Shattered By Eric Walters: Character Analysis

How Influence Can Change a Person
As someone once said…. “Sometimes people come into your life for a moment, a day, or a lifetime. It matters not the time they spent with you but how they impacted your life in that time.” – Unknown. If it wasn’t for three remarkably wise people Ian, character of the novel, “Shattered” by Eric Walters, wouldn’t have changed into a better person. In order to pass Social Studies, fifteen- year- old spoiled, self-centered Ian Blackburn must complete community volunteer hours. Encouraged by getting a BMW car from his father, Ian decides to work at “The Club”, which sounded good at first until he stepped into what was a soup kitchen for the homeless. While slowly completing his hours Ian meets a homeless man Sarge,

In the novel, Ian develops a greater relationship with Berta, evolving him into an empathetic person. Throughout the novel, while Ian listens to Berta’s past tragedies, along with Sarge and Mac’s life lessons, it is very explicit that these three people have a great impact on Ian’s evolvement as a person.
When creating a stronger relationship with his housekeeper/organizer Berta, Ian presents improvement when learning about Berta’s past and obtaining good advice from their discussions. First of all, parents always have the biggest impact on their child; Berta was so close to Ian for most of his life so far that she was like a mother to Ian. She started off as Ian’s nanny when he was just a baby, now she is the Blackburn’s housekeeper who lives in the basement apartment. It is obvious to say that Ian’s family is rich. Example being how Ian is getting a BMW for his birthday, they have the money to hire a nanny and his parents are constantly away on business. Since his parents are regularly away Ian shows little respect towards them. This is shown when Ian gives us more information

This proves that Berta is Ian’s realistic mother; she has the biggest effect on Ian. Since, Berta can trust Ian, she apprehends Ian about her tragic past in Guatemala, changing Ian’s perspective about her, and what goes on in the frightful world. As it may not seem Berta has quite the past. Towards the end of the novel, Berta opens up to Ian and readers. She explains to us how she was part of the Guatemalan civil war, which was between the government and citizens. How a death squad came into her house one night and took her family, except her because she hid in the closet like her father told her too. Later she escaped to the neighbor’s house, where the neighbors took her and arranged people to sneak her out the country. Because her father was an editor her father thought that they had so much influence that they would be safe. She never saw her family again. They disappeared. This event is key in Ian’s development. He learns how fortunate he is compared to others, making him empathetic towards people, which is an important and good trait to have because it shows that Ian now cares not only about himself now. Berta’s story changes how