Bruce And Darby's Observation In High School

☺ Nothing invigorates high school students more then a raw, overwhelming, dramatic relationship. The gossip that was churned up was too much to bare waste to. Had Darby been the one that won over Bruce? It started with a cringing screech and then blunt force of metal upon metal. From that moment on every high school girls dream boy, Bruce Edwards, became Darby Haynes worst nightmare. The squabbles between Bruce and Darby occurred nonstop. First, there was the crash, and then there was their blundered attempt at a blind date. In Darby’s mind there was no one as ignorant and self centered as Bruce Edwards. That was until she met the high school flirt David Matthews. The only way to avoid David’s attention now was to do what no other would have
hesitated to do, and that was going out with Bruce Edwards. In this comical novel Bruce revealed many characteristics about himself, readers could easily connect to situations, and many questions can be formulated upon reading the book.
Bruce faced many challenges upon masking his and Darby’s relationship, and was forced to make many changes to himself. At times Bruce was an egotistical jock who was skeptical about his feelings for Darby, and at other times he was a charismatic person. Bruce was a conceited person who showed his callous nature many times during the book. ☺ Even though he was the loveable Jock Bruce had a wild side that he let run rampant. This is an important aspect to his personality. It shows that even though someone might be kind and loveable they still have a dark side. During the school day Bruce accidently knocked down Darby, and he was concerned for her well-being. Later on in the same day he accidently shut her hair in his locker, but this time he does not help her. Bruce was not only physically cruel to Darby, but he is also emotionally cruel to her. This reveals that people we may trust can still be vicious to us even without our knowing. Darby overhears Bruce talking about how much he despises her, and how he cannot wait to get rid of her: “I want a girl who wants me, not just one who’s trying to avoid another guy. And if that means putting up with three more days of this garbage, I guess that’s what I’ll have to do” (South 115). What Darby did not realize however was that Bruce was falling in love with her. He did not know how to express his feelings for people without emotionally scaring them, so he kept his feelings suppressed. This shows that even the most brute confident people can make mistakes and not know what to do. Bruce was very rough when he finally told her that he liked her caused her to run away crying in a frantic manner. He went after her though which showed that he was confident of his actions. Even though people make mistakes they have to stick with them in order to make sure that the task is executed properly. Although Bruce Edwards was an egotistical maniac who did not always know how to express his feeling for others. Bruce taught me that even to most likeable person has flaws. This along with other aspects allows readers and I to connect to the book. There are many ways in which young readers and I can relate to the book. Two of the most prominent are failure and relationships. Some people say “Failure is never an option.” They drill that mentality into the minds of people, so when someone does fail they might feel unsuccessful at everything in life. I can connect to how Darby feels after the accident: “Of course the accident had only been a little fender bender, but it had still been frightening” (South 24). When I fail or mess up on something I do not feel that I was meant to do it therefor I should never do it again. However, after a few harsh pep talks from family members or friends I am back on my feet attempting to proceed with my earlier complication. Bruce coerces Darby to face her fear of driving after the accident. Once she made it to school in one piece Darby was overjoyed by the fact that she could do it. ☺ Encouragement easily bends the pliable fears of people. Even a relationship can be changed through the coercive judgments of others. During the book Darby provided insight on her past and present relationships. High school relationships are a goal that many students set for themselves. Since 1991 the statistics of seniors in a relationship had all but doubled from fourteen percent to thirty-eight percent in 2013. However the number of students in a relationship does not compare to those that are not in a relationship. A sheer estimated thirty-two percent of all twelfth graders do not plan to be in a high school relationship (Topic). Although many of these students would prefer not to date many of them would like to know if they ever had a chance. In the book Darby is faced with the uncertainty that Bruce may in fact not like her the way that she likes him. Even though some students long for a relationship with someone; about two percent of all high school relationships end up in marriage (Manning). Before Darby left her old school her former boyfriend broke her heart the day before her sixteenth birthday. Even the strongest of relationships can end in devastation. There were many ways in which the reader and I could relate to this book. Could Darby and Bruce’s relationship survive to grow into something more exotic? This is one of many questions that could be formulated after the book ended on an open note. After a dramatic ending Sherri Cobb South leaves the reader in suspense thirsting for more knowledge.
Her meticulous wording allows the reader to formulate many questions such as why was Bruce so cruel yet so sweet to Darby, and would their relationship work out? Bruce was a gentleman dressed as a nightmare. One minute he was a heartless individual, leaving Darby with malevolent thoughts about him, and the next he was a kind gentleman who walked her to class. This leaves the reader to question whether or not his emphasized sarcasm was really just an act. I do not believe that this was an act of defiance towards Darby. I believe that this behavior resulted purely from his volatile nature. When Bruce is not with Darby he continues to display this behavior with many others such as David Matthews. Even though he was self-centered jerk Bruce managed to ring Darby into his love life. This left the reader to question about how long Bruce knew that he was in love with Darby? I think he knew from the second time he met her on the blind date. The two were complete opposites, but that is what attracted them to each other: “You’re the perfect couple. Maybe it’s because he’s so big and you’re so small. You look like-like-a female and male version of David and Goliath” (South 62). From that moment on Bruce continued to pick on Darby showing his affection for her only in the pinnacle of the moment. Sherri Cobb South left the reader in suspense even after the book was over. There were many questions that could be formulated during this
book. In this journal I reviewed Bruce’s characteristics, how people can connect to the characters, and questioned a few aspects of the book. Bruce was an egotistical jerk that was sweet on his own time. His personality was what both intrigued and distressed Darby. That the left the dying question of whether or not their relationship would work out. Nothing could ever compare to the exhilarating experience of a relationship formed by the most opposite of people. Rate: 8