If I Grow Up
Young, unemployed black men murder one another at nine times the rate of white youths. In the book If I Grow Up written by Todd Strasser is about DeShawn a young boy who has grown up in the Projects with his grandma and sister. DeShawn dream was to get out of the projects and live a normal person life outside of the projects but, things started to fall apart when his family ran out of money due to the point of the Welfare check not being able to support his sisters twins, him, and his grandma. So he joined the gang and ended up in jail. But could DeShawn have lived his dream if he didn't give up on his future. DeShawn did have a choice to better his life. Because He controls his life, he could have gotten a better education, and he could have
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In the book If I Grow Up by Todd Strasser it says, on page 27 it says, “ It’s a magnet high school over in Beech Hill… Just between you and me, DeShawn. This is a dumping ground for teachers who can’t get jobs anywhere else. It’s Hard to get a good education from bad teachers.” Which means that DeShawn could have gone to a better school and lived up to his future because with an education you can get money which would have helped with the babies and his family. Even when DeShawn gave up on his future and joined the gang he could have gotten back on track and lived his dream because of officer Patterson. He could have gotten back on track hand lived his dream because what officer Patterson said on page 180. He said, “ “ We could work together,” Patterson said. “No one has to know. You could help me take down Rance Jones and his top lieutenants. Then we go after Jamar. You’d be arrested on some fake charge so it wouldn’t look like you were a snitch. When the time is right, we could mover you, your grandma, sister, and those kids someplace new. Some place where you could get a fresh start.” This quote means that Officer Patterson wanted DeShawn to help him take down Rance Jones and his top lieutenants and Jamar. Which would help the projects and the city to be safer which would be good for Officer Patterson. Then in return he would help DeShawn and his family gets a new start and let him live
In the book If I Grow Up by Todd Strasser it says, on page 27 it says, “ It’s a magnet high school over in Beech Hill… Just between you and me, DeShawn. This is a dumping ground for teachers who can’t get jobs anywhere else. It’s Hard to get a good education from bad teachers.” Which means that DeShawn could have gone to a better school and lived up to his future because with an education you can get money which would have helped with the babies and his family. Even when DeShawn gave up on his future and joined the gang he could have gotten back on track and lived his dream because of officer Patterson. He could have gotten back on track hand lived his dream because what officer Patterson said on page 180. He said, “ “ We could work together,” Patterson said. “No one has to know. You could help me take down Rance Jones and his top lieutenants. Then we go after Jamar. You’d be arrested on some fake charge so it wouldn’t look like you were a snitch. When the time is right, we could mover you, your grandma, sister, and those kids someplace new. Some place where you could get a fresh start.” This quote means that Officer Patterson wanted DeShawn to help him take down Rance Jones and his top lieutenants and Jamar. Which would help the projects and the city to be safer which would be good for Officer Patterson. Then in return he would help DeShawn and his family gets a new start and let him live