The undeniable influence of friendship
Roughly 46% of Americans claim to have at least one true friend. In the novel, The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead, Turner and Elwood were more than just friends. They were best friends, roommates, and brothers. The torture they endured at Nickel Acadamy, a reform school in Florida, was traumatic and heartless. Despite being beaten, starved, and abused, Turner and Elwood became unlikely friends. Turner came to Nickel from an unstable family with a bleak outlook on life, but things changed for the better after he met Elwood. At the beginning of the novel, Turner is close-minded and pessimistic toward the world, but after meeting Elwood eventually grows to realize the importance of advocating for change and being a good person, which illustrates friendship can influence others to change themselves for the
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At the beginning of the novel, Turner is negative and selfish. Before coming to Nickel, Turner let things get on his nerves and alter his emotions. While conversing with Elwood, he opens up about his life pre-Nickel by saying, “Next week I saw that guy's car in the parking lot and I threw a cinder block through the window and the cops picked me up,” (96). This piece of his past reveals that he was easily angered, which evidently led him to the consequence of enduring the torture of Nickel. Not only does this flashback explain why Turner came there, but it also unveils a component of his earlier character. As he is telling this story, he repeats “and'', which accentuates the mark this memory has on him. On the bright side, the fact that Turner felt comfortable sharing this life-changing story with Elwood shows the closeness of their relationship. Elwood was capable of teaching Turner to be more trusting and open about his feelings, ultimately leading to a better life