ipl-logo

If I Never Grow Up Research Paper

606 Words3 Pages

Have you ever had to choose between two things that left you family at risk? Well in the book, If I Never Grow Up is about a boy who grows up in Frederick Douglas. This is a place where there is gang violence, kids dropping out of school and drugs. DeShawn, the boy has a decision to make either to join the gang or stay in school. DeShawn is being pressured into joining the gang by his friends. Were, as DeShawn has no money for his family or himself. DeShawn felt he had no choice to join the gang because his family was starving. I believe DeShawn had a chose to join the gang by getting a different job to pay for the supplies they need, DeShawn could have listened to all of the people who gave him advice on staying away from all the gangs, and finally DeShawn could have chosen education of the gang.
Some may claim that DeShawn didn't have a choice join the gang because DeShawn and his family not having any money. However, DeShawn did have a choice to join the gang by taking the opportunities he had received to move away from Fredrick Douglas. On page 181 it states, “When the time is right, we could mover you, your grandma, sister, and those kids some new place”
For instance DeShawn had a choice to join the gang by getting a different job to help get money. On page 148, Terrell says, “ How long have you been …show more content…

Furthermore DeShawn had a choice to join the gang because he could have listened to his friends and teachers. On page 215 DeShawn says, “Do I wish I’d listened to Mr. Brand and my other teachers and done things differently? Darn right, I do.” On page 181 Mr. Patterson says, “ That’s what you're offering me? A fresh start?” These quotes show that DeShawn wished he would have listened to the advice his friends and people around him gave him. These people offered DeShawn a new start, a better life. He didn’t have to join the gang to have a better

Show More
Related

  • Wes Moore Summary

    143 Words  | 1 Pages

    Moore is establishing his indisputable motive to write this book; his motivation I believe is much more significant than just a mere interest in the coincidence, but also an opportunity to explore how the choices that one makes can alter one’s future. Upon his return from Oxford University, Moore recognized how Wes Moore and himself had both been raised in Baltimore, a breeding ground of violence and crime, a situation in which few can flourish in. Moore is exploring what the tolls of living in a twisted, urban area have on a young, child and how certain characters can leave such dissimilar influences. Moore secures validation over his motivation, yet others and he even himself questions “so what?” , however, I feel many, youth, in particular,

    Read More

  • How To Make Good Life Choices In Edward Bloor's Tangerine

    512 Words  | 3 Pages

    “You are free to make whatever choice you want, but you are not free from the consequences of the choice.”-Ezra Taft Benson. This quote by Benson relates to the novel Tangerine by Edward Bloor. The characters in the novel don’t make good life choices and in the end, they pay for the mistake. Paul Fisher’s parents make bad decisions with treating their two sons.

    Read More

  • Summary Of Sudhir Venkatesh's Gang Leader For A Day

    1580 Words  | 7 Pages

    The gang members followed JT because he was the boss and they also feared him. “He runs things around here, so I have to play by the rules” (Venkatesh, pg. 57). Although the members committed violent acts and illegal activities, they did what they were told. Many of the members are also allowed to rise up in the ranks and be promoted, such as JT receiving a new job in the Black Kings hierarchy.

    Read More

  • If I Grow Up By Todd Strasser

    769 Words  | 4 Pages

    Toughout the book DeShawn is thinking that he should join the gang. So, he does join the gang. Even though he joined the gang he still had the choice to make his life better. He could have gotten a job, listened to officer Patterson, and stayed in school to get a better education. Some people may argue that DeShawn didn’t have a choice because, he didn’t have any money.

    Read More

  • Overcoming Adversity In Along Way Gone

    1309 Words  | 6 Pages

    Since being exposed to dangerous community filled with drugs and gangs, Lafayette is able understand at a young age many boys do become associated with the violent crimes. When talking to another friend Lafayette said, "There are a lot of people in the project to say they're not going to do drugs... that they won't be on the streets. But then they're doing it now never say never." He paused, "but I say never. My brothers ain't set no good example for me

    Read More

  • Deshawn Downfall

    762 Words  | 4 Pages

    DeShawn never wanted to become something bad, he never wanted to hurt anyone. DeShawn had joined the gang in hopes of helping protect his loved ones but once he took the first step into the toxic environment outside, DeShawn fell off the

    Read More

  • The Movie Juice Movie

    926 Words  | 4 Pages

    Robbing the convenience store was a major turning point in the movie that caused a domino effect of events that could have been avoided. Had Quincy decided to stand by his commitment to the DJ contest and not succumb to peer pressure he would never have been in this situation in the first place. Had Raheem not agreed to Bishop’s order of getting the gun, then, theoretically the crime would have never happened. Had Steel spoken up when Raheem asked if he was sure he wanted to go through with the crime, like Quincy, his situation and the events that caused his death could have been avoided. Quincy’s possibility of ending up in jail and Raheem and Steel’s deaths all could have been avoided had they chose to be their own person as opposed to following the others.

    Read More

  • Deshawn In Todd Strasser's If I Grow Up

    688 Words  | 3 Pages

    Then DeShawn worked his way up and then he was the head captain of the gang. DeShawn could have a choice because DeShawn have better his education, other people in the town were had jobs, and DeShawn could got help from Citizens of his town. Some people believe that they don’t have a choice because; they feel like they can’t get money anywhere else. Also, that is what they think is right to do, they do not wrong from right.

    Read More

  • Wes Moore Decision Making

    633 Words  | 3 Pages

    Decision Making Throughout your average day you make hundreds of decisions. Things like what you were going to wear, what class to go to, what to eat for lunch, or what pencil to use are all examples of decisions everyone makes on a daily basis. However, some decisions you make can change not only your life, but the lives of others. In the novel The Other Wes Moore, both Weses make decisions that impact their lives severely.

    Read More

  • Prison System Flawed Essay

    1079 Words  | 5 Pages

    Also ”gangs offer protection and governance in places where established institutions fail, and that it makes sense for prisoners to join them,” (Skarbek). This is the main reason people join gangs they are forced to in order to insure their safety. The reason the leaders of the gang allow people to join and keep the safe is explained here ”Gangs can trade far more effectively than lone inmates. Prisoners listen when they threaten violence; members can ease trade from the outside after their release. Consumers, in this case buyers of drugs, benefit too.

    Read More

  • Boyz R Us Analysis

    759 Words  | 4 Pages

    Scott Monks introduces the reader to his book about boys and gangs, growing up in an area where it is a norm to be in a gang and leadership in a gang. Introducton: The story of the book, Boyz “r “us deals with Mitchel, (Mitch) and gangs in the 1990’s in Marrickville, an inner suburb of Sydney. The toughness of boys growing up in extreme circumstances, poverty, one parent families, dysfunctional families. Juvenile delinquencies of boys and siblings, assaults and wilful damage.

    Read More

  • Peer Pressure In The Crucible

    453 Words  | 2 Pages

    Him and his gang would do all sorts of Relates to the prompt because: he joined the gang so he didn’t feel lonely. By him joining the gang, his future was destroyed. An example about when my cousin lived in Colombia, she grew up in the middle/poor class. Many of the women there were prostitutes. They were very beautiful, had money, didn’t need an education.

    Read More

  • Influence Of Gangs In The Outsiders

    989 Words  | 4 Pages

    When people make choices that could drastically change their life, the decision they make is based on the influence of others. In the novel, The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton a gang called the Greasers is stereotyped as being the “mean types” that slack off at school. Then there are the Socs who are the rich kids with cool cars that happen to like “jumping” greasers. As these two gangs are rivaling, they both go through some dramatic events that change their perspectives on life. In the novel The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton the character Darrel Curtis is unquestionably influenced by his gang as it prevents him from being successful to becoming the father of the gang, and overall being someone to look up to.

    Read More

  • The Roller Girl: A Short Story

    2437 Words  | 10 Pages

    I knew that if I couldn 't lock down a job I would need to pick a gang. It would be the only income I would be able you get with turning myself in a whore. If I joined the Rollerz my pay would be high, but they would make me into one of their racers or maybe a spy. The Rollerz are always getting into shit with the other gangs because one of them finds a Rollerz spy in their gang. I knew if the other gangs found me they would leave me for dead or they would beat the shit out of me for information.

    Read More

  • Reflective Essay On The Outsiders

    710 Words  | 3 Pages

    “Young hoods- who would grow up to be old hoods. I’d never thought about it before, but they’d just get worse as they got older, not better.” The book very well shows that sometimes people, like the Shepard gang or Dallas Winston, just get worse and worse as they grow older, and never change for the better. The fight for self- preservation has hardened them to the point where they have a savage defiance to the world. “I could picture hundreds and hundreds of boys living on the wrong sides of cities, boys with black eyes who jumped at their own shadows.

    Read More

More about If I Never Grow Up Research Paper

Open Document