It is wierd, I find myself so different from the Skeez, Bobby, Addie and Joe but at the same time there are parts of me who feel like I am them. Who hasn't been mistreated or seen others mistreated or even been the one doing the mistreating? All of the names those four have been called I have said, have heard or have been called and that is sad. I found myself judging each of the charaters in the book before I really knew them. Like Bobby found out, is this really what it is like to know somebody? Bobby also said somthing else that really struck me. On page 46 "..thinking of somebody as 100% human seriously gets in the way of hating them." I found that passage so powerful. When you don't know somebody or you find yourself judging them do you really know them or are you just lableing them so that they fit into your "catagories" and make your life easier. I know one thing for sure, getting to really know somebody and learning to care for them does make it really hard to hate them. I am excited to see where the book turns next. And why is Ms. Wyman such a BITCH!?
travis, i really appreciate your honesty! what you're saying about name-calling (no matter what role you play) is really true. it scares me how easy it is for kids to stop seeing other kids (or even adults, although i guess that's to be expected) as human...especially when they're so much alike. and even though the book is weirdly unrealistic, which makes it hard to relate too, it's still totally universal i think. and oh my gosh, i totally know what you meant about wyman! i kind of wish he'd explained that but maybe his point was not to.
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