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Post by Lauren Mastropaolo on Dec 8, 2013 20:06:48 GMT
While I was reading I realized that two chapter names repeat themselves throughout the book. The chapter names "Times I Did Not Stand Up for My Mother" and "Times My Mother Stood Up for Me." This interested me because no matter how many times "Charley" did not stand up for his mother she always stood up for him. For example, she stood up for Charley at the library. The librarian told him that he could not take out the book that he wanted because it was too hard for him. Charley's mother went back into the library and told the lady to never say that to a child, especially this child. She did all of these things for Charley even though he always sided with his father. Charley's mother cared about him very much and she did not want him to get hurt.
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Dillon Fava Wiggins
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Post by Dillon Fava Wiggins on Dec 8, 2013 23:56:49 GMT
While we are on the subject of the times Chick didn't stand up for his mother, I would like to point out that when he and his family are having dinner and his father and mother start bickering about the baked ziti, Chick (as stated above) takes his father's side in the matter. Once again proving that Chick is a daddy's boy and not a mama's boy and verifying his previous theory that children "chase the love that eludes them."
p.s. it's snowing right now ;P
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Post by Sara Rosenquist on Dec 12, 2013 16:34:39 GMT
One of Mitch Albom's authentic qualities in his works revolve around constant revision of the respective theme. In this particular section, Albom zooms in on Chick's family life to further enhance his present, sucicidal state.
That being said, I bet all of these flashbacks were purposely meant to stress the relationship between Chick and his parents. It's actually quite ironic - it seems that while Chick clings to his aloof father, Posey clings to Chick. While one could assume Posey's attachment are due to similar psychological factors, I see it more as her giving Chick the love he yearns for. Of course, we all know that it just wasn't enough.
Lastly, I noticed Posey's concern for Chick only grew once his father left. In the instance that Lauren listed, it seems that Posey focuses on developing Chick's character, maybe in fear that he will be too shaken by his father's absence to see the perks in life?
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Post by Peter Cook on Dec 13, 2013 1:18:10 GMT
As a response to Lauren's initial comment, I would like to add that Chick's mother Posey is perhaps standing up for Chick even as he is in the old house, maimed and hurt severely, on the verge of death. By being there, she is metaphorically "standing up" for his life, in the face of all the negative events that have occurred in his life to lead him to the point of suicide. She pushes all of it aside, including not being invited to his daughter's wedding and his divorce, because she knows that he deserves to live and that he truthfully wants to, despite what he may tell himself. She knows that he has so much to live for and wants to keep her son safe so that he can live the life he was meant to, and does it- by coming back from the dead! Surely this is a sign of her strong love and care for Chick, because (taking for granted that Chick is not hallucinating) coming back from the dead by whatever method that she was able to do so must have been a struggle, and all to convince her son that he should live and fulfill the rest of his life, and do it happily. To strengthen the first comment, yes indeed, Chick's mother did care for him, perhaps deeper than he ever knew, and to any extent, even that of coming back from the dead.
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Post by Kaitlyn Jehle on Dec 13, 2013 3:33:44 GMT
When Charley could either be a mammas boy or a daddy's boy, but he couldn't be both, so he chose the one that he knew he might lose. He loved his mother very much, but did anything and everything to please his father. With that, he was a daddy's boy even though he lost that love anyways. Posey and Charley always had a special connection, and I think thats essential in a relationship between mother and son. Also, she was his rock and after she died, Charley lost his way and watched his life slip away. I just thought that the relationship they shared was a good one.
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