Leaving Maggie Hope Thesis Statement

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Thesis Statement Essay for Leaving Maggie Hope Eleven-year-old David Lear thrives in boarding school, but his family’s lives are a mess. The coming-of-age novel, Leaving Maggie Hope by Anthony Abbott, illustrates the story of David’s obstacle-filled life. His mother's alcoholism causes him to be sent away to boarding school, with his live-saving godmother paying the tuition. At his new school, David faces social challenges, like making friends. Ultimately, he drifts away from his dysfunctional family and focuses more on his academics, winning the Founder’s Medal, the prize for having the highest average at the time of his graduation. Leaving Maggie Hope therefore exemplifies an effective piece of literature because David evolves into …show more content…

Because he is so intelligent, some of his classmates begin to tease him and call him teacher’s pet. He now feels the pressure to fit in, so he begins to misbehave in an attempt to get the popular boys to like him. David stops participating in class, and even throws the shoe of one of his peers into a puddle of mud. Teachers and staff begin to recognise David’s unusual behavior, and he gets called in to speak to the headmaster, Mr. Armbrister. David is scared that he will be punished, but Armbrister just wants to talk to him, because he knows David does not usually act like this. He explains to Armbrister that no one likes you if you are a teacher’s pet. “You’ll never have a real friend if you sell yourself,” Armbrister responds, “[t]hey’ve got to take you the way you are. If they like that, fine. If they don’t, you’ve got to find other friends that do. You’re selling your soul. You’re destroying yourself to be popular.” (56) David considers the wise words of Armbrister. He apologises to Ian Stuart, the boy that got his shoe thrown in the mud, and aims to gain a Primus rating, a higher status in the school. This gives him a goal to focus on. Therefore, Leaving Maggie Hope represents a compelling work of literature because, in this chapter, David feels overwhelmed and goes against his own beliefs in an effort to get the other boys to like …show more content…

Although he did break his streak for being on time, he is succeeding academically. David creates a strong friendship with Terry and Griff, the boys who he was trying to impress before, but this time he did not have to change himself to become friends with them. The boys help each other through tough times. The night before Prize Day, the day of which the Founder’s Medal is awarded, David reflects on all the years he spent at Lowell. He recognises how much he has changed throughout his years and how his experiences, even the ones that did not seem so special at the time, had helped him out in the end. The next day, David is awarded the Founder’s Medal, he is overjoyed, and he has finally succeeded, but no one from his family is there to see him win or to congratulate him. After shaking hands with the headmaster, David walks out of the school and goes to the church across the street. David sits down and reflects, he always wanted someone to be there for him, but he realizes that someone might not be able to support him all the time. He has to work for himself to get what he wants. David recognises how much he has developed socially, “...he knew now what friendship was and what it might cost, and he would not be afraid of it as he had been before.” (177) David had a hard time discovering how friendship works, but he now knows how to act, and how not to act. He knows how to create a strong friendship. Thus, Leaving

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