Reading Journal 5/12-5/19

The Bone Rules by Russell Banks / 5-12-2008

Page 109-134

Russ and Chappie got their tattoo’s done. Russ got a panther and Chappie an x shipped with bones. They live in the Ridgeway’ house when they are not there. They finish their food and also wear Mr.Ridgeway’s clothes.

Did Chappie felt better when he and Russ were at the Ridgeway’s summerhouse? I think that he felt good because he might not felt free from all the wrong things that were going on. Even if it was a bad thing to break into the Ridgeway’s house it at least make him feel good.“That first night in the summerhouse was the best I’d felt in a long time even though I knew it was only temporary and we were like burglars more or less.” (p.119) I think that this would be an American Dream to be happy and not have anything to worry about. But, in another way i think that its not a full American Dream because he doesn’t have the love of his family.

Did Chappie’s personality change? I don’t think that Chappie’s personality changed because he still has the same mind and thinks the same as he used to before he changed his appearence. “It was like I had gone and changed completely who I was, my name, my whole attitude, my hair even, and he hadn’t changed anything. I was the Bone now for sure but Russ was still Russ.” (p.123) I would say this as change of identity. Not even by changing his appearance he will change the person that he is. He will need to work harder and try to define to himself who he really is and who he wants to be.

“They never respected us for ourselves, for being humans the same as them only kids who people are constantly fucking over because we don’t have enough money to stop them” (p.129)