Handbook for Boys: Discussion #3

“Just because we know something is liable to ruin our lives, it doesn’t mean were not going to do it. We have to pay close attention to what we’re doing everyday.” –Duke

            For our third meeting, we talked about how Jimmy is starting to change in a better way, and Kevin on the other hand is not.

            Throughout the book so far we have noticed that Jimmy is starting to change a lot. In the beginning of the story we got the impression that he was a bad kid. He was someone who didn’t care about his life and got in trouble for beating up someone. Now, Jimmy is really looking up to Duke and taking all the advice that he is giving him. Jimmy is starting to change his ways and is becoming a better person. He actually wants to spend more time with Duke and listen to what he has to say unlike Kevin. Although he did not want to go the basketball game with Duke, he forced himself to go and in the end he was happy he went. He got along with Duke and they talked about life like they always do.

            In the book when Jimmy got mad at Kevin when he sort of called him stupid, I remembered the quote that Duke said before that “Just because we know something is liable to ruin our lives, it doesn’t mean were not going to do it. We have to pay close attention to what we’re doing everyday.” Jimmy at this moment paid very close attention to his actions. He was very upset and he wanted to attack Kevin, but instead he held himself back, Duke told him to go home, and he did just that. Once he was home, Duke stopped by to visit him and he apologized for his actions. He is starting to realize how he should and shouldn’t act and taking responsibilities for his actions. He wants to change his life around and is thankful that Duke is there for him and giving him advice to be successful.

            I feel that Kevin is ungrateful and someone who is not going to get anywhere in life. He always has something bad to say and he does not care what Duke or any of the other barbers have to say about life or advice that they give. He proved that he does not really care by not showing up for the basketball game that Duke invited him to.  Kevin told Jimmy “there is no way I am going to go for that I am your substitute daddy thing.” That proves that he is just ungrateful and arrogant. I really want to see what Kevin and Jimmy end up doing with their lives at the end of the book.