An Analysis Of Erik Spraypaints In Edward Bloor's Tangerine
“It’s time to start telling the truth, little brother. Do you understand what I’m saying?”(269). The truth, something that takes many people to reveal in a person. In the story Tangerine, by: Edward Bloor, The truth takes a family and set of friends to help Erik Fisher, Arthur Bauer, and Paul Fisher to reveal the truth about themselves and each other, like shapes. Shapes reveal each other’s flaws and imperfections.
On the page 269 Antoine Thomas tells this character Paul the truth shall set you free. Antoine says that because he knows that Paul knows who killed Luis. Because Paul is afraid of his brother Erik and his goon Arthur he won’t snitch on them because he is afraid that they might do something bad to him like they did to Luis. So Paul was living in a prison his whole life because he couldn’t find the courage to stand up for himself. Antoine means by the truth shall set you free is that once you tell the truth that Erik killed Luis Erik will never mess ever again.
Sometimes people may start out timid like a mouse but the choices they make can change them to become brave like a bear. In the book Tangerine by Edward Bloor The main character Paul who starts out timid, gets tougher over time. Paul's choices in the novel Tangerine affected him becoming mentally stronger and braver. This is shown through the example of Paul choosing to go to Tangerine Middle School, Jumping on Coach Warners back, and telling the police about what Arthur and Erik did to Luis. Paul’s choice of going to Tangerine Middle School affected his development.
Erik's choice to blind his brother has caused emotional damage and physical damage to Paul. 4444 Choices made by Erik in Tangerine by Edward Bloor can significantly impact Paul and other people. We see this in the second choice Erik made when he ordered Arthur Baeur to hit Luis with a blackjack. “Arthur reached Luis, turned, and whipped the blackjack around with a loud whack against the side of Luis's head. ”(Bloor 211)When
When Paul was young, Erik and a friend of his put spray paint in Paul’s eyes, which left Paul a visually impaired person for the rest of his life. “And I remembered Erik’s fingers prying my eyelids open while Vincent Castor sprayed white paint into them. ”(Bloor 263) Erik accused Paul of telling on the teachers and getting Castor in trouble.
Edward Bloor’s Tangerine suggests that Paul’s choices, big or small, has a huge impact on the development of Paul’s character. The first choice, Paul choosing to go to Tangerine Middle School, is caused by a bit of reasons, which allows him to join the soccer team. First, Paul sacrifices attention to join Tangerine’s soccer team. “‘I don’t mind if you never pay any attention to me for the rest of my life, just give me this chance’”(Bloor 59).
The first big choice that Erik made that affected Paul was when he hit Tino in the face.(205) “Immediately, faster than I thought he could, faster than Tino thought he could, Erik lashed out, smashing the back of his hand across Tino’s face, smashing him so hard that Tino spun halfway around in the air and landed on the grass. Erik did this because Tino made fun of him and he got angry. This affected Paul because he didn't do anything, it made him feel small. Paul says, “ I just stared back at her, paralyzed with fear, while the scene rolled on.”(204) This shows that Paul knew Erik was going to do something bad, he did nothing.
“I remember the fear in his eyes. I know that fear. It’s my fear” (Bloor, 76). Edward Bloor’s novel, Tangerine, is about how Paul’s life has become a personal horror show, thanks to his older brother, Erik. The twisted antagonist upsets Paul by causing him to live in constant fear, making his friends start to exclude him, and hurt his confidence so he won’t stand up for himself.
Mike was at football practice on Tuesday of september 8th. Mike died while he was at a goal post and got struck by lightning. After Mike died, paul saw Erik happy and talking about Mike’s hair being Mohawked to arthur. Paul knew it was because he was a good player but Paul said “ Because Mike Costello, didn’t fit into The Erik Fisher Football Dream…. Mike would never, could never, have been sitting out there with Erik and laughing at such a thing.
Erik’s father was so into the “Erik fisher football dream” that he did not realize that Erik is the reason that Paul is halfway blind. Erik thought that Paul told on his friend and he got in trouble “ You’re going to have to pay for telling on Castor. You told who sprayed paint on the wall, and Castor got into trouble. Castor doesn’t like getting into trouble….. And I remember Erik’s fingers prying my eyelids open while Vincent Castor sprayed white paint into them.”
The choice that Erik mad that affects Paul the most is when Paul realises that Erik made him visually impaired. Paul said,”and I remember Erik's fingers prying my eyelids open while vincent sprayed white spray paint into them”(page 263),Erik did this because he thought Paul told on themr. This affects Paul because after he found out the real reason he is visually impaired in his flashback,he felt better knowing the truth.
Fisher makes that affects Paul’s character is Mrs. Fisher not telling Paul the real reason why he is blind. Paul feels very insecure about the fact that he can’t see. He was told by his mom that he stared at an eclipse for a very long period of time and became blind. As soon as he finds out his mom felt some sorrow and regret for her decision not to tell him the truth. In the text, it states, “I yanked off my Coke-bottle glasses and shook them at him in rage.
Imagine moving away from home, changing schools, and having a family that won’t even give attention when needed. Paul goes through all of this, and he is left to make decisions that will change his life forever. Three choices Paul goes through are, changing schools, tattling on Tangerine Middle School soccer players, and informing the police about Arthur and Erik’s wrong doings. In the novel, Tangerine by Edward Bloor, Paul moves from Houston Texas to Tangerine Florida, and the first five months are filled with decisions and chaos. The choices made by Paul, and the consequences of those choices, affect the development of his character.
Around the same section, Erik says the name “Castor” which triggers a memory Paul had blocked for a long time, the truth behind his visual impairment and that Erik was at fault for it. This led to Paul accepting it was not his fault and he finally stopped blaming himself for it. In conclusion, Paul started off as a wimpy, fearful kid who ended up finding a lot about himself and turned out a strong, independent young man. He had an incredible arch of character development throughout the entire novel, with changes in himself and the outside of him.
A tangerine is not only a citrus fruit, but also a county in Florida that is home to Paul Fisher and his older brother Erik. In the novel titled Tangerine by Edward Bloor, Paul Fisher, the protagonist, is not only bullied at school, but also at home by his brother, while having to live in the house where his dad lives in the illusion of the “Erik Fisher Football Dream.” In this new county that Paul moves to, he constantly has to put up with natural disasters like muck fires and sinkholes. The move from Houston, Texas to Tangerine County, Florida is the start of a new chapter for the Fisher family, especially Paul.
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