Bad Boy (49-90)

Summary: So far in the novel Walter Dean Myers talks more about his troubled childhood and about more fights that he had gotten in.However, even though he was still getting in trouble and getting bad conduct remarks, he was still doing better in school and even took a liking in reading. Walter didn't like reading in front of the class that much because of his ongoing speech impediment. He had gotten in trouble once for hitting a kid due to the fact that he was making fun of him. From that day on Walter was sent to the back of the class to read and couldn't participate in any class activities. That is when Walter started to enjoy reading; during the summer he would often go to the library just to read. He wasn't able to play outside due to the surgery that he had during the school year. Usually he would complain, but he enjoyed going to the library and loved how he could take out any books for free. The only problem he had was that older boys would make fun of him on the way back to school when they saw him with books in his hand. He sought out a way to fix this problem and to avoid confrontation by putting his books in a paper bag. The following year, even though he missed a good amount of school, he was still promoted to the sixth grade and he was given his first male teacher, Mr.Irwin Lasher. Walter was put into that class for a specific reason. Mr.Lasher had heard about Walter's violent past and told him up front that he wasn't going to tolerate any kind of violence in his classroom. However, Walter did manage to get into trouble and Mr.Lasher had gone home with him to talk to his mother. Mr.Lasher was a different teacher, he was the first teacher that actually wanted to see Walter Succeed. While in his class, Walter was able to get his grades up, he was one of the best students in the class, and he also cleaned up his act; the constant anger and violence that he subjected himself to had ended and the only thing he was worried about was school,reading and writing. Walter had come a long way and was even put into special class for Junior high school, he was able to handle school easily and loved how everyone excelled. However, at home a tragic death in the family had changed the families life forever. Walters uncle Lee had passed away and Walter's father hadn't taken it too well. Uncle Lee had just gotten out of jail and passed away right before their eyes. Walter's father wasn't as close to uncle lee as he was when they were younger, but his death really affected him mentally.His father had fallen into a deep depression for a year, which caused his mother to feel alone. He was very quite and isolated himself often; he didn't tell any jokes and barely smiled. This made Walter feel along with his mother more lonely than ever before, but he still managed to handle school and continued his writing.


Quote : " I also felt a kind of comfort with books that i did not experience when i was away from them. Away from the books i was at times, almost desperate to fill up the spaces of my life. Books filled those spaces for me" ( Myers 52).
This quote shows how reading and writing completes him. Without is he's often left with an empty space in his body that needs to be filled, without reading he feels empty and left alone. Reading and writing is his place of comfort, a place where no one makes fun of him or gives up on him when he's trying to get them to believe in him. A place where he can express his feelings and just forget about everything and go into his own world that he can lose himself in.


Reaction: So far in the novel Walter is staring to find himself and develop into what he wants to be in life. The recent connection with his biological family had somewhat shown him that he still has a family that cares about him, but that he is also in a better place with the Myers. You can also see Walter's growth, from someone that couldn't spend a day without fighting into someone that is trying to get himself together so that he can be successful. As Walter Develops, you also see the writer that starts to form in him. With his poem being published into the newspaper and the new teacher that encouraged him to make something of himself. Walter had gone from the bottom of the class to the top and leaned to reading/writing to help him with his situations at home and outside of school, like fitting in and just being like one of the "boys."