Thirteen is an odd number in everyone's lives, as it's the age where social norms and people themselves change the quickest. James Howe's Jeremy Goldblatt Is So Not Moses is the story of Jeremy Goldblatt, an outcast among his peers, coming of age to face his Bar Mitzvah and the expectations of his friends and family. Jeremy has always been a bit different, and some teenagers see different as a bad thing. All he wants is to be accepted, and his Bar Mitzvah is the first big step. The story itself is heartwarming, if a bit far-fetched, following a youth facing down adversity with the power of kindness and friendship. The story's excessive sweetness and makes it difficult to relate to, but the many literary devices are used and used well, …show more content…
Jeremy has to live up to his brother Neil's Bar Mitzvah, which is everything but legendary for the prowess Neil showed with the Torah. The mom is constantly panicking, praying that Jeremy will not mess it all up. This creates an atmosphere of nervous tension at first, as you want Jeremy to succeed simply because you feel bad for him. The mood between the characters is a strong feeling of disappointment and pity directed at Jeremy, as he is just so hopelessly different. As the story goes on, many different people talk about Jeremy's Bar Mitzvah, all with differing opinions. Some called it the worst thing to ever happen, like the mother who knew it was going to be a disaster, saying "But I had the last laugh, didn't I? Not that I was laughing" (105). Others called it a wondrous performance, like Nana when she said "That was a good thing you did Jeremy. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise" (104). With everyone talking about the Bar Mitzvah with such strong emotions, it creates a heavy amount of anticipation and curiosity in the atmosphere that keeps the reader reading, while the mood shifts from wonder to disgust depending on who is talking about the events that happened. All of this leads up to the end, when you read the climax and see what actually