Buddy's Change In Gentlehands By M. E. Kerr

Gentlehands by M.E. Kerr is a story about a boy named Buddy. He learns many things throughout the book, and grows as a person. Buddy loses control of his life over the summer when he becomes obsessed with this girl named Skye. Buddy changes his identity to impress her, he allows his insecurities to turn into selfish actions, but eventually he realizes the importance of being himself, and is confident with who he is.

Buddy changes himself completely and is hiding from his identity to impress Skye Pennington. Skye is a beautiful girl in a higher social class. Buddy had fallen completely head over heels for her. He decided he was going to do “whatever it took to keep her in [his] life”(27). This causes Buddy to change completely and fake who

He acted as if “Skye [...] was a drug”(71). He obsessed with her lifestyle and was more focused on her fancy towels and pool than he was about his own family and personal life. When he was around her he was “able to put [his] own life out of [his] head, and just wallow [...] with Skye”(71). No matter what was going on in his life, specifically with his family, he was able to forget about it and block it out. He treated Skye as if she was his whole life now, and he would use her as an escape from his own. At one point Buddy completely abandons his brother, after promising to take him out, just to hang out with Skye at Beauregard. Buddy was fixated on her and everything she did. As a result Buddy’s obsession takes him away from reality, and overpowers everything else in his

A lot has happened this summer with him and his family, he became more distant than ever and lost their respect. Buddy finally thinks about his family, when his “father and mother and Streaker [are] waiting for [him] down at the end of the driveway”(173). This is the first time Buddy puts his family ahead of his own wishes the entire summer. Towards the end of the summer, he realized how much he has changed. Buddy learned not to let his insecurities affect how he acts, and that he needs to be himself for his own good. He is desperate to put the past behind him and move on to a better future. Buddy sees “the navy blue cashmere sweater [...] [he] thought of picking it up the sweater to take with me, but [he] didn’t”(173). The cashmere sweater represents Skye and her luxurious and fake lifestyle. Buddy leaving the sweater behind shows his change and development as a character. Due to the lessons he learned, Buddy was ready to “leave everything about that summer behind [him]”(173). He had many experiences this summer, good and bad. Buddy had been through a lot and has taken a lot in despite of all the drama that was going on. He knows now not to let his insecurities control how he