ipl-logo

Struggles In Stealing Home

1158 Words5 Pages

Joci Schmidt
Mrs. Niswonger
English Composition II
7 May, 2023

Why Friendship Can Help People Through Struggles is the Theme of Stealing Home Friendship could be defined as a bond that can keep people together through mutual affection or shared experiences (McBrairty, 2021). That bond kept Maddie Townsend close with her childhood friends Helen and Dana Sue in Stealing Home. Written by Sherryl Woods, Stealing Home deals with newly divorced Maddie Townsend and her struggle to cope with everyday living with three children after the divorce. Maddie has had many struggles in her life; however, she struggled with making her children understand why their father left with a new woman who is currently pregnant. Friendship is what helped Maddie …show more content…

The high school principal, Betty Donovan, confronted Maddie in Sullivan’s. Sullivan’s is Dana Sue’s restaurant located in Serenity, North Carolina. Betty confronted Maddie about her relationship with the baseball coach, Cal Maddox. Coach Maddox helped Maddie when her son did not return home from eating pizza with his friends after a baseball game (154-155). Betty is upset that Cal is helping Maddie and spending time with him, even though Maddie and Cal are just friends. As Betty explains, “Cal’s concern for Ty is admirable… Its’s the depth of his relationship with you that I question” (297). Betty thinks that the relationship between Maddie and Cal will alter Cal’s ability to teach (297). She urged Maddie to stay away from him and got upset when Maddie was defending herself (298). After this whole affair was over, Maddie went into the kitchen and conversed with Dana Sue. Dana Sue encouraged her to press on and get over it. As stated by Maddie, “Her warning to Betty to back off has been pure bravado, but now, with Dana Sue’s unquestioning support, she knew she could fight Betty, the school system or anyone else she had to” (300). Dana Sue’s support encouraged Maddie to overcome the challenge she faced and press on with her life. Dana Sue’s friendship helped Maddie figure out what to do next and encouraged her to let the argument go and focus on her new …show more content…

When facing challenging moments, having a friend provides a reliable source of emotional support and motivation to keep pushing forward. Thanks for the encouragement and support of her friends Helen and Dana Sue, Maddie was able to gain the confidence she needed to successfully launch her own women’s fitness spa and provide for her family. If it weren’t for Dana Sue’s unwavering support, Maddie would have found it difficult to gather herself and move on with her life following the confrontation with Betty Donovan. If it weren’t for Helen’s generous offer, Dana Sue would still be concerned about her daughter’s health, and Helen wouldn’t have been able to alleviate her worries. In the novel, Stealing Home friendship is the key ingredient for the womens’ struggles. It emphasizes the importance of friendship in the women’s struggles. Without their bond, their lives would have been more difficult and lacking in

Show More
Related

Zalika Reid-Benta Fry Plantain Sparknotes

731 Words | 3 Pages

The author also shows us that we need to be friends with good people who want to succeed in life rather than people who don’t. This is demonstrated when Kara didn’t want to skip french class to go to a party, but her friends peer-pressured her into, leading to getting drunk and wasted. For example, “Your already accepted for a university, just skip french class, nothing will happen.” (Hannah from page 206).

Read More

Halse Anderson Speak Quotes

675 Words | 3 Pages

What if he was just saying his parents were going to be there? He could have been lying.-”(Anderson#132) The quotes tell us that she is no longer friends with most of the kids in her old school and the second quote shows us this with her old best friend Rachel. The third quote explains how Melinda has the chance to make a new friend but is too afraid to go talk to him or anyone else. Melinda wants to make friends but has a difficult time because she doesn't know if she can trust anyone anymore after the

Read More

Examples Of Avoidance Of Conflict In The Novel Speak By Laurie Halse Anderson

757 Words | 4 Pages

Heather pointing this out is another opportunity for Melinda to explain herself and speak up about why she acts that way, and is another opportunity that she turns down. When Melinda stays silent and gives up this chance, she allows Heather to leave, despite not wanting her to leave. Another time Melinda avoids conflict is after Melinda falls asleep in the broom closet and goes to the basketball game, David invites Melinda to a party after school, when she refuses, thinking to herself, “Nope. I don’t do parties. No thanks.

Read More

Accomplice Book Report

405 Words | 2 Pages

In the beginning of the book when Chloe and Finn first start to fake the disappearance, Finn has to go to school and gets questioned by the police and everyone starts asking her if she knows where Chloe is, she realizes that it’s not going to be as easy as they thought. Finn sneaks out to her grandma 's house one night to see Chloe to say that it 's not too early to call everything off and how everyone will forgive them for what they did. The text says “I thought about sneaking to my grandma’s house, but what would I do then? Convince Chloe to call it off” (p.41)?

Read More

Character Analysis: The Dirt Diary

989 Words | 4 Pages

Hoping my apology is enough… She smiles. ‘I’m really sorry too.’ Relief floods through me. I throw my arms around her and hug her so tight that she actually lets out a little squeak,” (Page 222). When Rachel and Marisol, two long time best friends, get in a major fight, the only thing left to do is turn around and forgive one another - which is

Read More

Kelsey's Responsibility In The Safest Lies By Megan Miranda

1228 Words | 5 Pages

Ryan’s attitude and actions help Kelsey overcome her greatest fears. In the book, Ryan has a ceremony that he invites Kelsey to, but Kelsey can’t come because her mother won't allow it since her mother likes keeping her and Kelsey’s identities top secret and disguised. Kelsey still managed to sneak out of the house while her mother was asleep and go to Ryan’s ceremony. This shows that Ryan inviting Kelsey to go to his award ceremony has a big impact on Kelsey’s choices and decisions. This also shows Kelsey being brave enough to overcome her fear of not obeying her mother.

Read More

Where Are You Going Where Have You Been Summary

818 Words | 4 Pages

The house which Connie lives in symbolizes a world of family gatherings and sweet traditions she will forever cherish. Her home cannot provide her with the protection from the appalling threats of Arnold Friend whom cannot intrude her home, but can only seduce Connie to come out of

Read More

Substance Abuse In Cut By Patricia Mccormick

1582 Words | 7 Pages

A couple of days later Becca returns to group and for the most part everyone is mad at her. But Becca is very defensive and even asks if she can leave. In another therapy session Callie talks about a very bad day with Sam, buts leaves a lot out. Sam and Callie were working on putting together a foosball table.

Read More

Secret Agent 6th Grader Sparknotes

1047 Words | 5 Pages

On page 20, the text includes,”Funny how a little bit of kindness can go a long way, even with new people.” Brody learns that he can always count on someone even when things are going downhill. Maddie has helped him throughout his journey of becoming part of the secret agent group. They might keep disagreeing but keep coming back together. This all proves that Maddie is one of the reasons why Brody has kept through this journey and is grateful for

Read More

Foil Characters In The Help

597 Words | 3 Pages

Eventually, she left this environment and found positive influences, like Johnny, which developed her kind personality. Despite her triumph, she is insecure because she lacks domestic skills, this becomes the reason she refuses to tell Johnny about Minny, “Please, I want him to think I can do it on my own. I want him to think I’m… worth the trouble” (44). Furthermore, she strives to please others because of her lack of confidence. She also assumes the best in others, shown when Celia concludes that Minny’s warning about Hilly’s animosity towards her is a chance at reconciliation, “Well, no wonder she can’t stand me!..

Read More

Where Are You Going Where Have You Been Arnold Friend Essay

1557 Words | 7 Pages

When Arnold Friend threatens to hurt her family if she does not come with him, it made Connie go with Friend (Oates 136). Lynn Z Bloom discusses how her and her own class were discussing “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” when she started to discuss her own horrific encounter with a person like Friend. Bloom said that although she started screaming she stopped because, “then I thought, still screaming, ‘I don’t want my children to hear this.’” (825).

Read More

Arnold Friend Symbolism

1290 Words | 6 Pages

At home she had a childlike walk, a pale and smirking mouth, and a cynical laugh; at home Connie was a child. In public, Connie acted like someone different, with a languid walk, bright pink lips and a high-pitched laugh; Connie tried to fit in with the older kids. Based on the way she presents herself, Connie seems to be able to attract guys’ attention and handle any situation with grace. However, just as the confrontation between the two showed Friend’s true character, the confrontation showed Connie’s as well. After her nerves overcame her, Connie reached for the phone to call for help, but all she could hear was a tiny roaring and was “so sick with fear that she could do nothing but listen to it” and then “she cried out, she cried for her mother, she felt her breath start jerking back and forth into her lungs as if it were something Arnold Friend was stabbing her with” (13).

Read More

Symbolism In 'Where Are You Going Where Have You Been?'

700 Words | 3 Pages

In the coming of age story “Where Are You Going Where Have You Been?” Joyce Carol Oates uses symbolism, conflict, and the third person to foreshadow fifteen-year-old Connie’s unfortunate, yet untimely fate. While one may think that the conflict stems from Connie’s promiscuity, it is clear to see her promiscuity is only a result to a much bigger conflict, her mother’s constant nagging and disapproval, alongside the lack of attention from her father. the author paints a vivid picture of what happens when a fifteen-year-old girl such as Connie goes elsewhere to find to find the love, attention, and approval that she lacks at home. All which is vital for her growth and wellbeing as a person.

Read More

Analysis Of If He Had Been With Me By Laura Nowlin

361 Words | 2 Pages

In the novel If He Had Been With Me by Laura Nowlin, we are introduced to two best friends that live next to each other and have kids who are the same age. The central idea of complicated conditions can lead to better situations is illustrated through imagery. Imagery allows the reader to visualize Autumn’s difficult family situations and her relationships with her friends. In this novel, imagery contributes to the development of the central idea. A few days following Autumn’s breakup with Jamie, her neighbor, Finny visits her.

Read More

The Definition Of Being Heroic In Antigone's And Medea

137 Words | 1 Pages

All things considered, the character of an individual can be altered based off a certain circumstance just as Antigone’s and Medea’s character was. Whether it was unjustly being thrown in jail or enduring an unfaithful relationship everyone has their limits. Whether an action is immoral should not be the main focus of defining it as heroic because that could be argued in past “heroic” actions of male figures in Greek tragedies. Also, both female figures could be viewed as being heroic based off accomplishing the goal of obtaining justice. Unfortunately, other lives were involved but when in any great greek story has the tragic death of others involved not taken place?

Read More

More about Struggles In Stealing Home

Related Topics

Open Document