Today we discussed how Jack Gantos’s life will change in jail for the better. Early in Jack’s life, he went away to a send away high school. Jack was not ready for this new structure. The only person who was helping him not get involved with the wrong people was his phycology teacher, Ms. Hall. Jack was doing well. That was until Ms. Hall left the school. Jack was very upset and lost any support he had. Then, he got involved with the wrong people. He started doing drugs again. No one was there to tell him not to take drugs, he had too much freedom. After that, he got involved in selling drugs. He did it so he could go to a good school, but it still was a really bad thing to do. Jack got caught and put in jail. In jail there is little freedom and there was a lot of structure for him. Like he says in chapter eight, “Everyone in prison has a story about how they were caught.” This shows the new structer has made him reflect on what has gotten him in jail. When he is in jail he will learn what he did was wrong and he will get back on track. Jail was what he needed, he is not a thug. He is smart, brave, and courageous. He just did not have enough of a structured life from a young age. Jail is his turning point, it is the low loin in his life. He can only get better. When Jack gets out of jail he will become a changed man and probably get a better education. He will probably get the money the right way instead of throughout drug money. How would Jack’s life be different if he never went to jail? He would have had the money to be able to go to a good school, but he would have stayed addicted to drugs throughout out his school life. This would have made it really hard to be a successful author. I get the sense he uses a lot of his jail experiences in writing. It is not like he was totally put that part of his life behind him. That would be the wrong thing to do. The right thing to do would to learn from that experience and use it to propel himself forward in life. In this part of the book, Jack has his entire life ahead of him, even thought this book is starting I can tell I like him. I look forward to seeing how Jack’s life will progress as a writer and a person. In conclusion, jail was one of the most important things that has ever happened in Jacks life.
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