Columbine Theme Essay

A possible theme for the novel would be to keep moving forward. Bad things are bound to

happen; people must learn to keep moving forward and not dwell on the negative. Throughout

the novel stories are told of the victims’ families and survivors trying to keep living their lives

and move past the horror that happened at Columbine. The novel shows many examples of

people who have not only moved past this experience but have strived and became successful.

The novel also has examples of people who have dwelled on the past and have become bitter

and stuck. The theme of the novel is to move past the bad and keep moving toward a better

future.

B. Physically, Dylan was tall and had curly hair that was a little on the long side.

It was difficult for me to read about the treatment of Eric and Dylan’s parents.

The lack of sympathy for people who lost their kids mentally, emotionally, and physically was

hard to see. I remember most about the novel is descriptions of everyone who had died in

Columbine. It made them more like real people and less like a horror story. It allowed me to

connect emotionally with everyone mentioned in the novel.

D. I do not believe this novel glorifies Eric and Dylan. Though the novel allows the reader to step

inside Eric and Dylan’s minds and emotions, it states facts. The novel also shows the damage

Eric and Dylan caused to everyone. It shows how people despise them and their parents. I do

not believe this novel will produce copycats. If someone wanted to copy Eric and Dylan they

would have to do a lot more research because the novel does not focus on the boys but rather

almost every person effected by Columbine. However, it is possible for this novel to fuel an

already blooming copycat simply because of the fact that is does offer the references the

The fact that they were focused on this evil plan and

prom at the same time makes it nearly impossible to understand.

F. I think Dylan changed more in the last two years than Eric. Eric always knew was not good, but

Dylan always tried to be the good son and friend that was expected of him. He was depressed

which got worse over the years and he was desperate to end it all. When he was released for

the Divergence program things really shifted. His thoughts shifted to the plan as the one way

that he could commit suicide and end his pain. Dylan was an emotional person so when he was

angry it was bad; now Dylan was angry at the world. He shifted from only wanting to hurt

himself to killing people at Columbine. Dylan quit caring about pleasing anyone and just focused

on the plan.

G. I think that the killers are to blame because they committed the act, but I also blame to sheriff

department in Jeffco because they had multiple opportunities to stop it before it ever started.

The Brown’s filed many complaints about Eric that should have point to major evidence, but

they ignored everything. There was hardcore evidence that Eric was making bombs