Jack Strong Takes a Stand is a a novel I just finished reading by Tommy Greenwald. It is about an over scheduled kid who decides he's had enough and takes a stand by taking a seat. Jack went on a strike and stayed on his couch until his parents would let him drop some of the activities he'd been doing such as Chinese class. Jack Strong is just an ordinary seventh grader with two parents and normal physical features. Sure Jack Strong isn't the strongest or the coolest,but he is a very persistent kid who stands up in what he believes him and is not afraid or embarrassed in doing so.
Despite all of that, when he receives an incredibly high score on his standardized tests he gets into a prestigious prep school. In the middle of all of this, he meets William Forrester, a Pulitzer winning prize author who helps him with his writing. Meeting him helps Jamal finding a goal in his life. Jack and Sarah Byrnes have similar problems but very different problems. Jack doesn’t know what to do when his father tells him that he is gay.
Jack also engages in fights with his best friend, which at first is truly disheartening and unfair from the reader’s perspective, is later sympathized with the knowledge and understanding that it is Jacks true best shot at gaining the approval of his abusive stepfather Dwight and protecting himself. Jacks life is driven with emotional neglect and constant abuse; Dwight being the largest cause. Jack is desperate to transform himself into the masculine and happy person he wants to be, a deluded image and way of thinking that he believes will solve all his problems and hardships. Readers eventually gain the knowledge that his lies and deceit are his way of achieving this and providing him with comfort and hope as well as relief and escpae from his currently tortuous youth. ‘I couldn’t help but try to introduce new versions of myself as my interests changed, and as other versions of myself failed to persuade.’
When first introduced, adorned in a golden badged choir boy cap, Jack sizes up the stranded children “and peered into what to him was almost complete darkness” (20). Because of the archetypal diction used in this quote, an assumption arrises supporting the assertion of Jack as an antagonist. The archetypal references continue throughout the quote. Jack peering into darkness symbolizes ignorance towards the situation, and the negligence with which Jack will accept its importance. As a result of Jack’s negligence, the young dictator turns into a monster of instinct “and for a minute became less of a hunter than a furtive thing, ape like among the tangle of trees” (49).As opposed to Ralph’s previous perception of Jack, this description of “the new Jack” juxtaposes the choirmasters previous appearance.
As Jack tells his story, we see all the habits and decision he makes down the spiral of his life that has impacted his well put life and what we are aware of how.
When he came out his mom was making him breakfast but without even looking at her he just walked out to school. He looked as mad as a bull that saw the color red. The whole day he was at school he didn’t say a word to anyone. After school ended Jack realized that he had to make a decision whether to accept that he’s moving and that he wants to move or he denies his mom’s choice and never talks to her again. When Jack got home he saw a car that he didn’t recognize outside his house.
During the novel ‘Wonder’, R.J Palacio explains the journey of the protagonist, August Pullman. August has distinctly rare disease, which is called, Mandibulofacialdysotosis. The author has left behind a clear message and that is to, ‘Accept peoples differences.’ ‘Wonder’ is written in first person point of view. This story is uncommon because it has been told from different characters point of view.
He has
Gabreana Moss AICE General Paper Ms.Parvin ‘’Lord Of The Files’’’ ( Character Descriptions) 1.Ralph- Ralph was one of the main characters of the story in this book. He was a 12 year old boy, whom was elected to be in-charge of the group of boys stranded on this island. Ralph’s job as being the leader was to help and lift them up in anyway possible as he could;also to figure out how to do these thing being civilized as well as to find a way to survive until they could find a way to be rescued. Ralph was the protagonist in the following story.
He keeps on trying to be the king of the island. Him going for power keeps on creating a troubling rift between the boys that continuously grows. When Jack tries to overthrow Ralph as leader, he tries to get more people to join his side. When Jack was trying to get more people over to his tribe, he had stated, “‘Who thinks Ralph oughtn’t be chief’ He looked expectantly at the boys ranged round, who had frozen. Under the palms there wasn’t deadly silence.
And as a result, many, not only by its target audience, can enjoy it. Jack is a character by which a lot of people can see themselves reflected, because he stays safe in his comfort zone and doesn’t let others see his full potential for the fear of being ridiculed or criticized. Perhaps if he hadn’t started to write poems and let his teacher post them he would have never discovered his talent and maybe Mr. Dean Myers would have never gone to his school and read his poem. Jack develops during the book: from being a kid in denial of writing poetry, to exploiting his potential and let others appreciate
Jack’s transformation from a willing contributor in a democratic society to a fascist dictator can be seen through his obsession with hunting, his inability to follow the rules set by their society, and his manipulation of the tribe. In the beginning of the novel, Jack is a stable contributor to a newly created democratic society. After arriving on the island, he marches to the platform where the other boys on the island are holding a meeting. He
This gives an impression of direct conflict to Jack, who symbolizes anarchy as seen by his ruthless, dictating, instinctual nature. After Piggy’s horrible death, the conch shattered and chaos took control over the island. The author attempts to convey the message that a broken government reveals mans’ true, cruel conduct. In fact, the article “Discipline Your Child,” “teens still . . . need you to set limits and enforce order in their lives, even as you grant them greater freedom and responsibility” (4).
”14 Jack's history with his abusive father and his own problems causes him to become a danger. Hutz also states that the transformation of Jack shows how a “child victim” transforms “into the adult abuser. ”15This makes him a source of horror as it is a realistic, seemingly uncontrollable
Jack whimpers from the pain they cause him, and his bullies feed off of his fear. He is on the ground, depending on help. That’s when he sees an unfamiliar face, and hears a new voice. A boy in his class, dashes over, to see that Jack was being bullied. The boy stands up to the bullies and attends to Jack for help, he is a hero.
