Swallowing Stones Analysis

In Swallowing Stones, the Fourth of July is a magical holiday all over our country, and a lot of people love to shoot off their guns to celebrate. Michael Mackenzie shoots off his new rifle into the air thinking nothing of it; Suddenly, four blocks away, Charlie Ward looks down at his daughter then collapses. However, In The Wave, Gordon High School has a teacher who takes his authority way too far in an experiment with his students that turns the whole school. This now gives Laurie Saunders a choice, stay true to herself, or do what everyone else is doing. However, The Wave doesn’t happen everyday, accidental shootings do. High school is a very tricky time, and students have so much to learn, especially about life. Also, they do not know enough

Swallowing Stones is only one example of an accidental shooting caused by uneducated shooters, but there are so many more. “I never imagined this could happen”, Eric Rivera said. “He was standing right next to me when he fell.” Eric is referring to a man named Javier Rivera, who was killed instantly when a stray bullet struck him in the back of the head. No one even heard the gunshot, Javier and his family were just enjoying the New Year’s fireworks. “If people would just remember, don’t shoot guns. You know once it comes up, it’s got to come down.” Peterson says (Crea, Jacquelin). This is a major problem in today’s society, which is why teens would benefit from reading Swallowing Stones and openly discussing it. Teenagers do not know enough about gun safety, but most have shot a gun before. Michael, and the man who shot Javier Rivera, both forgot the one major rule in gun safety; never shoot without a backstop. Guns are not to be taken lightly, yet parents give them to their kids without teaching them the rules and dangers of it. Some parents just completely avoid the topic of guns as a whole, and their kids find a way to

Ranging from individuality to self acceptance in difficult times. The Wave shows students why it’s important to learn about history, because history can repeat itself, and it has. It also teaches students to question your authority when you know something they’re doing is wrong. The Nazi’s followed Hitler blindly, doing what they were told when they were told, much like Mr. Ross’s students. Fascism is an important topic to learn about as well, because in the United States we have so many freedoms and rights that other countries don’t have. The Wave also offers topics to discuss like what loyalty truly is in all different aspects; self-loyalty, group loyalty, or the dark sense of loyalty Ben Ross leads with. Laurie Saunders also shows people how to stand up for yourself even when no one stands with you, which is something all teens struggle