The book, "The Nickel Boys" tells the story of Elwood Curtis, who is a black teenage boy who lives in Tallahassee, Florida in the 1960s. Part 1 of the book, which covers pages 1-43, explains the early childhood to highschool of Elwood. In 1962, Elwood receives a recording of Martin Luther King Jr. speaking at Zion Hill Church. This becomes something he listens to very often and this sparks his interest in Dr. King's views on segregation and discrimination. He carries out these ideas and tries to get involved in some of the protests going on around him. However, his mother does not approve of this and when she finds out he was at a protest, she punishes him by giving him the silent treatment. One day, Mr. Hill, one of his teachers offers him the opportunity to take classes at a college that has opened to successful black students. On his way to class on the first day, he doesn't take his bike because he is afraid it will break. Instead, he hitchhikes with a man, but soon the man gets pulled over, and it seems Elwood got in a stolen car.
The part of the book where he hitchhikes stood out to me because of how it was just a normal thing for him to help him get from place to place. However, Elwood getting in that car to hitchhike would change his life forever. It shows how, Elwood, who has done nothing wrong is punished just for innocently hitchhiking in this man's car. I would never have thought that hitchhiking in someone's car would lead to getting arrested. It shows how at any time in your life if you do not truly think about your choices, your life can be changed forever.
Another part that is very interesting, and somewhat funny to me is when he writes about how his mom gives him the silent treatment. This is something that I find relatable in the book, even though most of the plot is not relatable to me very much. I find it funny because Elwood says his mother only did this because she thought he was too old to be beaten with a belt! To me, the thought of a beating is way worse than just the silent treatment.
hello David, i read your summary of the fist part of your book and i find it rather interesting. I especially liked the part about the silent treatment and i was intrigued when I read that u could relate to it. Another part of the summary that I thought was unique was that she used the silent treatment because she thought he was to old to get beat with a belt. good work Dave:)
ReplyDeleteHello Mr. Clemenzi, I just read your first summary on the your book, I was very intrigued about your statement about how one little choice can affect our lives forever, thought that was a very interesting comment and I would love to learn more.
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