"Forged by Fire" by Sharon Draper

Class Responses Below:

Monday October 22: pages 1-10
Group 1:
The mother is a drug addict and judging by the line where the narrator talks about never bothering momma when there is a person in bed with her, she is a "street employee". The mother neglects the son, who is being described by a third person narrator. So far the book has described a neglectful mother and three year old son who is learning lessons in life as a toddler. The book pulls you in and leaves you wanting to read more at the end of the chapter.

Group 2: Pages 1-10
I feel like the mom is battling with herself. She wants to be a good mom, even if just for a few minutes, in some of her actions, she is loving. The mom might have a huge manipulative pattern: if she doesn't need him, she is cruel, but if she needs him to act a certain way, she butters him up. It's like feeding a dog a treat after it has done something bad (and abusing it). In all those ways, she is extremely selfish, keeping him caged like a pet. Aunt Queen, who is aware of the surroundings, is afraid of losing her sister if she does something about it. She lets things go. The mom isn't really being a mother and maybe the child should be taken away because she is neglecting and doing drugs, and her street job. A three year old needs constant attention. Question: did anyone else notice something interesting about the colors when the child closed his eyes. Aunt Queen should be the one to take care of the boy instead of enabling the mom to keep doing everything opposite of being a good parent.

Tuesday 10/23:
Group 1:
He was taken away from his mother by social services, as a result of a fire that almost left him in ashes.   The fire started by Gerald's mom's neglect, but was physically started with a lighter he was using as a torch for his G.I. Joe. Gerald is both physically and emotionally rescued by Aunt Queen, who serves as a strong point in his life and share real life lessons by her actions like allowing complete strangers to sleep on the couch. The fire in his life reappears as his mother returns. I think Gerald might be happy to see his mom, but he might not be (she is a foggy memory to him and he knew he was taken away from his mother). After an accident, Aunt Queen was really mad because she thought she might lose Gerald and fail him in the way that his mother failed him. Aunt Queen (all red) is often a motif for fire. If I were Gerald, I would forget about the mother completely as she was abusive (even at that age) but it can be hard because she is still a mother. The brittle bones Aunt Queen has is symbolic of the forging of her own fire (as brittle metals are strengthened in fire). The black Cadillac in the story (that didn't stop) leaves me wondering if that cadillac was rich people, or gangsters. Clarifying Question: Is he going to be taken away from Aunt Queen, into his mother's custody (again) or is she just coming to "visit"....? I want to know if there is going to be any reoccurrence with the black cadillac or the people associated with.

Group 2:
The hospital scene gave the clue that Gerald is injured and is African American, because he hasn't been around a lot of white people (he was frightened by them). Maybe his mother never really took him out of the house, proving that she kept him as a "pet". The hospital scene foreshadowed his trauma and made him have a flashback, which suggests that he suffered emotional trauma (fire is a motif for him...red go-cart, Aunt Queen showing up in all red and a red wheelchair....red is going to mean something to him) Maybe the motif of red will provide closure for him in the end. Being at Aunt Queen's house has opened up doors for him: he can cook well, build things, calm and kind, quiet observer. When he was at his mom's house he couldn't focus on himself, just worry about his mother. I think the cadillac might mean something, being symbolic of something, later in the story. He thought about his GI Joe and that was a traumatic trigger for him, sequencing to the events leading to being abandoned. This could be a trigger forever and cause problems for him later in life. I am wondering what is going to happen when the mom comes back into his life, and if the cadillac belongs to Leroy or a gang, or... So, his mom is "coming back" and what if she steals him away, putting on a good attitude while she is there and then abusing him later. This could be because she might be mad at him for starting the fire and getting her arrested. If he gets taken away again, his environment will be completely changed; like taking the plant out of the good soil and planting it in rocks and thorns. Since Gerald said his memory of his mom was blurred, and she knows he was really young, she might use that to her advantage. But what if she comes back worse than before. She might have a cameo, but she might relapse. Maybe, she will come back with a GI joe toy to manipulate him. She might recruit him to join in her dirty work, stealing drugs, and working with Leroy. Maybe RED is a warning...but it has been good and bad, because Aunt Queen came in red. What if she comes back with a whole new family.....?

Wednesday 10/24 Chapters 4-6
Gerald is stunned by the news that his mother will be coming to visit. To soften the blow, Aunt Queen offers a shiny new red bike as a birthday present, which she had been saving a long time. With excellent foreshadowing, the book prepared us to see that under the green blanket was a new red bike, not a sewing machine. Red could represent "changes" in Gerald's life. After Gerald prepares for the visit, recovering from the initial confrontation (by going on a bike ride), he awakened by his aunt telling him to be a man and face the music. I would feel horrible about having all that thrown on me and would never want to come back home. I would be angry because my mom hadn't seen me in a long time and then sprung a bunch of news on me. A connection that one of us has is whenever there is stress, it is alleviated by a bike ride. One of the other instantaneous gifts she had was a new husband and sister. The author does a good job of providing imagery because I could paint a picture in my mind of the mother. The way she is explained, I can imagine the mom wanting to marry a guy like Jordan. He is a weird guy...cowboy boots? Jordan is described as a sullen man who is abusive due to the daughter's refusal to reveal her arms and legs by wearing long clothing even though it is extremely hot outside. The character Gerald changed during the continuation of the story, as when he first met his sister, he was ignoring her and forgetting she even was there. As the story progressed, Gerald began to become a kind, caring older brother; helping his sister learn to ride a bike. Overall, we think the story is progressing nicely, with many plot twists, and the characters developing and revealing much about themselves in the process.

Group 2:
Gerald was very stagnant about seeing his mom, he didn't want to see her at all. Monique was really giddy and overly happy about seeing her son. She tried to manipulate him by being overly friendly then she introduced his new sister (Angel) which was also another impacting moment of the day. He immediately noticed that Angel has had a tough life so far. Foreshadowing that she has bruises under her very over sized clothing. Monique was wearing red (fire) again and Jordan was wearing cowboy boots which seemed to annoy Gerald and stand out to him. I wonder if the mom isn't being honest about Angel's father she may be Leroy's child. I also wonder why Jordan was in such a bad mood when meeting Gerald he also showed that he didn't care about Gerald because he said "Your kid your choice" when Monique said we want you to come stay with us. Jordan (possibly story's antagonist) may abuse the mother and Angel, and when Angel said "Mama would get me" showed that Monique was also abusive. Since Gerald was abused as a child he showed a lot of compassion for Angel when teaching her how to ride a bike. I think Aunt Queen had too much on her plate that she had a heart attack due to stress (maybe heat stroke). Aunt Queen may get Gerald taken away from her due to her medical conditions. Gerald may go with Jordan and Monique and the past may come back to haunt him (abuse/neglect). Jordan may possibly be Monique's "pimp" or drug dealer which shows that she hasn't changed much in the past six years. Monique acts like the victim toward Gerald and she has no voice when it comes to Jordan when she asks him what to do about Gerald. The title, fire, and the color red foreshadows that Gerald and Angel have to go home with Jordan and Monique for sometime though the story and will be Forged by Fire.

Thursday October 25 chapters 7-8
Group 1:
Excruciatingly sorrowful about his aunt's passing, Gerald suddenly finds himself at a crossroads. Stuck in the clutches of his mother and terrible stepfather, he finds himself face to face with a new trepidation. Jordan is an extremely abusive, raging alcoholic, and arrogant man. I don't think Gerald is intimidated by Jordan because he wants to protect Angel and doesn't want her to know he is scared. He is also used to abuse and is willing to take the abuse for her, because he is her last hope at having a life. Gerald didn't want to add fuel to the fire by releasing his anger and retaliating. Angel is like Princess Leia and Gerald is like Luke Skywalker, in the closeness of their bond which cannot be broken. After seeing the steady glow of Aunt Queen, Gerald is not intimidated by the fire Jordan brings. But, Jordan was "brow beaten" by the fire in Gerald's eye. If I were Gerald, I would pack up my clothes, take the food from the fridge and walk out. When I ran away before I went to the park. Nothing intangible is more powerful than the will to live and the drive to be free. Gerald comes home to the appalling sight of Jordan beginning to molest and defile Angel. I feel repulsed and a squeamish feeling (stomach turning) mixed with anger, about the disgusting situation. I literally laid my head down in the pillow as a way to escape. Jordan smiled at Angel! It is so creepy.

Group 2:
This intense story plot has so many things happening that cause the reader to feel sad for the family due to abuse. Aunt Queen died, which made Gerald closer to Angel. When the ambulance came to get Aunt Queen, Angel recognized the driver, suggesting that she had been taken to the hospital as a result of abuse. The narrator pointed out that the ambulance driver was wearing all blue and that might be alluding to something, just as red does as well....Maybe blue is the end of an era. I feel that colors have something to do with the story, because in our minds, colors are symbolic in our world. Gerald was forced to move in with Monique and Jordan, which made Angel feel more protected, but they were still vulnerable; Jordan was still there, gets drunk, and abuses the whole family. Gerald has been stepping in so that Angel doesn't get abused as much. Angel doesn't even call Jordan dad. They deserve better! :'( I want to stab Jordan. I think it's sad that Monique doesn't stand up for her kids because she is so insecure and scared. Here is what I think is happening: learned helplessness--Monique can't get away from Jordan because she might be afraid that he will find them, abuse them more, and maybe even killed them. I think that Monique is oblivious because she doesn't want him to leave, and she is afraid of being alone. Jordan touching Angel shows a form of desperation, because he abuses his wife too much for her to show any emotion. He feels he can have more power over Angel. Maybe, earlier in life, he had a power struggle and now feels he has to have power over everything. Gerald, when he showed up, wanted to beat Jordan, rip his head off, and throw it in a trash can, but he held back. The fire in Gerald's eyes intimidated Jordan. Gerald didn't attack because he wanted Angel to be safe; Jordan might take the anger towards Gerald out on Angel. I wonder why Jordan thought Christmas was stupid...maybe something happened to him in his past.

Class Response 10/29/2012 Chapters 9-11
Group 1:
Gerald was awoken by a beautiful, white snow on Christmas morning. He remembers how Aunt Queen always said that Christmas snows were magical. He asks Angel to make a wish, which she does. Jordan gives Angel a kitten for Christmas. Gerald had woken up that morning to find Jordan exiting Angel’s room. Gerald discovers his sister cowering in the corner of her room. We (Jon) think that Jordan got Angel the kitten simply so he could hold the threat of harming the cat over her head. Gerald decides to take matters into his own hands and “breaks” Angel’s bed, so that Angel will have to sleep in his room, away from Jordan. Monique is understating Jordan’s abuse because she is in denial. Does Monique leave Angel on purpose? Is Jordan even Angel’s real father? The motif of fire is absent in Angel’s life, as she is always portrayed as feeling cold and empty and dark. Angel gets sick with chicken pox and has to stay home from school. Jordan tells Monique to go to work, that he’ll stay with Angel. Jordan ambushes Angel when she gets up and forces her to take off her shirt to “show him her chicken pox rashes” When Angel resists, Jordan tells her that her cat, Tiger, is in the oven and that he will turn in on and bake the kitten if she tells anyone. Is Jordan bluffing, just to keep Angel under control? Would he really kill Tiger? Gerald leaves for school early one morning and sees his friend Robby being dropped off my his father, Mr. Washington. Mr Washington notices that something is bothering Gerald and he asks what it is. Gerald intends to simply shrug it off, but when Mr Washington places a comforting hand on Gerald’s shoulder, he breaks down and tells him everything. Robby’s father offers to take Gerald to get something to eat, and while they are in a McDonald’s booth, Gerald explains the entire situation to him. Mr Washington is clearly irritated and decides to take Gerald to the police.


Group 2:

October 31 Chapter 13
Group 1:
Jordan is tried for domestic violence (child abuse). Meanwhile, Monique, feeling sorry for herself and for selfish reasons, apologizes to Jordan who doesn't even look at her, expressing disgust. I feel Monique is pathetic and needy; it seems like she needs someone to keep her stabilize as she is not independent enough. The reason she was with Jordan is that even if she found someone steady enough to keep herself afloat, with her current actions, she would just drain the energy/life right out of those around her. If I were those kids, I would have come forward sooner, and I would have been mortified and disgusted. Connection: I have already dealt with the feeling of having my mom not there for me and not give a damn. It would be horrible to put all this energy into trusting/loving your mom and she just doesn't even care and pushes them away. She is ripping those feelings from you and  giving them to a monster. Connection: I know how it feels to be at court and try to comfort the person and how it feels to have someone in my own family be with someone being tried, knowing they were guilty (and then taking it out on the kids).  Mr. Washington made sure that what happened to the kids would never happen again. He was a genuinely good, fatherly figure. I have a flashback connection: the chapter before, Gerald had such an absence of a fatherly figure that Mr. Washington was like God to him; he was there for them and comforted them. After Jordan is prosecuted and sentenced for 6-10 years, the kids are assigned to Monique, for the time being. What happens when Jordan gets out of jail in 6-10 years? What is going to happen to the kids in the next 6-10 years? Foreshadowing: the kids will be closer now, the future when Gerald is old enough to move out he will have Angel come live with him because that seems like the right decision and he has always stood up for his sister. He has acted her brother, but has filled the place of a parent.

Group 2: (WINNING Response)
Jordan sucks! He deserves to be in prison. The prosecution was on point. I think he should get a life sentence, because if he came back, I feel he will most likely do it again. I think Jordan claimed angle to use as his toy, so to speak. Foreshadow: Jordan is most likely to get out of prison and reassure everyone that he is a changed man, but he is going to most likely catch Angel and actually sexually abuse her next time (She is going to be a teenager), and potentially beat the crud out of Monique or Gerald. Maybe, Gerald will try to get custody of her to keep her safe. Monique obviously doesn't love her children: she didn't do anything to support them or to stop Jordan. She was pretty p.o.'ed that the kids sent Jordan to jail. Maybe she does love them, but she is a neglectful person and cares only about what is most important for her (getting attention from men and looking good). In the chapter before, she told Gerald she should kill him, and now she is still not taking accountability for the fact that she knows that Jordan is a bad person. This makes Gerald a stronger person because of what he has gone through. Aunt Queen was like the air to Gerald's fire, teaching him to be strong. It is interesting that in the book, only the women are wearing red. Back in the day when my mom (Jenny's mom) was dating someone she said she wouldn't if my sister and I were not comfortable, because we were the most important people in her life. Shouldn't it be like that for everyone? For all the things that Monique did and didn't do, why are the courts allowing the kids to stay with her? But, in court, she technically didn't do anything wrong. Maybe the green is a motif/symbol for freedom and justice. Jordan's lawyer reminded us of White Rabbit from Alice in Wonderland because he is so insecure (looking at his watch) and will always do the bidding of the queen (Monique/Jordan). Also, Monique be TRIPPIN: She cares more about her makeup (6 times in the bathroom to check her makeup) and then was looking at Mr. Washington (like he was a new style of candy bar or a shiny new toy for a kindergardener). Monique is very impatient and in denial. When I heard the prosecutor was wearing green, I thought of a tree that can be burned...Green trees don't burn as much as brown trees (as well as bigger trees are harder to take down). Green could represent life because all plants are green when alive. Their life could get better because like a stop light that turns green, everyone gets happy when change occurs.

November 2 Chapters 14-17
Finally finding an outlet, Angel turns to music and dance to express her true emotion. Now that the colors are back in her life (yellow...just think, what flower shows up just after a fire? dandelions...), the scars from the past are finally healing, as the land heals after a forest fire. Life slowly grows back. Color motifs show up again. Gerald, beginning to find a way to release his emotions, turns to basketball as his only release. He begins a slow rise to stardom, and finds someone who he can trust, his teammates. Connection: When I was in Middle School and Grade School I had no friends, I didn't have anyone I could trust. Only in the last year did I have friends that I could count on and relate to me (end connection). A couple of the teammates and Gerald went to a buffet and cleverly cheated the restaurant owners by only buying two meals, but feeding a third of the team. Even though they are big, buff guys, they still have a playful side. After their meal, they decide to hop onto a table, and sing songs for the patrons. At the back of the restaurant, a man sits and contemplates their music. After they take their bows, he approaches them, giving them valuable advice not to grow up to fast because it disappears quickly, and $10 to each of them. The story foreshadows Gerald having to take the role of the man of the family with the strange man giving him advice to enjoy their youth while they have it because you don't know when it's going to be gone. They really didn't know what that meant and they just forgot about what the old man said. Gerald then went to go pick up his sister and she was so happy because she got the part but as she was skipping through door she stopped in mid sentence when she saw Jordan. Gerald couldn't believe his eyes when he arrived at home to find Jordan sitting on his couch in the house with Monique sitting there smiling like everything was okay and that Jordan didn't go to jail for trying to molest her daughter but yet she still lets him back in. When Gerald saw Jordan he then remembered the words of the old man and it snapped him back to reality. He then called Mr. Washington and he came and picked him up and talk about the current events that were happening with Angel and Gerald. When he saw Mr. Washington was wearing the same thing as Jordan, jeans and shirt, but jordan gave off a more sinister aura with his apparel. So far, the story is wrapping up, but there is a slow build the climax.


Group 2:
Gerald and Angel have grown up a lot. Gerald has a basketball team with red uniforms. Angel's cat is named Tiger and Gerald's basketball team is named the Tigers. Monique has worn gold several times. Gerald has friends and a social life instead of being silent and depressed. Angel is more blissful and happy and doing things she enjoys. Monique is still an uncaring parent. Jordan is tyrant! Monique still cares about her appearance instead of her kids. She relies on Gerald to be the parent role. He gets groceries and makes dinner and pays rent. He is the man of the family. She traded one bad habit for another. Drugs to alcohol. There seems to be a pattern: there will be a great six years until a good day it will be destroyed by something negative. Black has seemed to represent disaster like the black cadillac that almost hit Gerald and destroyed his go-cart a long time ago. Jordan came to Gerald's basketball game in all black and that made Gerald mess up and get nervous. I think Gold represents beauty and grace because Angel's costume was yellow and her crown was gold and her dance performance was beautiful, and Monique is always pretty and dressed in gold. When Monique went out to "celebrate," Gerald heard her high heels clicking on the floor. This sparked a memory from his childhood because last time he heard that noise, there was a fire. Jail didn't help Jordan and Monique but it temporarily helped Gerald and Angel. Gerald seems to have more authority now that he is older. He is also like Aunt Queen, a trustworthy role model. Aunt Queen was always wearing red, and Gerald's basketball team is red. Mr. Washington has been very supporting and kind, always caring about Gerald and Angel's needs. Mr. Washington was wearing a very similar outfit to Jordan's, yet it looked cleaner and more pure. It might be a Good Dad vs. Bad Dad thing. Blue seems to mean safety because Mr. Washington's buick was blue, and the hospital people were wearing blue uniforms. I think its interesting how Jordan only came to Gerald's game, and he didn't come to Angel's recital. Maybe Jordan has moved on to torment Gerald, thinking that Gerald can get in trouble since he is older if it leads to a fight. What is Jordan doing when he isn't with Monique or the family?? I think Jordan is putting on a little show because he knows Monique is on his side. An old man said "Enjoy your youth my young friends because tomorrow it may be gone." The next day, Jordan came back. This suggests that the author may have been trying to give a clue to the reader about the future. Foreshadow: I think Angel could be adopted by either Gerald (when he turns 18) or Mr. Washington. What if Gerald goes to college? I think something horrible might happen, because the last few chapters have been very calm, just like its peaceful before destruction. BLEHH!



Monday November 5 chapters 18-19
Group 1:

As school ends, Monique allows Jordan to stay in the house again. Monique feels that Jordan has finally become the man she has always wanted him to be. Question: Does that mean in the past Jordan wasn't the man she wanted him to be? Jordan, being back for 5 months now, has been behaving himself. Gerald is tense around jordan, He feels helpless around him.  Angel has stopped throwing up every day, but she still suffers from anzitey. Wanting a relief for his anxiety, Gerald goes to shoot some hoops. When he is gone, Monique heads off to get cigarets leaving angel alone. Shortly after the power goes off, Gerald comes home to find Angel with a sleeping tiger on her lap in her room. Monique has been gone for at least a hour when the lights come back on. Gerald hears sirens on the corner, and goes to investigate. He finds a group huddled around a women struck by a taxi. The taxi cab driver was shouting that he didn't see her the entire time (We first thought that Monique had been hit with a car by Jordan). Question: why was Monique running if Jordan was not going to be home until midnight, or was she running from someone? Monique wakes up in the hospital, not knowing what happened or where she is, showing she took a hard hit. She has Angel and Gerald there to comfort her, but Jordan is nowhere to be found, showing her kids care more then her husband. The first words that slip out ask where Jordan is, suggesting she wants her Jordan more then her kids. When Monique is discharged from the hospital, they go home only to find Jordan half asleep on the couch. As they disrupt him, he mutters that he was just about to go and check on her (We know that Jordan wasn't really going to go to the hospital...). Monique uses this experience to attempt to enforce to her kids that she has total fate in him by saying that she knows he would come (We think Monique was using this as a opportunity to butter Jordan up (not actual butter, she isn't a cannibal yet..)). Question: Why doesn't Monique realize yet that Jordan isn't a good match for her? Still recovering from the shock of having his mother in the hospital, Gerald receives a call from Mr. Washington asking how his mom is doing. Gerald tells him that he theorizes that Monique is using her injury as a excuse to go back to drugs (We think that Monique isn't capable of realizing that she is drugged up). Gerald, responding to a question by Mr. Washington asking how Angel is doing, points out that she is a waxy pale. Question: why does the author point out that Angel's skin is a waxy pale (Once your black, you never go back)?  Angel talks on the phone with Kiara, and Kiara tells Angel that she can tell her ANYTHING. Angel, thinking about the molestation, thinks she is not ready to share that information.

Group 2: Chapter 18-20
First of all, Jordan moved back in at summer break, not a good idea because Angel gets scared, filled with fear, and goes back to throwing up. But of course, Monique is filled with joyful glee, which is pretty boloney. It mentioned that he was becoming the man she always wanted. It seems like he was only pretending so that he could stay at the house. That line suggests that Monique knew about what had happened and knew that Jordan was a bad person (she had been hoping all along that Jordan would change).  Monique got hit by a taxi, while she was coming home from getting Jordan's cigarettes. She seemed like she was pretty messed up before she got hit. Jordan didn't exactly rush to the hospital or show up at all; Does Jordan even care about Monique and why is he still at the house if he doesn't? Angel started throwing up again, showing her fear of the possibility of Jordan being her only guardian left. Angel sees her mom on and abusing pain medications. After the doctor stopped prescribing pills, Jordan buys Monique the colorful pills. Jordan knows they are going to make her react in a way that isn't herself and she will then be under his control, like a puppet. Foreshadow: Jordan might do something that would normally upset her, but now she might not even react at all. Mr. Washington called to check in on Gerald and the family, and offered for them to stay the weekend. Gerald declined the offer, but said that Angel should, which led to the two girls having a conversation. Kiara was telling Angel that she could tell her anything, and Angel thought to herself, she can't tell her everything, and some things need to stay secret. If Angel were to tell Kiara, Kiara might think differently of her. To have to keep something inside would probably eat at you, emotionally and mentally. From personal experience, to tell even one person, takes a lot of weight off shoulders. I wonder if Gerald was recording all the events that happened, like Mr. Washington told him to, because then he would have evidence and facts to the event. I think that when Jordan lashed out on Monique and Gerald, it proved that he could only put on a show for so long. Maybe, Monique being hit by Jordan snapped something into her brain. The bad things that have happened to them all, the FIRE, has allowed the characters in the book to grow, evolve, and become stronger, as though they were forged by fire. What happened in Monique's life that led her to Jordan? Where does Jordan get the drugs to supply to Monique and where does the money come from? Like after a fire, at least something good came from Monique's and Jordan's relationship.  

Chapter 21-end of the book
It seemed like everything was going good so far: basketball for Gerald, Monique was happy, Angel had her dance. Jordan seemed too happy: he was being nice and took Angel out to eat. He seemed too nice in general. It's like when your parents are nice and then you find out they are buttering you up because they want you to do something for them. Common sense says to not drink and drive; there are a lot of things that lead to these choices: strict parents trying to prevent you from doing things makes you want to do them more, accessibility to alcohol, and too much freedom. Then, the accident happened, which causes everything to go off balance. It must have been awkward for Gerald's friend, Andy, to return to school after that accident. If I were Andy's parents I would feel pretty bad and indirectly responsible, because my kid just killed another kid. It makes everyone think the parents didn't do their job. They might have tried (and even have been overprotective parents), but in the end it was Andy's decision. Andy parents weren't supportive, judgmental of Andy's grades and maybe life in general. They gave Andy what he wanted, but they were detached because they gave him a car without caring enough about his grades, and they never showed up to his basketball games. It is a dry gesture when someone says they are going to be there and they aren't. They obviously put themselves first. Families that have disconnected relationships, filled with scrutiny and blame, end up susceptible to pressures (and low self esteem). The next major plot driving event is when Angel comes home from dance class and begins to make herself some hotdogs (which I really don't like), and then Jordan comes home. At first, she didn't hear him, but she smelled his cologne and alcohol. I am surprised that the smell of alcohol didn't immediately make her run. He had spent a lot of time at the bar, so she might have thought it was normal, and she had also thought Jordan had changed. I would have been skeptical of someone that had changed that fast (Angel was young though, still) Change that happens quickly, usually isn't permanent. Gradual change is less frightening and easier to get used to it. After the physical beating, though, it was obvious that change had not been permanent. Angel hadn't called the cops with the prior incident, because she had hope and wanted change. Everybody has different coping mechanisms, some laugh, some cry, and some stand in shock. The story ends with the family coming together, by the forging of fire. Monique even became a better person, and Jordan is dead.