Edward Bloor's Tangerine

Literary Analysis Life relies heavily on the choices made every day. One small mistake in deciding something can trigger something totally unexpected or threatening. In Edward Bloor’s novel,
Tangerine, Mrs. Fisher makes many choices that have multiple effects on Paul’s character. Choices made by Mrs. Fisher affect Paul’s life, self-concept, and relationships. First, Paul’s life is affected when Mrs. Fisher allows Paul to go to Tangerine Middle School while Lake Windsor Middle School is being fixed. While Paul was at Lake Windsor Downs, he had an IEP file filled out under his name, which prevented him from playing soccer. An IEP file documents a person’s medical issues and due to Paul’s issues with his eyes, his Mom chose to fill one out. When Mrs. Fisher approved Paul’s request to go to Tangerine Middle School, it changed his life because he could play soccer without worrying about an IEP file. Paul’s Mom did not fill out an IEP form for his new school. “Mom looked at me with her nervous smile, but she nodded right along with him. The heavens had opened up for me,” (Bloor 94). This shows that Mrs. Fisher’s choice changed Paul’s life because it tells the readers that Paul is excited and ecstatic with the decision. Paul is happy about what happened because he feels that
Fisher’s choice of letting Paul go to Tangerine Middle School. Paul’s self-concept is that he knows that he can make goalie if he just has a chance to try out for the team. So, when his parents let him go to a new school, he is delighted because he knows he will play an important position on the team. He will also able to show his parents that Erik is not the only star in the family. Paul says to his parents: “Do you understand? I wouldn’t be the water boy there. I’d be the goalie,” (Bloor 94). This conveys that Paul knows his self-concept that he will be able to make the team because he stated, “I’d be the