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Caught Between The Trapline Study Guide

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Caught between the Trapline

Sometimes people who live in different societies can feel trapped within themselves and their surroundings. People who live in poverty can feel trapped within their surroundings of, violence, drugs, and alcohol. People who live in upper class can also be, influenced by drugs and alcohol. However people in Upper Class, may strive to impress their parents, teachers or coach, and could lead to life, which he or she do not want. People who live in poverty, may not understand that drugs, alcohol or violence is necessary wrong, as that is the life, he or she have always lived. All ages and societies feel trapped in some way; looking for a way to escape the life they live and to also better their future. However, like …show more content…

Will’s family, revolves around a cycle of abuse, sadness and crying out for help. According to Will, Christmas are usually spent separate; “Mom and Dad will go to a lot of parties and get really drunk. Eric will go to a lot of parties and get really stoned.” (443) Whereas, Christmas is supposed to be spent together and celebrate together with gifts, food and laughter. Christmas should not be a time where booze and partying become more important than being together as a family. Throughout Trapline, the reader understands that Will’s older brother Eric, frequency takes out his frustrations out on …show more content…

The question is it Eric’s fault? Alternatively, do we blame the father? As the reader, we learn that the Dad takes much of his frustrations out on his son Eric, which could be the reason Eric attacks his younger brother. As the reader learns that the mother is deeply depressed and probably is trapped within her surroundings. Will’s mom often escapes the madness for a little while, by finding her escape at the end of an empty bottle. As his mother crashes, Will is there always to catch her. He comforts her and makes sure she is as okay as she can be.
Will struggles with one important aspect, and that is within himself. As the reader, you see Will is capable of achieving greatness and accomplishing wonderful things for himself. According to Mrs. Smythe, “I was going to tell you how much I liked your essay. You must have done a lot of work on it.” (445) However with the environment Will lives in, and the influences that surround him; drugs, alcohol, and his home life. It affects Will for achieving high grades, being the best that he can be, and propensity can harm his

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Family reunions are often used to dwell upon the past and reflect upon one’s life. Richard Rodriguez, in is his passage, goes to extreme lengths to explain to the reader his carefully taken observation of his family’s life. Looking deeper into the words and feelings of the passage, Rodriguez portrays a sense of strong family values. It is apparent (by his selective use of diction and narrative structure found throughout the passage) that Rodriguez is writing to a more mature, experienced audience. As a mature writer, Rodriguez knows that the best way to connect with his audience is through the one day responsible for some of their greatest childhood memories -- Christmas.

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Poverty doesn 't necessarily have to be because of drugs, there are other causes like low income jobs. " …people find themselves in tough financial circumstances because of their own actions, because of the actions of other people in their family, or because of factors beyond their control" (Seacliff). This quote explains that a lot of the time being in poverty isn 't something that you can control. The other Wes Moore has had experiences with substance abuse and drug dealing, both of these are reasons why he was sent to jail. "Drugs can be really easy to get out into the streets and young adults in in poverty surrounded by substance abusers and dealers" (Seacliff).

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When she finds out about Eric’s involvement with Eva and how he stole money from his father, she tells him ‘I’m absolutely ashamed of you’. Eric is furious with his mother for unknowingly killing her grandchild and Eva, and he is ‘nearly at breaking point’ when he yells at his mother ‘damn you, damn you’. This shows how devastated he is at not only his child and Eva’s death, but also Eric’s realisation that Eva and his child could have lived if his mother had not behaved so

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Eric’s thinking had been evolving steadily in one direction since his freshman year: “kill everything and destroy the human race”(Cullen. 2009). After the punishment was over, Eric and Dylan continued to commit crimes as a pair. They got cockier. They stole more valuable merchandise and started testing their pipe bombs. The boys got caught stealing expensive equipment.

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• Eric stands up to his parents when it becomes clear that they will not take responsibility. “you’re beginning to pretend now that nothing’s really happened at all”. Eric sees that his parents are trying to ‘pretend’ that nothing has happened when it is suggested that the inspector was not real. He and Sheila, the younger characters, still feel responsible for their actions that took place in the death of Eva

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The balance between power and privilege is vital to any social issue that occurs. The class that has limited materials and representation in society are typically those who suffer the most. The inequality between classes exhibits and predicts the extent to which substance abuse is associated with race and economic disadvantage. Moreover, those of higher classes gain more opportunities due to their exposure of resources and good financial standing whereas those of a lower class do not gain the same opportunities and therefore fall victim to crime such as drug

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