Reflection on the Semester

I learned a lot from this class this semester. I learned many new strategies for discussion that I plan to use, including literature circles, Socratic Seminar, and the "ticket out."

Books that I thought were most valuable were Persepolis, Monster, and The Book Thief. I like the issues of multiculturalism found in these, and they all help to teach a lesson and a genre. The Book Theif would be helpful in teaching about narrators, and Monster and Persepolis offer new genres our students may not be familiar with, but genres that may have the greatest effects on our students. I would say that Forever, The Chocolate War, and Boy Meets Boy were the least effective for me. Since we decided that most schools would not allow these books to be taught, it was difficult for me to find a lot of meaning in them, especially because our students won't run to these particular books in their free time, either.

Using some "classic" literature, or literature from the canon, would have been helpful to me. I haven't read a lot of what is in the canon, so knowing some of the basics would be helpful as a future teacher (and as a Praxis taker). Doing this would also have helped us make more connections between classroom materials and possible companion pieces.

I feel well-equiped to discuss literature now, largely because of the group-teach experience and our general time spent in discussion. I learned a lot about respectfully listening to other people's comments, and I also feel like this class enabled me to create my own thoughts and accept new viewpoints. Using the strategies I discussed earlier, I think my classes will experience great discussion.

The group teach was definitely valuable to me, though it was difficult to coordinate schedules since we all live so far away from each other and couldn't get together before class because of schedule conflicts, and after class was difficult because of car-pooling and long drives home. However, planning 2 lessons for about 3 hours was a valuable experience that helped me see the big picture of planning, and how everything needs to tie together.

I enjoyed writing my blogs and think that it was valuable for me, however there often was not a lot of feedback from other students. There were many weeks when I tried to comment on everyone else's blogs, but when I got few responses I felt like I was helping others but getting no help in return. If there was a requirement to comment on a certain number of blogs each week, that might have been helpful. I also think it would have been helpful to have the comments be less "fluffy"--- ("I like that too," "You're right, that was a funny part," etc)--- and more in depth, like a discussion through blog and comments. However the students in the high school where I'll be student teaching have a technology requirement, so blogs might be a great idea to get them interacting. I would love to use these with my future students as well because it encourages them to come to class ready with topics to discuss.

Overall, I think this course was very helpful. The articles got me thinking (especially about setting up our classes and developing new writing assignments for our students to use), and I felt that they were helpful. I enjoyed learning about topics I never knew about before, like FanFiction. This could also be helpful in the future as a teacher.

A surprise for Bella

“Hey Edward!” Alice called from across the Meadow. My meadow. She had infiltrated my space with Edward, and as much as I loved Alice I was not about to let that go.
She waved toward him, calling him to her, using her secret mind-words, and he looked at me as though to say “Wait here, I’ll be right back.”
I was so angry. My blood started pumping and my heart started racing. My cheeks turned pink-hot and I knew that I was about to lose it.
“Edward, come on!” Alice yelled to him. And even though I knew he could tell how angry I was turning, even though he didn’t know the reason why, he went to her before I knew he had stood up. I hate vampire speed.
I sat alone, wondering what they were talking about. In addition to the speed, I hated vampire hearing. They could speak so softly and hear so well, and I never knew what anyone was saying, or thinking, or feeling… Jasper’s gift was annoying too. Come to think of it, most things about vampires really piss me off.
In the Meadow, I was so angry that my heart continued racing. Alice glared at me, knowing what I was ready to do. She laughed, knowing that it would not end well for me. Her crystal ball brain pissed me off too.
She took Edward’s hand and they sped away toward the house, and I was alone in the Meadow wondering what I was supposed to do. My truck was parked at the edge of the Meadow. I could hop in and drive to La Push to see Jacob. But instead I followed Alice and Edward, through the woods, toward the house.
The house was dark, which was weird. There were always lights in the glass house, not that vampires needed them to see. Even at night, though they weren’t sleeping, to keep up appearances of normalcy, the Cullens would leave the TV on, or some other random light that had looked forgotten. Everything else would be off, but there was always at least some kind of light.
Tonight was so different that I knew instinctively that something was wrong.
“Bella,” Edward whispered in my ear. He must have been hiding at the edge of the treeline around the house.
“God, Edward. You scared me!” I turned to swat at his marble body, and he chuckled. “What are you doing, anyway?”
“Edward had a surprise for you, Bella.” Alice’s voice rang like a crystal bell. “Ready, Edward?”
He smiled and nodded and suddenly the house was blindingly bright. I shielded my eyes at first, but when my eyes adjusted I moved my hand. The lights were still a blur of brightness, so I asked Edward,
“What am I supposed to be looking at here?”
I tried to lean into him, since he was standing beside me, but I fell. I was so clumsy all the time.
“Here, Bella,” he said, kneeling to help me up. At least now we were on the same level.
He was on one knee, trying to help me up. Even when I was standing, though, he remained on his knee.
“What is this?” I asked, looking around. There were words spelled in lights on the roof of the house, but I still couldn’t make them out. The rest of the Cullens looked happy and proud along the trees’ edge. I quickly brought my eyes back to Edward when he spoke.
“Bella, I wanted to surprise you.” Still on one knee. Oh, God.
“Edward?” Not this. I wanted to be with him, but not like this. Please no. “Edward, no. I can’t. Sorry. I’m not going to marry you.”
“Marry me? Who said anything about that?”
“What?” I looked around again, this time seeing clearly what was written on the roof. “Santa: Stop here.”

Censorship, revisited

Well, it's after 11:00 and I just got home from class. I was really fired up the whole way home, thinking about censorship and the specific example of "Troy" from class. I had a bunch of questions.

To take a question from my group's discussion, what if someone had written the assignment from the slave's perspective and had brutally murdered the slave-owner? Would we have had a problem with that? Would the student have had to rewrite this assignment then?

If you think that assignment would have been acceptable, would your answer change if that writer was a black student?

If you'd still accept the assignment, don't you think that you'd be accepting a paper equally as racist as Troy's?


What if Troy hadn't derived so much pleasure from the writing? Would it have been acceptable then?
Why can we read terrible stories and gruesome details, but then censor our students when they write them? If we don't have to censor ourselves, why do we censor our students when we don't always agree with them?


Maybe my questions are out there and crazy, and I am in no way agreeing with what the student wrote. I think it's disgusting that people think that way. However, we accept when famed authors write about these horrors and I don't feel that we should censor our students (who could be the next famed author about slavery) when they react to writing prompts.

Twilight and FanFiction

The fan-fiction stories are interesting! It is fun to see how people play with the characters. Some use the same characters but change how they meet, and therefore, the relationships they have with one another. Others pick up where one novel or another left off.

I read "My Own Secret" by FantasyChick101 and felt that this was a pretty interesting story (not commenting on grammar, style, etc.) Fan-Fiction would probably make a good alternative writing assignment for our students--it requires them to be engaged in what they read, to comprehend what they read, and to understand the characters presented in the books so that they can produce "accurate" fan-fiction. (I say "accurate" because you can't write Harry Potter fan-fiction with Harry being a terrible wizard, etc. You have to know the characters to write them.)

The article definitely had some good points about intertextuality. This story can be tied into stories like Romeo and Juliet (because they are from two different worlds and if they give in to their love they could both be destroyed), and others that use this idea of forbidden love.

I actually read a great reaction to this novel and the movies over the weekend. The writer said that really Twilight is just about repressed sexuality. Edward can't give in to Bella because if he does he might kill her, and Bella loves Edward enough to risk it, but decides to wait until he is ready. (This whole idea brought some laughs from my friends who said that you never hear men saying "wait.")

The book itself is a terribly-written good story. The actual events are exciting and push you forward through the book. The writing style is so cheesy and ridiculous that I had some difficulty getting lost in the pages. I was sick and tired of hearing about how beautiful Edward is, and I felt that "Bella's" narration was over-the-top throughout. It could have been simplified to create a more enjoyable read (and one that was about 200 pages shorter!), but I think this is an art that Meyer improves on throughout the other 3 novels in the series.

Blog about the weekend

As promised to a few of you, I wanted to provide a little update about my weekend in Indy! First, you can see our picture on their website (fan photos) by following this link: http://www.printroom.com/ViewGalleryPhoto.asp?evgroupid=0&userid=IndianapolisColts&gallery_id=1834596&image_id=59&pos=60

We made signs (which you can see in the picture) and then got on the big screen at the game too. Apparently, we were sitting in the family section too, but the families must have been those of some of the benchwarmers because they didn't get too excited about anyone on the field.

I'm in the process of posting lots of pictures to my facebook page, but I added some here for fun. They are all taken from our seats, with not a whole lot of zoom.

Let's start off with Dallas Clark. I absolutely adore him.

With the uprights in the background, pregame. Dallas Clark is back there somewhere.

The one end-zone has some fun stuff for fans--you can put yourself at a press conference podium, or on a plane next to McAfee. Here's one with the cheerleaders right before the Colts come out at the start of the game:

It was a close game, but a missed Texan's fieldgoal at the end ensured our victory: 20-17. GO COLTS!

Be sure to check facebook for more pictures, and I will see you in class Wednesday!

Research!

My research inquiry topic is:
Investigating Writing: How can we encourage students to write?

My research questions are:
1) What kinds of writing are crucial for students to learn?
2) How do state and federal standards play a part in the writing curriculum?
3) How can we engage students in writing while helping them meet those standards?
4) How can we prepare and excite students for writing outside of the classroom?

My sources are:
Book: In The Middle. There are great ideas for getting students involved in the writing process and thinking of themselves as characters, narrators, etc. Since I want to teach middle school, I think this is one of the better books to use.
Article: "From the personal to the public: Conceptions of creative writing in higher education" by Gregory Light. This article examines an older age group, so I think it will be interesting to see how the writing process changes/scaffolds from one year to the next.
Article: "The Effects of School-Based Writing-to-Learn Inverventions on Academic Achievement: A Meta-Analysis" by Robert L. Banger-Drowns, Marlene M. Hurley, and Barbara Wilkinson. The article focuses on keywords such as cognitive strategies, learning strategies, and writing to learn.

To be honest, I have not gotten very far on this at all, due to a mixed-up Methods schedule and an unexpected (and quite unwelcome!) illness. I have passages selected from In The Middle but have not yet gone in-depth with my articles. This is something I will look at before class next week and get ideas on. Also, I am going to talk to Brooke about her experience with writing in the classroom, so she will be one of my "interviewees." I am also going to ask some eighth-graders about the writing they do in school and how they feel about it. I think these interviews will add some personal context to my paper.

Graphic Novels and starting a Revolution!

I enjoyed this book-it was well-written and I enjoyed the simple complexity of the illustrations. There was so much going on, and I really liked how everything tied together. Covering this difficult topic in such a "fun" way is exciting for me. I like that it isn't as heavy as some other books (like the one written by the "Fatwa Man" - sorry, I can't remember his name or the title!)

The article did a lot for me but I wasn't sure if there was too much focus on how it helps the writing, and not the reading. The "teachers" gave the students writing assignments and text-less stories, so were they really helping the students become better readers? I think they were effective in making the students good story-tellers, but are they really better readers or writers? It seemed like there were plenty of errors in the writing, but I am curious about whether those errors were corrected in final versions of their stories. I am interested to see what you all thought in class tonight!

The Book Thief

I really enjoyed this book and think it could be used well in a classroom! I am observing an 8th grade class right now that is focusing on short stories, and right now they are specifically focused on characterization (in the next few weeks they will move to plot, point of view, etc.)
I think this book would be a great one for students to read on their own if they need help coming up with a creative POV for a writing assignment. I would also love to teach at least segments of this book to help students with POV, also.
The narration style in this book really got to me, once I figured out who the narrator was and why there were so many "death updates." It is an innovative voice through which to hear the story, and I appreciate Zusak's use of an abstract narrator.
I was also glad to see that "death" was pretty kind, and at least sympathetic.
Overall, I think this story would be a great one to use in a classroom (maybe 11th/12th grade?). However, it would be neat to use excerpts in an 8th grade classroom when teaching Anne Frank. I think they would go well together and the class could compare/contrast the experiences of a non-Jewish German and a Jewish German in Nazi Germany.

Finding Identity

After reading American Born Chinese and Josh's post, I thought I'd post a picture of our favorite controversy-prone pop star, Miley!


American Born Chinese was intriguing to me, from the title to the very last page. Note that the title is not American-Born Chinese (meaning it is a Chinese person born in America) but it is American Born Chinese, meaning it is an American who is born Chinese. This really hit me as I was reading the story because I realized how little Jin wanted to do with his Chinese heritage. He only wanted to be American and wanted to cut all ties with the Chinese/Asian culture.
This was especially evident to me on page 37 when he tells Wei-Chin to "Speak English" even though Wei-Chin was speaking perfect English. It's like Jin thinks that those not born in America really aren't worthy of acting American. Does he feel that way about his own parents?
I also saw this with Jin's hair, when he tries out Greg's hair-do. Instead of making him fit in with the American crowd, though, he is laughed at by the white Americans and the Asian-Americans.

All of this made me wonder, How do we construct our identity? Is it based on our heritage or where we live? Does it matter what we look like or do we base this just on what we feel inside?

I thought a lot about the article with this book and how we construct our identities. The article's writer had some good ideas when he examined his name. He let the students know where his name came from and what was important to him, and tied them together. Through this look into himself, he was able to identify himself and his ideas in teaching.

I love the activities presented in the article as well. I hope I am nothing like Mrs. Keller in the future, but there parts of Mr. Rosewald's and Ms. Bennington's classrooms that I liked. Giving students freedom to examine and write what is valuable to them is a great way to make students care about what they read. Mrs. Keller's lecturing style would not be helpful to very many students in an English classroom, though it may have a place in other subjects.

Both the article and the book were helpful to me in asking identifying questions. I can take tips away from the article and use them in my future classroom, and I will also be able to reflect on American Born Chinese when looking at my students. It will help me to understand where they are coming from and the struggles they face to identify themselves in a world where so often appearance is everything.

Monster

Out of every book we have read so far, Monster is my favorite. I thought the way this one was written was excellent and I felt that this was most successful in tackling a difficult issue in a way that we can easily teach our students.

Hade's article was also beneficial to read after reading the novel. I appreciated his noting that a white illustrator drawing a black family eating watermelon is shown as irresponsible, because that person is just using stereotypes. I think that authors do that frequently, whether they are whites writing about different races (like the Native American example he gives in the article) or men writing about women, or rich writing about the poor. These authors use stereotypes to provide readers with an image of their characters because they do not know enough about the kinds of people they write about to portray something more accurate.

One of the things I loved most in Monster was that it was told from Steve's POV, and it seemed realistic to me (though after reading Hade's article, maybe I am too uneducated to know if that is realistic or not.) In this book, the black characters were not all portrayed as uneducated, lazy, and vulgar. Some, yes, used poor English when they spoke, but the majority of what we read was well-written and well-spoken. Also, Hade's idea that sometimes multiculturalism seems very forced in books has a lot of merit. In Monster, though, it seemed very natural because it was integral to the novel.

I found it interesting that Steve describes the one detective as a light-skinned black man. The sentence echoed society's opinion to me. The fairer the skin of the black man, the better he must be, right? (This in turn made me think of Chris Rock's new movie coming out, Good Hair. Black women try to make their hair look as "white" as possible... Beyonce, anyone?)
Anyway, back on topic... I thought he must have noted that the detective was light-skinned for a reason. Clearly, he could not be in as successful a position if his skin were a few shades darker. And even though he is successful, he's not in charge. (Think also of characters in Cold Case, Law & Order: SVU.)

The ending felt very real to me. The whole time, Steve's lawyer is telling him "The jury has all the information they need, just by looking at you" but she makes it seem like she is past the prejudices. Then, at the end, she has won her case and turns her back on Steve when he wants to give her a thank-you hug. It shows that even though people can say they are not prejudiced, when it comes down to it they often harbor negative feelings toward people who are different.

As Hade points out, this isn't just done with race. So many people will give money to charities but won't shake hands or talk to someone who is homeless and on the streets. In fact, many people send their money in an envelope to a big organization instead of going downtown and volunteering an hour in a homeless shelter's food line. Plus, men and women are constantly stereotyping each other because they cannot really imagine what it is like to live in the other sex's shoes. I know this is going to be stereotyping and overgeneralizing, but bear with me. Men don't think women know anything about cars or sports. At my part time job, I find myself in excited conversations about sports all the time. My one coworker is a huge Phillies fan and I am a huge Colts fan. She will often tell me about great plays that she has seen at the games, and I will do my best to teach her about football, and to explain to her that a "first down" is not the one yard line. Our customers always end up laughing because there we are, two girls, talking about sports. One of my former coworkers, a male I will refer to as "E" wrote on one of my recent facebook status updates that girls aren't allowed to play fantasy football, because I didn't know the name of the quarterback on my fantasy oponent's team. Yet guys are supposed to get really into fantasy football, but half the guys in our league didn't bother to update their starters for this past week's game, even though their starters all had a bye week.

I know that was rambling, but that just really got to me this week, and after reading Hade's article I think we can all think about a time when we have been victims of a misunderstanding of different "cultures."

Related to class last night

Hey everyone, I wanted to give you all the chance to watch the "Pole Dancing Miley" video on YouTube if you were curious about it after class last nigh: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QxUr2ggLlhI

There is the link for it. I think more than the "pole dancing" (which really only lasts about 2 seconds), I was really surprised at what she is wearing! Her bra is hanging out (a look that middle schoolers were copying at my church a week later!) and her shorts are super short. She is 16 or 17 in this video and her father supports it. I think it's a little too much. She even had a stalker in Georgia where she was filming a movie recently, and it was a guy who was "in love with her" according to his own words. People start forgetting that these girls are still just teens because of how they dress.

(Also at the Teen Choice Awards: Dane Cook. Didn't quite get that one. Here is a clip of what he has to say to a room full of teenagers--- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5EW6rUEPxVU)


And, finally, because I absolutely love these shirts (or not!), I thought I would include the new t-shirts from Hollister that you have probably all seen anyway. Exploiting teen sexuality? I say yes.


In case you can't read them, they say "Girls just wanna have sun," Legal-ISH," "What Tan Lines?" Save a Wave Ride a Surfer," I <3 the Woody," and "The twins are quite a handful."

Relating Latham's article to "Speak"

I do feel that Latham had some good points in the article that could relate the struggles of the gay community to Melinda's story. Melinda is unable to speak and her friends are unable to listen. They force her to become outcast because they don't understand. This is also often true of members of the gay community in our society, although they typically are ignored by their friends more after they have spoken, as opposed to before speaking.

However, a large part of becoming an outcast lies in the hands of the "victim." Melinda is not able to share her story with her friends and she therefore carries a burden with no additional help. Likewise, many young people (and even adults) wrestle with the topic of their homosexuality and wonder how they can reveal to their friends and families that they are gay, knowing that when they do share that information they will become one of the outcast members of "normal" American society. They bear the same burden as Melinda: "What do I say? How do I say it? What will people think of me?"

I think Latham's inclusion of the scene toward the end when Andy corners Melinda is really beneficial because it helps us more firmly grasp the idea of being "closeted."

Trying to Teach...

I actually liked this book, though I do admit there is at least one note in the margins of my book that asks about the author, "Is he on crack?"

I felt that this book was highly unrealistic (cheerleaders on motorcycles?), but I felt that is what made it so important. Through the author's use of absurdity, he makes readers realize how odd it is that we think it's weird that gays are so accepted in this book, and a drag queen can be a football quarter back.

Our country has made great progress in the past 50 years (from Civil Rights to a black president), but we are still discriminating against many groups. There is a constant struggle for equality between gays and straights, which is mostly apparent during discussions about gay marriage. This book helps to point out the fact that we as a culture still think gays are "weird." Levithan shows us an alternate world where they are accepted by their peers and where they do not have to fear coming out to their friends.

I might teach this with "Hunger of Memory" by Richard Rodriguez. There are a few chapters in this memoir that detail his struggles to make his father accept him. (http://www.amazon.com/Hunger-Memory-Education-Richard-Rodriguez/dp/0553382519/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1253650932&sr=1-2)

I also think that if the school allowed it, it would be valuable to teach this with The Laramie Project (http://www.amazon.com/Laramie-Project-Christina-Ricci/dp/B000067D0Y/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1253651284&sr=8-3).
Certain scenes from this movie might be helpful in understanding what happens when we are hateful and intolerant.

I know that in public school we cannot teach whether homosexuality is right or wrong, but we do need to teach students to act responsibly and to be respectful of others. There is no need for violence and intolerance, and by showing them the memoir and the DVD (all taken from real-life interviews with friends/acquaintances of Matthew Shepard), students would be able to see real-life examples of intolerance, as well as how people have overcome this adversity. They could then apply this to the novel and discuss how Levithan's book addresses the current state of our society.

Random...

...Just in case anyone is interested, Borders is having a sale right now: Buy 2 Young Adult Books, get 1 FREE! I found this out last night... so if you want to add to your Twilight series, you can buy the last 3 books but only pay for 2 of them. I picked up a couple titles I had never heard of just because I wanted to see what students were reading for fun these days, and I wanted to have some YA novels to relate/assign to future classes.
Just a heads up!

Teaching Forever and its contradicting approaches to sexuality

As a future teacher, I think teaching this text would be difficult. I think some of the most challenging aspects would be helping the students take this book seriously, even though it is an older novel and they will probably find some of the more detailed scenes to be silly. However, I do feel that this novel is important to teach because of the points Judy Blume was trying to make and the ways she contradicted herself in the novel.
As Trites notes on page 93, Blume wrote the novel for her daughter when she asked Judy if she "could write about two nice kids who fall in love, do it, and nothing terrible happens to them.... [Blume's daughter] had read a number of books that year that linked sex with punishment. Trites also points out, and I agree, that Blume is not really able to divorce the idea of sex from the idea of punishment. She does inflict punishment on the characteres: As a result of Sybil being overweight, she feels the need to have sex frequently to feel beautiful. She then becomes pregnant and experiences physical pain in childbirth but also emotional pain when she gives up her baby. When Erica and Artie try to have sex and Artie cannot perform, he tries to kill himself (though whether this is related to his inability to have sex with Erica or the confirmation he is gay, we cannot be sure.) His attempted suicide is devastating to Erica and their friends. Also, I attibute Kath and Michael's emotional attachment to their physical relationship, so their breakup is especially painful to both of them.
What is essential when considering how to teach this book to students is realizing that it cannot be used to teach students that sex is wrong or right. It should not be used to preach to a class full of students. Instead we can examine character motives for certain events. For example, I thought it was interesting that Kath kissed Theo after learning that her grandfather had passed away. She had managed to be faithful to Michael throughout the summer, but a devastating life event pushed her over the edge. This passage and others could serve as a tool for helping students understand the psychological effects of life on our desires and impulses.

The Chocolate War

Throughout Robert Cormier's The Chocolate War, the characters learn much about themselves through their interactions with each other and their reactions to their situations. Many of the students view the world as it relates to their chocolate sale, their friends, and their teachers.
One of the passages that I found interesting occurs in chapter 16:
"...[H]e had allowed Brother Leon to blackmail him. If teachers did this kind of thing, what kind of world could it be?...And he [saw] that life was rotten, that there were no heroes, really, and that you couldn't trust anybody, not even yourself." (Page 109)
In this passage, David Caroni reveals to Brother Leon that Jerry's refusal of the chocolates each morning is part of a Vigils stunt in order to save his grade. He is surprised that he would provide that information and immediately feels sick to his stomach.
I was also intrigued by the recurring idea that the boys are roped into dead lives as young teens. Evidence of this appears on pages 20 and 92.
First, one of the hippies at the bus stop approaches Jerry and calls him "middle-aged at fourteen, fifteen. Already caught in a routine." He adds, "Go get your bus, square boy.... You're missing a lot of things in the world, better not miss that bus." (Page 20)
Second, when Paul is selling chocolates and he meets the woman with the children, he "felt sorry for older people, stuck in their houses and tenements with kids to take care of and housework to do. He thought of his own parents and their useless lives...What the hell were they living for?" (Page 92)
A similar incident appears on page 62 when Jerry recalls asking his dad if he ever wanted to be a doctor and his father replies "no," and Jerry senses his father is not being truthful. Jerry later regrets seeing himself as a reflection of his father. He no longer wants to be a "Square Boy." (Page 63)
These boys realize that there should be more to life than what they experience at school; that life is not just about chocolate sales and grades and making the football team, but about doing something and not missing out.
Jerry only partly fits into Buckley's definition of Bildungsroman. He is growing up with a father that confines him, not on a physical level, but emotionally because he himself never fulfilled his own dreams. His romantic relationships fit into Buckley's categories: the relationship with Playboy corrupts him to the point that he can't even keep an issue, and the girl from the busstop helps to purify him because he cannot even speak to her. He is humbled by her. He also triumphs when he continues to say "no" to the chocolates after the Vigils stunt is over. However, he never really breaks through his issues with his parents (his mother's death and his father on a daily basis), financial resources, and women. There is no "happily-ever-after" for Jerry--just a ride in an ambulance and a question regarding whether he actually lived through his high school years.