The World Of Nethergrave By Gloria Skurzynski

"Nethergrave" by Gloria Skurzynski portrays a young boy named Jeremy who escapes reality through technology. The “other worlds” in this story are his computer life and the world of Nethergrave. Jeremy uses both of these worlds to escape the harsh reality of his life. The only friends Jeremy has are those in his online group chat. He uses the fact that they don’t know each other in real life to get them to think that his life is much better than it actually is. In reality, Jeremy is a thin, weak eighth grader who is bullied by his soccer teammates and ignored by his parents. However, on page 319, the narrator reveals that “He’d told his online friends he was a high school junior. They thought he was a star athlete and a student-body officer

This pre-existing habit of escapism through media is what makes his decision of living permanently in the world of Nethergrave much easier. On page 323, while he is exploring this world with NetherMagus, Jeremy is reminded of his father. He believes that his father put Nethergrave on his computer as a surprise, and is waiting for him to call and say thank you, which briefly brings him back to reality. However, the fact that they hadn’t spoken in twelve years wills him to let go of that thought. Due to the turmoil Jeremy experiences and the methods he uses to cope with it, Jeremy's connection to the real world is already weak, but it is completely severed when NetherMagus reveals the truth behind his online friends. After Jeremy's original means of escapism are lost, NetherMagus invites him to live in NetherGrave permanently, an invitation he promptly

In real life, Walter is an old man who is sent on errand trips while his wife gets her hair done. In his daydreams, however, Walter is a doctor, a war pilot, a sharp-shooter, and a captain. Walter’s habit of daydreaming interferes with his real life. At the beginning of the story, on page 328, Walter’s wife has to warn him to slow down while driving because he is to immersed in his current dream. On page 330, Walter found him. In other instances of the book, Walter is found saying strange things or speaking aloud. On page 332, Mrs.Mitty asks Walter why he hadn’t put on his overshoes in the store. Walter responds with “I was thinking,” to which Mrs.Mitty retorts, “Does it ever occur to you that I am sometimes thinking?” This dialogue between the couple further emphasizes the way Walter’s thoughts often get in the way of his