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High school. It’s tough. Especially if you’re a freshman. Everything changes when you get to high school. You start to notice specific people more, your friends start to change, and even your likes and dislikes change. These may just sound like the typical high school cliche sayings, but in the novel Sleeping Freshman Never Lie, written by David Lubar, Scott Hudson had to go through all of that in just his first year of high school. Throughout the novel, Scott Hudson encounters many changes in his freshman year of high school including, the arrival of a new baby sibling, friends coming and leaving, being on student council, writing for the school’s newspaper, working on the school’s play, all while he is chasing the “girl of his dreams”. The …show more content…
The story starts off with Scott saying, “we plunged toward the future without a clue. Tonight, we were four sweat guys heading home from a day spent shooting hoops. Tomorrow, I couldn’t even guess what would happen. All I knew for sure was that our live were about to change” (3). Scott was indeed right, his life was about to change when he entered high school. This clearly ties in with the theme of growing up, because entering high school and going through major changes is all part of growing up, and growing up is inevitable. Scott has to grow up no matter what so he has to somehow learn to deal with the changes he will be faced with. It is clear that Scott knows he has some growing up to do when he states, “Freshmen? Unbelievable. Fresh? Definitely. Men? Not a clue” (4). This shows how Scott starts off the year knowing that he has a lot of maturing to do, because high school is not at all like middle school, it is way harder. Lastly, by the end of the book, Scott wrote in his journal, that he plans on giving to his baby brother, “And, wow, I’m not a freshman anymore. I’m a sophomore. Imagine that. ‘Flux rox,’ Scott said, conclusively” (279). This demonstrates how Scott recognizes that changes will still be happening, but he can do nothing than to make the best of those changes and go along with it. Overall, it is clear to see …show more content…
As mentioned before numerous times, the story takes place in high school. High school is a very confusing place, which undoubtedly represents growing up. As Scott states, “I spotted more freshman. Familiar faces from Tom Paine Middle School, looking like Easter eggs in their new clothes” (9). This shows how everyone is ready for change, by dressing up in their nice clothes, even though they have no idea what is coming their way. As for Scott, all he needs are tips in the new environment of high school, “Tips about high school would have been nice, too. Today would have been so much easier if I’d had advice from someone who’d already been there” (29). When one is growing up it is common to want advice and tips, and especially in high school. Finally, the setting of high school has many, many, many scenarios that can relate to growing up. Specifically, when it comes to people's confidence about high school, “ ‘High school,’ Mouth said, staggering to the side as someone pushed him out of the way. ‘Here we come. This is going to be great. We’re going to rule this place.’ Wrong, Mouth. Wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong” (14). As you can see both Mouth and Scott have different views towards high school, which chow show different people deal with change different ways. In the final analysis, it is obvious that the setting of the story, which is high school, helps create the overall meaning of the story. To conclude,
Much of the book has one startling development after another to the shock of the characters. One of the problems Cal was facing is that he doesn't have the power to help someone that's going through something. And Cal gets angry because "Going through high school, there was always a surprise about someone or something unexpected floating around in the social circles. I believe this is relatable to the average reader in that they no doubt have heard horrible rumors about their classmates and wondered who to talk to or how to solve the problem.
At the beginning of the book, Scott had three best friends, Kyle, Mitch, and Patrick. His friends slowly drifted away for different reasons. Patrick had to move to Texas.. Mitch started dating a girl and spent all his time with her. Kyle joined the wrestling team, became a jock, and started bullying Scott. Despite losing all his friends, he made two new ones, Lee and Wesley. In the text it states that, “Wow. Two small words that meant a lot. My friends” (Lubar 275). Lee was a new girl at school who was labeled freaky and weird, even by Scott himself, became she had dyed hair and tons of piercings and loved everything to do with death. Despite her appearance and interests, Scott and Lee were brought together by their love for books. His other new friend, Wesley, was one of the scariest seniors in the school. They met when Scott had to bring something to the office and Wesley had gotten in trouble. Wesley started driving him to school and they became friends shortly after. This showed that Scott changed because he realized his old friends weren’t true friends. He was also able to look past the appearance and interests of a person and be friends with them simply because he knew that they would be true
... narrator, those events triggered a moment of hesitation where the narrator had to make a choice, leave his old lifestyle and pursue a relationship with the girl, or he can continue his free lancing and not take things seriously. The narrator changes, but the girl becomes what he was, a seventeen year old who doesn’t take things seriously. When Holden gives Phoebe his red hunting hat, he is making her the next ‘catcher in the rye’. He grows into adulthood and he takes Phoebe as his replacement by giving her the red hunting hat, which symbolizes the role. Both Holden and the narrator grow into new roles and give up their old roles to women. Although, they both give up their roles and grow into adulthood to the same women who helped and influenced them to grow up. These characters helped the protagonists overcome their fear of change and finally turn them into adults.
Making the transition from middle school to high school is a huge stepping stone in a teenager’s life. High school represents both the ending of a childhood and the beginning of adulthood. It’s a rite of passage and often many teens have the wrong impression when beginning this passage. Most began high school with learning the last thing on their mind. They come in looking for a story like adventure and have a false sense of reality created through fabricated movie plots acted out by fictional characters. In all actuality high school is nothing like you see in movies, television shows, or what you read about in magazines.
This style is most effective with males and might not do so well with females because they might have a harder time trying to fill out a high school boy’s shoes. In the beginning the author talked about his background of his life. He tells the audience that he is a professor and has won multiple awards for teaching, so people can retain the lessons taught in the story and respect what the author has to say in the essay. Which plays on an ethos appeal, which is giving the audience credibility and trust in his piece. On the bottom of page 158, the beginning of the actual story, the author talks about some of the people on the buses in his town. He describes them as veterans and talks about the teenager’s on the bus had appeared as punks/pimps. This brings a perspective of a hood aspect to the story. Last paragraph on 158 leading onto 159, Rose was placed in a lower level class because the school had mistaken his name for another kid named Rose. This was one of the key first examples of a failed school
...common in human beings, and the demonstrations that have been considered in this term paper are not the only examples that live in the novel that call up the difficulty of considering with change. believe about Holden lowering out of yet another school, Holden departing Pencey Prep and, for a while, dwelling life in the cold streets of New York town all by his lonesome. The book ends abruptly, and gathering condemnation of it is not rare. It's an odd cliffhanger, not because of the way it's in writing, but because of a individual desire to glimpse what Holden finishes up doing with his life. Perhaps, as he augments up, he'll learn to contend better through change. Imagine the death of Phoebe, decisively an event that would be similar to Allie's tragic demise. if an older Holden would reply the identical as did a junior one, is a inquiry still searching for an answer.
At the beginning of his story, Holden is a student at Pencey Prep School. Having been expelled for failing four out of his five classes, Holden leaves school and spends 72 hours in New York City before returning home. There, Holden encounters new ideas, people, and experiences. Holden's psychological battle within himself serves as the tool that uncovers the coming-of-age novel's underlying themes of teen angst, depression, and the disingenuous nature of society. The novel tackles issues of blatant profanity, teenage sex, and other erratic behavior.
The book, all narrated by Holden in first person, in its very unique and humorous style, is about Holden, and all the troubles he has encountered through school, family, friends, and basically life. Holden has been expelled from a private school in Pennsylvania because of failing four classes, and decides to go to New York for three days before going home to his disappointed parents.
...one of us faces the struggles of growing up. We can either complain and rant and blame everyone else, or we can stay positive and try our best to rise above the challenges. Holden showed me how we can keep grumbling and keep whining, but that is not going to make the situation better. We should not let our hardships and challenges defeat us, but rather we should conquer our challenges. It is so much better if we stay positive in facing our challenges than if we just complain and whine about our hardships. Holden, despite his bitterness, is a character that has surprisingly inspired me to be more positive in facing my life’s challenges. After reading this novel, I really hope that the ‘Holdens’ of today will realize that being pessimistic and isolated is not cool; I hope they will be able to grow up someday and face their challenges in a more hopeful, positive way;
Holden’s adolescent mindset is brought up many times throughout his story. For example, many times he will not listen to adults, though he is intelligent enough to know that the advice is wise, and is willing to listen to kids, who almost never have the intellectual capacity or experience to tell him what he wants to hear. While conversing with Mr. Spencer, Holden inwardly reflects on his discontent with Mr. Spencer’s view of life,
Originally the novel was for adults, but teenagers connected to the story as well because of Holden’s resistance to adulthood. It teaches both groups that people develop at a different time. Parents should not be forcing their kids to grow up, get a job, and move out; and kids need to understand growing up is a part of life. Sometimes it is easy to feel like you are alone, but everyone goes through periods of frustration pertaining to who they
...ating adulthood and childhood. He feels pulled towards the edge by the pressures society places on him, but fights back in a naive attempt to remain in the blissful rye fields of childhood. However, as he reaches out his hand in an attempt to protect what he perceives to be the innocence of childhood, he loses his footing and himself falls off into the “abyss” of adulthood. His fall from the cliff also coincides with his descent into insanity as he gradually loses his mind and strength as he fights back against the inevitable. In the last few chapters, Holden feels “so damn happy” (Salinger, 114) when he chooses not to ride the carousel with Phoebe and comments that he “thinks he’ll apply himself [in school]” (Salinger, 115) in response to the psychiatrist. At this point, he is finally at peace with his fate and accepts, perhaps unwillingly, his fall into adulthood.
Uncertainty, discomfort, insecurity, and the need to feel accepted are characteristics that most of society have experienced. Primarily most adolescents in high school have the tendency to feel this way, but it is essential to their personal growth.In Perks of being a wallflower by Stephen Chbosky, Charlie the main character lives a difficult childhood but learns to overcome these troubles. Charlie’s experiences in his freshman year of High School were both positive and negative, and consisted of him living through the year learning, and having difficulties due to his coming of age. Charlie’s freshman year is the starting point to his maturing where he is introduced to drugs and alcohol, experiences his first love, and makes friends who have
Being a teenager is quite an awkward time in a person’s life, it is like being a mutation, half-child and half-adult, losing innocence along the way. Around the age of 14 people hit high school and life begins to change for both males and females. Girls and boys officially start their journey into women and men, hitting many bumps and hurdles on the road to discover themselves. In the novels, Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky and The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, two very different boys begin the voyage into adulthood both making mistakes and facing obstacles along their way. Within these two stories the reader delves into the secrets of what exactly is ailing the minds of american males. In both novels, the boys face a
8th grade, 8th grade from the opening day to the signing of the yearbooks. This is the year of memories, goodbyes, and regrets. 8th grade and I’m still realizing that there are people in the world that would die to go to a school like this. A school where every body knows everyone’s name, respects everyone, and where violence and fighting are about as common as the Yankees missing the playoffs. When I’m done with my homework and go to bed, as the days of 8th grade wind down, summer will come and go, and I will find myself in one of those giant, scary places called high school.