The Pact
Stephanie Mason
Andrew Baskin
GSTR 110
October 5th, 2011
The Pact: Turning Points
In a person’s life there are multiple turning points, some which are more crucial than others. Merriam Webster defines turning point as a point in which significant change occurs (“Turning Point”). While reading The Pact by Drs. Sampson Davis, George Jenkins, and Rameck Hunt, many turning points are discussed. During the introduction, Davis, Jenkins, and Hunt states that “we are doctors today because of the positive influences that we had on one another” (2).
Dr. George Jenkins was lucky enough to have his turning point at a young age, eleven years old, during an appointment with a dentist. He tells that “I don’t remember the dentist’s name, but I never forgot what he did for me. He gave me a dream. And there was no greater gift for a smart kid growing up in a place where dreams were snatched away all the time” (6). This experience gave Jenkins the power to surround himself with positivity and he remarks, “I believe that kids who grew up in a less stable environment were more susceptible to pressure from friends to do the negative things that everyone else seemed to be doing”; from that observation he writes “I hung out with kids who were like me, trying to do the right thing” (Davis, Jenkins, Hunt 10-11).
Dr. Rameck Hunt was not as lucky as Dr. Jenkins. At age sixteen Hunt states that “in my friends, I saw myself: boys trying to become men with few good examples” (78). He knew that his friends participated in activities that were unacceptable; he states that his mother described them as “headed toward jail or death” (78). Although Hunt was aware of right and wrong he continued to follow and be active with his friends stating that “I was loyal. That was the code of the streets. These are your boys. You stick by them, and if necessary, you fight for them” (Davis, Jenkins, Hunt 78).
Hunt did in fact fight, but it was alongside of them, and
Andrew Baskin
GSTR 110
October 5th, 2011
The Pact: Turning Points
In a person’s life there are multiple turning points, some which are more crucial than others. Merriam Webster defines turning point as a point in which significant change occurs (“Turning Point”). While reading The Pact by Drs. Sampson Davis, George Jenkins, and Rameck Hunt, many turning points are discussed. During the introduction, Davis, Jenkins, and Hunt states that “we are doctors today because of the positive influences that we had on one another” (2).
Dr. George Jenkins was lucky enough to have his turning point at a young age, eleven years old, during an appointment with a dentist. He tells that “I don’t remember the dentist’s name, but I never forgot what he did for me. He gave me a dream. And there was no greater gift for a smart kid growing up in a place where dreams were snatched away all the time” (6). This experience gave Jenkins the power to surround himself with positivity and he remarks, “I believe that kids who grew up in a less stable environment were more susceptible to pressure from friends to do the negative things that everyone else seemed to be doing”; from that observation he writes “I hung out with kids who were like me, trying to do the right thing” (Davis, Jenkins, Hunt 10-11).
Dr. Rameck Hunt was not as lucky as Dr. Jenkins. At age sixteen Hunt states that “in my friends, I saw myself: boys trying to become men with few good examples” (78). He knew that his friends participated in activities that were unacceptable; he states that his mother described them as “headed toward jail or death” (78). Although Hunt was aware of right and wrong he continued to follow and be active with his friends stating that “I was loyal. That was the code of the streets. These are your boys. You stick by them, and if necessary, you fight for them” (Davis, Jenkins, Hunt 78).
Hunt did in fact fight, but it was alongside of them, and
Cited: Davis, Sampson, George Jenkins, and Rameck Hunt. The Pact. New York, New York: The Berkley Publishing Group, 2002. Print. "Turning Point." Merriam Webster. Merriam Webster, 2011. Web. 4 Oct 2011.