The Stars Beneath Our Fet Quotes

Johnny Houghton
Ms. Sterrett
English - Pink
13 April 2023
Growing through grief
The author José N. Harris says in his book, A Story of Faith, Hope and Love, “Tears shed for another person are not a sign of weakness. They are a sign of a pure heart.” In the novel, The Stars Beneath Our Feet, the author explores teenage grief. It is about the worldwide issue of loss. Every year, particularly in places like New York, (where this book is set) teenagers are killed in gang violence and their families are left to deal with the grief. Dealing with his grief and coming to terms with Jermaine's death, helps Lolly grow in three main ways; his passion for art, his realization that he does not want to be a part of gangs and violence, and his ability to make new friends and grow closer to old ones.
Using Legos as a coping mechanism helps Lolly realize his passion. “It makes me happy, it makes me me.” said Lolly on page 212. This quote shows how making things with Legos are very important to Lolly, and become a core expression of who he is. Legos helped him overcome grief, and it got him interested in architecture. “But something had grabbed on to me. I didn’t know what, but it gave me crazy energy to want to rip

“Even though she stays in the other side of the room working on her stuff. I kinda feel like we’re working on something together,"says Lolly on page 133. This shows the growth of Lolly’s and Rose's friendship. They start out at odds, but over time they become each other's friend and each other's support. Lolly grows through grief by making a friend, someone who can support him through his struggles. “I think I was able to help Vega when I told him he had a choice to make too: Frito and the gun, or me and his violin.” says Lolly on page 269. Both Lolly and Vega grow together and realize that being in a gang and messing up their lives isn’t worth it. In the end, they chose each other over the