Last Chance In Texas Character Analysis

Within John Hubner’s Last Chance in Texas: The Redemption of Criminal Youth, he includes different experiences of juveniles held within the youth facility where they are encouraged to participate in rehabilitation programs to better themselves as an individual. Ronnie is a juvenile located within the facility due to his action of breaking and entering into an elderly couple’s home to commit a robbery, and then he kidnapped Joseph and Martha. He was born in Frederick, Oklahoma, where there was a major drug scene. His mother, Marina, worked as a clerk in an appliance store where she met Ronnie’s father, Griff, who worked as a frame carpenter. They both got married at a young age, and then Marina became pregnant with Ronnie, and eighteen months

Ronnie had many different internal conflicts, and anger issues. He was quick to act without thinking of the consequences to come. Growing up with a traumatizing childhood could have played a major role in developing the lack of empathy Ronnie showed for his victims, as well as his lack of a sense of right and wrong. He started drugs at the age of eleven, which can easily damage the teenage brain. Ronnie appears to have had a lack of confidence, feeling the need to feel superior around others, especially around his younger brother, Kenny. He was quick to become irritable in situations and decided to use his anger to engage in delinquent acts such as committing robberies, and engaging in fights to feel

The Social Learning Theory states that people learn from people around them, so if Ronnie is hanging out with drug dealers, and people who steal, he is going to learn the social behaviors involving committing crimes without any empathy for his victims. He was not alone when he decided to break into the elderly couple’s home and kidnap Joseph and Martha, so in this case, he was influenced by his peers, as well as his individual traits such as anger, and irritability to commit such a crime. Along with the Social Learning theory, the control theory could be applied to Ronnie’s specific case as well. With Ronnie growing up the way he did, he did not view his life as having something to lose, or any stake in conformity. Control theory also discusses the juvenile’s capability to have self-restraint, which Ronnie displayed none since he was quick to commit crimes if he felt like it was needed. He would take his anger out on his little brother, Kenny, just because he was angry. Level of control is usually instilled within a child by the age of ten, and Ronnie had a lack of parental guidance to shape his self-control, therefore Ronnie never learned how to control his sudden