Stereotypes In Dead Ends By Erin Lange

In order to absolutely understand a character, one must spend an arduous amount of time studying it, as there is always more than what meets the eye. Humans are the same quantity of transparent as they are complex, which makes a character with an intricate backstory and personality much more alluring than one that complies to stereotypes. The novel “Dead Ends” by Erin Lange delves into the lives of Billy D, a tough yet tender freshmen with down's syndrome, and Dane Washington, the kind hearted resident bully. This extraordinary novel finds the way to blend humor, friendship and pain, blurring the lines in what the audience believes is someone “bad” and someone “good”. The type of characters our society has learned to hate are the ones to love

The authors makes this clear when Dane claims “People shouldn't treat you different just because you`re -whatever- challenged or something.” Despite the first impression one gets from Dane he redeems himself throughout the novel as it is proven that he is just misfortuned kid whose life was full of difficulties. With a deadbeat dad, a mom who won the lottery every time she played yet decided not to cash the money or “her luck would run out” resulting in them struggling to pay rent each month and an “itch” in the palm of his hand to become violent every time he was provoked, Dane had a hard life ever since he was a child. In many stories bullies are represented as heartless, they only add to the suffering of the main character and are perceived as vile, malicious. The audience doesn't get to see the darkness that made the oppressor become who they are, how a series of misfortunate events led to a situation which seems impossible to get out of, or so it seems, the author explains this when Dane says “I didn't get chummy with the kids at school, either. I was always too embarrassed to invite any of them to see our ugly house and meet my crazy mom.I was waiting-until we moved to a house with a kitchen floor that didn't peel, until Mom stopped framing lottery tickets- but nothing ever changed, and by the time I realized it wasn't going to change, I`d