Questions: What did you guys think of this section in the reading? Especially with the whole issue with his friends (page 257-"Now you've decided to turn being mad into being depressed...trying to play the pity card...")? Aaron was so rude to him and made the whole thing seem like a joke, calling it the "loony bin" and making Craig look like the bad guy. Another thing-Do you like Noelle? Or do you think that she is just distracting Craig even more from "focusing on himself" and getting better?
Monday, December 19, 2011
Ch. 28-33
In this part of the book, we start to see Craig getting better. And even though he may not see it, it's quite obvious. He's been sleeping, eating, making friends, getting rid of the old bad friends, and even finds himself a crush. In the beginning of the reading, there's a part; "And people know they're not in Kansas anymore" (253). At this point, I was wondering whether or not Craig was going to get better or if this hospital was going to help him at all. However, later on he has a conversation with his inner solder; "She likes you, boy, and if you can't tell that, you aren't going to be able to tell a rifle from a cap gun in this war. " "What war is that, again?" "The one you're fighting with your own head." "Right, how are we doing?" "You're making gains, solider, can't you see that?" (287). He is progressing, and with his new friend Noelle, things look brighter for Craig.
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I really liked this section of reading. As you said above, Craig's character is slowly unraveling and we get to see his progression. One of the things that really stuck out to me was his ambition to find simplicity in his new life at North. He says, "I'm asking for simplicity, for purity, and ease of choice no pressure. I'm asking for something that no politics is going to provide" (219). The pressure he instills on himself might be the cause of his demise. From balancing school, his crush, friends, and family issues, there is a lot of pressure on Craig to be a perfect teen. I think Craig felt forced to juggle everything, when really he wished to seek a simpler lifestyle. Previously in the text, he says to Dr. Mahmoud, "'Sometimes I just think depression's one way of coping with the world. Like, some people get drunk, some people do drugs, and some people get depressed'" (199). This comment sums up Craig's, and the common teenager's, life. Even though all three are consequences of being exposed to unfavorable circumstances, it is important for Craig to learn to cope with this condition. With all these aspects complicating his life, he needs to channel his emotions to focused state where he can find a balance between doing what he has to do as a teenagers and doing what he wants to do to live simplistically. This, as we can see, is in the process of being worked on at North. Personally, I think he will have great success if he works hard at it.
ReplyDeleteYes, I agree with everything you said!:) He wants to succeed but it's too much and even said when he got to North that he wanted something like preschool. Simple, and hopefully after his experience at this hospital he can balance what he needs to do with how he wants to do it.
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