We all wish we could turn back the clock, do something different, for it's impossible to change what we've done, but not what we plan to do. Jimmy Valentine, master safe cracker and criminal, got busted and sent to prison for what was supposed to be a ten-year sentence. After just four months of his sentence, he was let out and went straight back to his old habits. Not long after getting out Jimmy comes across a girl that changes his life forever, but abstaining from his old ways would seem near impossible for him. Fortunate for Jimmy he’s honest about changing his life; he moved to a town, established a serious relationship, and was honest to himself and others about changing his ways, all to life a moral life.
Jimmy moved away from his
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old town, leaving his old life behind with it. In this new town Jimmy opened a shoe business that became very successful, “ He opened a shoe store and secured a good run of trade.” While the business may not be able to bring the thrill that cracking safes did, it brings him closure knowing that he has a purpose in this town that he didn't in his old one. Being in the shoe business allowed to Jimmy to create new friendships that he never experienced in his old town, “ Socially he was also a success, and made many friends.” Having many close friends near him developed this “new” life safe cracking wasn’t a part of. Moving to this new town gave Jimmy something he never felt, importance, “ ...secured a good run of trade.” The people that he’s in business with rely on him and his new friends that he's met, he matters to them. As a safe cracker, he never had anyone who cared about who or what he did like these people do. It’s possible for Jimmy to change, he just needs people to help him do it. After moving to this new town, Jimmy established a serious relationship with Miss Annabel Adams. He felt comfortable around the Adam’s family, “ He was as much at home in the family of Mr. Adams and that of Annabels married sister as if he were already a member.” He’s so comfortable around the other family, he feels accepted. He wouldn't abandon this acceptance into a family, into society, and go back to his own ways. He was so determined to start a new life with Annabel that he planned on marrying her, “ He was going to Little Rock that day to order his wedding suit and buy something nice for Annabel.” The love he felt for Annabel was genuine and not a fluke, he couldn't have had any intention of bailing out or using the relationship as a cover when he was devoting himself to Annabel. Toward the end of the story Jimmy goes all or nothing in risking his identity, his future for Annabel, “ Get away from the door, all of you,” he commanded shortly.” He was willing to blow his identity to not let Annabel down, in doing so saving the girls. Jimmy Valentine is a dedicated man, no longer to safecracking, but to Annabel Adams. The first step, and the most important one Jimmy had to do in order to live a moral life was be honest about changing his was not only to others, but to himself too.
Soon after seeing Annabel he writes to a friend saying he wishes to give up the business and that, “I want to make you a present of my kit of tools.” Jimmy was prepared to give up his tools in an effort to stop his safe cracking, without his thousands of dollars worth of hard to come by tools and gadgets he won't be able to crack any safes. While sending the letter telling his friend of his plans, he states that, “ It’s the only life, Billy -- the straight one. I wouldn't touch a dollar of another man’s money now for a million.” Knowing that no police are reading this letter you can tell that he isn't just writing it to confuse the cops, he’s being sincere. After revealing his identity in front of the detective Jimmy is quick to give himself up, “ Guess you're mistaken, Mr. Spencer,” he said, ” Don't believe I recognize you. Your buggies waiting for you, isn't it?” When Jimmy was willing to give himself up to Ben Price, Price realized too that he was being honest as to becoming clean. You have to stop lying to yourself in the first place, before you can …show more content…
change. While people may say that Jimmy Valentine was just using Annabel to get i the bank he proved through his actions of giving up his tools, marrying Annabel, and never having thoughts of betraying Annabel that he didn't have plans on using her.
Jimmy Valentine was about to give up his tools and if he had wanted to rob them, he wouldn't have rid himself of his tools. Jimmy was set on marrying Annabel. Jimmy Valentine is a master at cracking safes, he wouldn't have to marry Annabel in order to rob the bank. Jimmy never once had thoughts of betraying Annabel, since the story is in the third person, all of the thoughts of Jimmy Valentine are stated. If he had thought of betrayal the story would have stated so. A man that's as devoted as Jimmy, is the kind of man that can outgrow his old ways.
Jimmy Valentine persevered and through relocating, Annabel, and being honest about changing his ways he was able to live a moral life. Master safe cracker to married, shoe company owner, even the worst people can change. While we aren’t able to change the past we can still change ourselves , here in the
present.
People change everyday, whether it is from good to bad or for the better. People often say to themselves, maybe, if I didn't do “blank” this wouldn't have happened. However, the reality is, it happened, and there is no way to change that. Why go around throwing maybe’s around if you cannot change it? Authors purposefully make readers ask those questions. Authors love to create complex characters, characters that go through change. In Ellen Hopkins’ book, Crank, is the perfect example. Ellen Hopkins writes from her own daughter's perspective, Kristina, on how “the monster” changed her own life and her family's life.
People can change their ways overtime in a positive way. Everyone has experienced change once in their life. Some people have acknowledged change over the course of life in a positive way or a negative way. Throughout the novel “The First Stone” by Don Aker, the main character Reef alters his ways a lot positively. Reef is a teenager who changes his lifestyle and makes a huge impact in his life after he meets Leeza. This novel develops the fact that people can change in a beneficial way, no matter what situation they are in.
Tom is a very ambitious person when it comes to his work. He is caught up in getting a promotion from work by doing a project. Tom just focuses on the “big picture,” which is his future, rather than the “small picture,” which is what his wife is doing. This trait changes at the end when he decides to go to the movies with his wife. When the paper flew out the window for the second time, he realized that he can do the paper over again but he can never take back that one specific night he could have spent with his wife.
The novel Tangerine, written by Edward Bloor, perfectly demonstrates how a character can change their ways and learn lessons. When the protagonist, Paul Fisher, was first introduced, he was a shy, quiet kid, who never tried to change his situation. He has a terrible relationship with his brother, Erik, and is literally terrified of him and what he will do to him. In the beginning of the book, he was moving from Houston, Texas to his new home in Tangerine, Florida. In his fresh start to life in Tangerine, he learns that he shouldn’t be scared, and that he needs to start standing up for himself and letting his voice, thoughts, and opinions be heard. Even though Paul starts off scared, afraid, intimidated, and full of self doubt, he learns that he needs to change his ways and attitude towards his life, and to take action to make things right.
The rebuilding of a person can pose as a counteractive move to her safety where concessions that may seem insignificant may have one effect, while refusal to make such compromises have the potential of and equal and opposite outcome. Rebels are born, not made. This illustrates how the consequences of ...
All in all, Kerman’s year sentence in jail opened her eyes to some of the many problems within the federal prison system. She witnessed favoritism, abuse, health violations, etc. that helped her realize that she never wanted to go back to prison, despite all the true friendships she made. Through her use of rhetoric, mainly ethos, Kerman showed her audience a firsthand account of what an actual prison sentence is like. She also explored the idea of how one bad decision can change a person’s life forever.
Just as Johnny’s courage shines through so does his fast maturity from child to adult. His childhood was stolen away from him by his illness but instead of sulking he pulls himself together. He takes every difficulty in stride, and gets through them. Even when he is feeling down he hides it for he does not want anyone else to feel his pain. Being a seventeen year old boy he wants to do the things all other seventeen year old boys do.
...d few such as Anna, Stella, and Alice who broke free of the poison, lived their lives as Sam Toms’ did who rooted the family. They as he did lied, cheated, manipuled, and kept secrets to try to live a happy life which in actuality their lives were anything but.
Jake has experience lying to people “he took a moment or two to feel both proud and sad about his performance” (250). Unfortunately, Jake never learns his lesson “His sense of freedom swelled as he drove into the now moving street traffic, though he couldn’t stop the thought about that FM stereo radio and crushes velvet interior and the new car smell that would even make it better” (250). Jake continuous down the road he thinks is going to get him everything he wants, even though he has no job or insurance.
Initially, Jimmy Cross started his mission with a distorted image in his head, which lead to his amazing turn around in the end. Jimmy cross had to learn the hard way, that fantasies aren’t real, they are just thoughts the mind wants to believe. He soon learned what reality was, even though it wasn’t the easiest or most of all pleasurable, way to figure out the truth. Ted Lavender’s death was a blessing in the sense that Jimmy turned his whole life around and started to focus on what support to give his men to succeed and be better survivors, than Ted Lavender was. Jimmy cared for his men towards the end, that lead him to understand what love is. “Love”, is a very powerful word, that has the power and prestige to make some people zone out of their own world and live in fantasy land, as did Jimmy. Jimmy cross carried integrity and grace in the beginning of the story, but by the end added faith and hope to his nap sack that helped him become a better person for his men.
Although I grew up with both my parents, my dad was working a 12 hour shift, so he could provide for all his children. Even though I had the love of both my parents, I chose to hang out with my neighbors most of the day. The neighborhood I lived in was full of drugs, violence, and money. I wasn’t really into the violence part. My dad was working all day just so we could have the things we required. I didn’t want to waist our family’s money so I would never ask my Mom or Dad for any. I started hustling anything I had or could get my hands on. It was a bad decision but at the time I wasn’t thinking about the consequences. I was just trying to get my hands on a lot of money. I started robbing places and people, and ended up getting arrested a couple times. Before I started to realize that in the long run, it would turn out for the worst. The first time I got arrested, I didn’t even care. I just wanted to get done with the process of everything, and get back to what I was doing. My mind was set to think “Damn how could you make a silly mistake, and get caught like that.” My mother was totally shocked when she found out that I was getting into trouble, because I hadn’t gotten any complains from school for bad behavior, or bad grades, and I had never let my mom know that I was doing all these useless stuff. Ultimately I got sent to boarding school and now have completely switched up my life. My environment was having a big affect on my life. I learned from my mistakes and I am making a better future for myself. I don’t regret much because, I have gained so much knowledge from the wrong things I did in my life. The author Wes Moore had a change of environment and influences and turned out in a different situation, than the other Wes moor...
The authors begin the book by providing advice on how a convict can prepare for release from prison. Throughout the book, the authors utilize two fictional characters, Joe and Jill Convict, as examples of prisoners reentering society. These fictional characters are representative of America’s prisoners. Prison is an artificial world with a very different social system than the real world beyond bars. Convicts follow the same daily schedule and are shaped by the different society that is prison. Prisoners therefore forget many of the obl...
I am writing to inform you the status of the case of former convict Jimmy Valentine. Based on evident similarities from his previous work it can be concluded he partook in three burglaries following his bail. However, he has shown no interest in continuing this line of work in Elmore, Arkansas. It’s possible he has well orchestrated an entire trick to deceive us but the members of this town seem to genuinely perceive him as a good man. I have come to believe that as well although the occasional remaining doubt.
He realized that he “loved Martha more than his men”( Jimmy loves Martha, a girl who is at home that may or may not love him more than the men who were willing to fight and die by his side. He loved Martha more than the men who struggled and fought with him everyday. Jimmy had these internal conflicts of showing love to Martha or being loyal and leading his men that put their lives on the line everyday for him. In the end Jimmy realizes through his internal conflict he realizes his men are the priority, “ No more fantasies he told himself. He would shut down the daydreams. This was not Mount Sebastian, it was another world, where there were no pretty poems or midterm exams, a place where men died because of carelessness and gross stupidity. Kiowa was right Boom-down, and you were dead, never partly dead.”(34) Jimmy realizes after Ted Lavender dies he would have to give up his love for Martha. He was in a place where carrying his love for Martha around would get his men killed. He could no long carry his love around for Martha and carry the grief, bravery, and loyalty that they all shared. These were the things that would keep his team
Jimmy cross seems to be a lonely soldier on the hump whose mind wanders to his love Martha. He sees Martha everywhere he looks it seems. He even tries to escape it by burning the letters and pictures Martha sent him, but unfortunately for him cannot. He is head over heels for a girl who maybe doesn't even like him back. He is stuck in his