shouldn't bother Charlie Brown. That's fair, Sally. Charlie Brown doesn't really have an answer for her, mainly because it's impossible to fight such impeccable childish logic. Whenever Sally struggles with Charlie Brown's help, we wonder why she asks him for help with her homework.
1
“When I saw everything I had to do, I got sick!”
January 30, 1986
Sally goes to Charlie Brown for help with her homework because she doesn't feel well. Charlie Brown is a good and caring brother, so he agrees to help and asks why she isn't feeling well. Sally explains that when she saw the homework, she felt bad. She wouldn't be the first or last child to feel bad about an overwhelming homework assignment.
Any child can relate to the feeling of unease Sally feels thanks to her bad feelings about homework – to the point of a physiological response to homework. Consequently, the strip remains something that children, whether in 1986 or 2024, can understand and relate to, as they have felt the same way at one time or another. Although Sally definitely feels bad, she tied Peanut possess Charlie Brown through some unintentionally sneaky pretensions.