Courage Peer pressure is a problem for kids at a young age even if they know it’s wrong. In the short story, “Aaron’s Gift” by Myron Levoy, the theme of how strong is peer pressure is answered. The main character, Aaron, deals with peer pressure from a group of boys. Aaron wants to join Carl’s gang and when Carl comes up to Aaron and says that if he wants to join he has to bring his pigeon. Aaron wants to join Carl’s gang so much that he will put his own pet in danger. Also, Aaron is pressured into joining Carl’s gang because he knows that it’s wrong, but he does it anyway. Aaron just wants to belong to Carl’s gang, but his mom won’t let him. “...Aaron had longed to join as he had never longed for anything else. To be with them and share their secrets, the secrets of older boys. To be able to enter their clubhouse shack on the empty lot on the next street. To know the password and swear the secret oath. To belong”(298). When Aaron says this he means that he wants to be like the older boys and be accepted by them. They have a secret clubhouse and password. If he knew that password and secret oath, it would mean that he belonged to this group. He feels left out by not being a …show more content…
He thought they would use Pidge as their mascot, but instead they wanted to burn him as a sacrifice. Aaron could not let this happen. He reached within himself and remembered a story his Grandmother told him about the Cossacks and her goat who died. He couldn’t let this happen to Pidge. His Grandmother couldn’t lose another pet. He was brave and strong and lunged across the fire to punch Carl. Carl dropped the bird. Aaron yelled “Cossacks!” he screamed. “You're all Cossacks!” (302). Yelling this gave him the courage to keep fighting. Pidge was able to fly away to freedom. Aaron got beat up for letting Pidge fly away. He ran home and tried to sneak past his