By Sharon Draper 192 Pages
This book deals the issues that can or already influence every teenager in America. It addresses the issues of peer pressure, sorrow, death, friendship, teen drinking, guilt and teen suicide. Various youth have said "That won't happen to me" or "I can handle my alcohol" or "I am ok to drive, I just had a few!" As teenagers, you have countless ideas and myths about drinking alcohol in addition to its affect on you and your body! Teenagers do not realize how drinking just one drink and getting behind the wheel of a car can cause harm to you and innocent people.
Andrew Jackson, also known as Andy by his friends met his best friend Robert Washington since seventh grade. They both wanted to become professional basketball players but sadly, Robert never gets the chance to fulfill his dreams. After the terrible accident, Andy feels so guilty and depressed over the loss of his best friend. He turn's away from his whole life, and no one could help him. Andy and his other three friends, who were also involved in the accident, mourn over their best friend's death but Andy never gets over the fact that it was just an accident. He even sees a psychologist but that still didn't make the pain he felt go away. He felt as if the pain was eating him up alive. His girlfriend Keisha tries to help him have a little fun but after a while he remembers Rob and feels depressed. He keeps having dreams of him, telling him to die so they could be together. Life seems like death for Andy because he goes on day by day feeling guilty and more miserable; he wished all the pain could just go away. He could not have any peaceful moments, not even in his dreams.
Andy Jackson and three other friends had just won an important basketball game. They decided to get together and go celebrate their victory. They had started drinking, all except for B.J. who had never drunk in his life. They heard honking, but just laughed because of the alcohol. All of a sudden, a wall is in front of them and before they know it, they hit it. Three of the guys get out, but Robert Washington, Andy's best friend and captain of the Hazelwood basketball team is pinned inside of the car. Two guys rush over to help Robert out, but as soon as they get on the hood, they are thrown off after a loud bang. The gas tank explodes with Robert pinned inside and he burns to death. From that horrendous scene, Andy is trying to deal with the death of his best friend. He feels he has caused his friend to die. Everyone affected by the accident deals with it in a different way. Tyrone and, BJ, the other boys that were in the car, are able to move on with life, Tyrone through a supportive relationship with Rhonda, and BJ from finding God. However, they were not driving, and their guilt is minor compared to Andy's. Andy's relationship with the psychologist, Dr. Carrothers, provides insight into the scars a white society can leave on a black male. He does not do as well in school as he could because that would not be cool for a black basketball player. He sees his father as a sell out to the white establishment; he and his friends are hassled when entering stores. Andy has all kinds of support: his coach is an understanding man; Keisha, his love, is as kind and gentle with Andy as one could ask for until even she has had enough of his tears and depression, which he often hides behind outrageous behavior. Nevertheless, at the crucial moment when he needs them, his psychologist is flying to California, the coach is not home, and Keisha's mother will not wake her up for an after midnight phone call. Several months pass by, and Andy cannot stop blaming himself. As he turns away from family, friends, and even his girlfriend, he finds he is losing the most precious thing of all; his ability to face the future. When he tries to sleep, Robert comes into his dreams and tells him it is his entire fault, but he forgives him for everything. Soon after these dreams began to occur, Andy starts going to see a psychologist on a weekly basis. Even after seeing his psychologist, Andy continues to have emotional problems as well as guilt problems.
You May Also Find These Documents Helpful
-
The book Tears Of A Tiger is a great book about a high school basketball player Andy, and his friends. Andy had a fantastic life. He had three best friends named Robert, Tyrone, and B.J. Also he had a girl friend named Keisha. Andy's life then changed after one night out with his friends. After him and his closest friends won the basketball game at Hazelwood High, they went out for a drive. They had bought some beer as their reward for winning. Andy was driving and Robert was sitting in the passenger's seat. Tyrone and B.J were sitting in the back. Everyone got drunk except for B.J. In a blink of an eye there was a wall in front of Andy's car. They had just got into a terrible accident. Tyrone, Andy, and B.J jumped out of the car and started…
- 323 Words
- 2 Pages
Good Essays -
This book I am reading is written by: Sharon M. Draper. She was born August 21, 1952 (age 60). Sharon Draper is an author who has won multiple awards for her books, including the Coretta Scott King Award for Forged by Fire and Copper Sun. In 1971, she married a teacher named Larry Draper.…
- 817 Words
- 4 Pages
Good Essays -
Thousands of people a year die in drinking and driving related accidents. In the book “Tears Of A Tiger” By Sharon Draper, Andrew Jackson and three of his teammates and best friends had just won a basketball game. Andy was driving and drinking. Andy hit a retaining wall and the car burst into flames. Andy, B.J., and Tyrone all got out of the car, but Andy’s best friend, Robert Washington was not as lucky. At the time of collision, half of Rob’s body had went through the windshield. Andy, B.J., and Tyrone all tried to get Rob out of the car, but then the fire had spread to the gas tank. The whole car blew with Rob still in it. Rob was dead at the scene. Andy became depressed throughout the story. Andy blamed himself for his best friend’s death. Andy started getting professional help, but even that did not do the job. Andy began slacking off in school and stopped caring about everything. Soon Andy’s depression got the better of him, and Andy committed suicide with his father’s rifle. Andy’s friends and family members thought he made a big mistake. When Andy committed suicide, it devastated his little brother Monty, his mother, and his ex-girlfriend Keshia.…
- 610 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
Noel Reyes Underage Drinking Title: Teen Drinking 1. Introduction Attention getter: Hello my name is Noel Reyes. Did you know that the National Institute of Health recorded that each year over 5000 young people under the age of 21 die as a result of underage drinking? More than 1,700 college students in the U.S. are killed each year-about 4.65 a day-- as a result of alcohol-related injuries. Its a growing problem that isn’t going to go away over night. A. Reason audience will be interested: This is an issue that whether we like it or not, applies to many of us because we are still underage and it seems like no matter what social gathering we go there is always alcohol and with that comes the temptation and the pressure. B. Thesis Statement:…
- 730 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
Which parenting style will lead to a child becoming successful and stable in life? Many argue about the answer to this question. There are four main types of parenting styles. There’s authoritarian parenting which follows a set of strict rules and doesn’t necessarily nurture the child; apathetic towards their emotions, demanding a sort of blind obedience from the child. Authoritative parenting which takes a more moderate approach; setting high standards, nurtures, and responds to the child’s emotions. Permissive parenting which is reluctant to impose rules and standards, preferring to allow kids to regulate themselves. Finally, there’s the hands-off parenting in which the parent doesn’t involve themselves in much of the child’s life; in serious cases leads to the child being neglected. Out of these four main parenting styles, authoritative parents raise the most successful, well-adjusted children.…
- 857 Words
- 4 Pages
Good Essays -
Titles of a book can portray an important message about the book or characters. One of the many meanings of Sharon M. Draper`s Tears of a Tiger is Andy`s depressing emotions. In the title the word “Tears” represents Andy`s feelings, and the word “Tiger” represents Andy. The title can also be portrayed as Andy feeling trapped in a cage like a tiger. The many emotions of Andy are how the title can be metaphorically interoperated.…
- 593 Words
- 2 Pages
Good Essays -
Many teenage deaths in the United States are caused in some way by the influence of alcohol; however, many people still believe that the legal drinking age should be reduced to eighteen. This issue has been going on for years, but the law has not been changed since the change to twenty-one in 1980. States have become stricter about preventing under-age drinking, but teenagers have no problem getting alcohol. There are many arguments in favor of changing the drinking age back to eighteen. The facts show that drinking alcohol is too large of a responsibility for an eighteen-year-old to handle. In 1980 the government raised the drinking age to twenty-one because the number of drunk driving accidents was causing many teen-age deaths. The young adults of America considered this law a second prohibition.…
- 1626 Words
- 7 Pages
Powerful Essays -
Results of underage drinking include a loss of friends, family tensions, and struggles with school. Do you really want to risk all of these things for a drink? The consequences can be avoided by simply saying no to alcohol. As a witness of someone who struggles with friendships, school, and family life, drinking underage is not a risk anyone should want to take. He becomes distant from people he once loved and loses focus on his studies. It is extremely important for you all to take this message into consideration. I also ask that you all spread this message to others, so that we may stop underage drinking and save the lives of many…
- 1085 Words
- 5 Pages
Good Essays -
There are many problems among teens, however some are becoming more serious than others. Some of these predicaments can cause long term effects for our future generation in numerous ways. One of the main issues among teens is underage drinking. The outcome from this issue may be critical not only for our teen but also for our communities. Some consequences caused from underage drinking are alcohol addiction, medical problems, and accidents.…
- 529 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
A teenage years, the period that all of us went through. The time when you are a teenager is very delicate period when you structure your future life. Wherever you are living there is always an alcohol around and being under age of 21, legal drinking age in America, challenge your temptations. America has a strict alcohol limitations but the under age drinking abuse is still at high point. A teenage alcohol abuse is very common social problem today that questions an easy alcohol access for an under age drinkers, prevents young alcohol consumers from healthy body and mind development, involves poor judgement, and leads to…
- 822 Words
- 4 Pages
Good Essays -
Teens like to drink so they can be in a different world and forget all their problems in life. Their peers also pressure them to party and have fun and drink. Studies show that teen drinking and driving and alcohol abuse is on the rise. My plan is to raise awareness of the issue of teen drinking and how communication between parents and teens can reduce the incidence of adolescent alcohol abuse and drunk driving related deaths. Parental awareness and involvement is essential to keeping teens safe. Parents need to teach their children how to keep safe in situations involving alcohol. Share with them the risks and give them some facts that inform them to take responsible actions instead of actions that could harm themselves or other people. Parents need to be there for their teens, especially if you see that they need help. Underage drinking can have serious consequences. You can protect your children from the risks associated with drinking by maintaining open communication and expressing a clear, consistent message about alcohol. Building a close relationship with your kids will make it easier for them to come to you for help in making decisions that impact their health and well-being. Parents need to keep tabs on where their child goes and offer them their assistance such as driving them home from a party if they drank too much to drive themselves home. Studies show adolescents whose parents closely monitor their activities are less likely to use alcohol or to be in risky situations involving alcohol. If they were scared of the situation like people getting so drunk that they are being wild and dangerous to the people around them at a party. Also, parents should set good examples for their kids so they learn what to do in that situation and they need help. If one parent is a heavy drinker, the child 's chances of becoming a heavy drinker increase by two or three times more than if the…
- 533 Words
- 3 Pages
Satisfactory Essays -
Every weekend there are young adults ages eighteen to twenty engaging in underage drinking at parties. Alcohol plays a huge role in today's’ society. More people drink today than ever before. It is clear that alcohol has had a good impact on people’s lives, but it is more clear that it has had an negative impact on people’s lives. Alcoholic beverages include good things such as happiness for celebrations. Downfalls of alcohol include DUIs, addictions, and death.…
- 1866 Words
- 8 Pages
Powerful Essays -
Alcohol has always been one of the most profitable industries in the business world. More than $400 billion worth of alcohol purchased in the US alone in 2013 according to an economic website. Alcohol is a common figure where it can be easily spot in every household to grand restaurants, however, it is a huge factor contributed to the death rate each year. It has ruined an innumerable number of people lives due to excessive drinking or affect by an alcoholic person. In his book, “The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian”, Sherman Alexie emphasizes how significance alcohol can affect a teenager life, where Junior, the main protagonist has lost 3 family members because of alcohol. He shows that alcoholic should not be taken as a simple threat; people from teenagers to elders must pay more attention to prevent alcohol from ravaging any new life.…
- 1152 Words
- 5 Pages
Good Essays -
I left my house to, party with friends; After stopping to pick up a few cases of beer and three bottles of Jack, we rolled up to a bonfire; The huge fire lit up the pine trees all around me; With a beer in hand, I took a few hits of a joint that someone past around; With the loud music in the back ground, the embers from the fire seemed to dance in the cool dark sky; Look at the bats fly through the fluttering lights of the fire; A girl that I go to school with, walked over to me and told me to open my mouth; She put a pill in then told me to swallow it and said: “Have a good time”; I started to sweat and feel dizzy so I sat down on a log that was behind me; Daphne walked over and kissed me, and asked: “How are you doing”; Look at the fireflies, flying all around;…
- 1624 Words
- 7 Pages
Better Essays -
Growing up in a society where alcohol has such a strong influence on judgments is a very hard task to overcome by teens. The effects of using alcohol underage are many, and none of them that I have found have been good. I have seen firsthand the consequences of the use and abuse of alcohol by minors. Throughout high school, and even before, my family has been one where alcohol is prevalent. Because my older siblings, parents, and even friends were drinking, it made the ability to say no to it even harder for me. I constantly found myself drinking at parties; not because I necessarily liked it, but because everyone else was doing it. It was until now that I truly realized how it can affect your life: physically and mentally. I find myself here today after being arrested for alcohol offenses twice and learning what alcohol can do to me before the age of twenty-one, truly regretting my choices. Though the legal drinking age is twenty-one in the United States, the National Center of Addiction and Substance Abuse has found that almost 80% of high school students have tried alcohol. Although drinking is merely a decision; I have found that much more thought should be put into that choice before you decide to do it. First, you must think about the effects on the body that alcohol has. Because alcohol is a depressant, it slows down the central nervous system. That means that it can actually inhibit certain messages that are trying to get to a person’s brain. Things that are altered by this are a person’s perceptions, emotions, movement, vision, and hearing. Experts know that a person’s brain continues to develop well into their teen years, which is why twenty-one if the legal age to consume alcohol. The exposure of alcohol to a still developing brain could potentially have long-lasting effects on intellectual capabilities and may also increase the risk of becoming addicted. Each year the start of drinking is delayed, the dependence to it is decreased by as much as 14%.…
- 1330 Words
- 6 Pages
Better Essays