A man named dave

Background: What are the main points and main characters? What are the themes?
In this book Dave tells of how he worked hard trying to save up money for when he turned eighteen. Soon after his eighteenth birthday he discovered that his savings were rapidly going. He knew the only jobs that he could have were in burger bars, as he had no qualifications and was a high school drop out. He decided that he would join the United States Air Force. After weeks of taking tests and having medicals he was accepted into the Air Force. He told his foster parents, Alice and Harold, he was leaving for the Air Force in a week. Dave had always said that he wanted to fly but he entered into the Air Force wanting to become a fireman. As he had no qualifications he had to go to college before he could apply to be a firefighter. Soon after, he was called to the sergeants office and was told that his papers had some how got lost and he could never become a fireman. He worked hard at whatever he was assigned to and so he had enough money to get a place of his own. During this time Dave had a call from his foster mother telling him of his fathers terminal illness. He returned home to spend the last few days with his father. Not long after his return to the Air Force he met a woman named Patsy, who soon became his girlfriend. They were dating for a few years when they found out that she was pregnant. Dave asked her to marry him. Because his job as an air refueler was so demanding it meant he was away from home for days, weeks and months at a time. This caused trouble between Dave and his wife. Any sparetime Dave had was spent with his son or helping other children who had been put into care for various reasons. Because of all the tension with his job, Dave and his wife got a divorce. They stayed in touch and dave saw his son when ever he could. They both met other people and moved on with their lives. Dave was finally able to leave his past in the past and he learnt to trust, love and live. The two themes of this book include triumph and forgiveness.

Pressing Issue/Event: What was one issue/event that stands out above all others? Why?
The one issue that stands out above all others is how Dave tries to overcome his memories of being abused as a child and learning to forgive his mother after all that she has put him through. Because of his past he is not able to trust people, he works hard to accomplish his lifelong goals and eventually forgive his mother and be at peace with himself.
Developmental Psychology: Identify at least 3 examples from the book that illustrate topics we have studied this semester, cite the examples and elaborate.

Your Evaluation: What impact did the book have on your life? What was one meaningful quote from the book? Why was this quote meaningful to you?
This book has impacted my life by making me thankful that I grew up in a safe environment where my parents were able to provide for my food, shelter, clothing, and pushed me to further my education. After reading this book I am thankful that I have a strong healthy relationship with my parents and that each and everyone of my family treat each other with respect. My parents were fair to us and truly loved us by taking care of us and teaching us to love the Lord. One meaningful quote from the book was when Dave was talking to his son he tells him, “You’re going to be fine. You’ve got a strong heart. In life you’re going to make mistakes, your going to fall down, but it’s getting up that counts. Just like in baseball: you’ll get a few hits, but most likely, you’ll strike out more than you’ll get on base. But don’t quit. Find your focus, relax, take a deep breath, and give it a good swing.” This quote was meaningful to me because it reminds me of how my parents always wanted me to strive in school and in life and I personally thought it was good advice to give to a child.