Literacy Luminator - Section 5

“Anthony told me, ‘One day you’re going to hit someone. And get hit yourself. Then you’ll see. Maybe. Maybe you’ll understand life better. To understand people better. So the next day, I walked over and hit Sal. And I stood there like an idiot and waited for him to hit me back. But he just bent over and cried, and I didn’t know what to do, so I walked away. And Anthony yelled: ‘What the hell was that?’ And later at home, he said, ‘What are you hitting short kids for? Don’t you know nothing?’ He said I was hopeless. "

This passage is important because it sheds light on why Sal got hit. In the beginning of the book, the reader is left wondering why Marcus would just walk up and hit Sal for no reason. At that time the reader sees Marcus as a big bully who would hit smaller kids for no reason. Now the reader understands what happened between Marcus and his brother influenced Marcus’ actions toward Sal.

“Trying to forget really doesn’t work. In fact, it’s pretty much the same as remembering. But I tried to forget anyway, and to ignore the fact that I was remembering you all the time.” “And now I’m wondering if I should just write the letter even though you’re dead and most likely buried on that island. I wonder if I should write it anyway, if maybe then I’ll be able to stop thinking about you, once and for all.”

Miranda couldn’t forget the fact that she still needed to write her letter. As much as she may have been trying to forget, it could not slip her mind. Her journey wound not be completed until she sat down to write the letter. These quotes illuminate the fact that Miranda still had the task of writing the letter ahead of her.