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WDM's Themes
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From: Ginny Kruse <gmkruse>
Date: Wed, 20 Sep 1995 14:51:00 -600
Walter Dean Myers develops several themes in Scorpions and Fallen Angels, some of which have been touched upon or discussed so far. Susan Griffith referred to the last sentence of Scorpions in which Jamal pulls up his collar "against the wind." Occasionally readers point to this as a sign of hope - a few readers see this as the only sign of hope in Scorpions. My readings of these books reveal other signs and expressions of hope, although I can discover more of this theme in Fallen Angels than in Scorpions. In both books, characters talk about the future and how they do/don't picture themselves in the future. Discussions about about ways to make money are one way the characters in each book picture the future; Richie Perry's letters to his brother indicate another view.
Another idea to explore might be Myers' interest in angels as a symbol for teenagers in war (title + page 44) and for children of all ages in two other very different books: his published poems accompanied by old photos: Brown Angels (1993) and Glorious Angels
(1995). Ginny
******************************************************************** Ginny Moore Kruse CCBC-NET e-mail: gmkruse at ccbc.soemadison.wisc.edu Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC) A Library of the School of Education University of Wisconsin - Madison
Received on Wed 20 Sep 1995 03:51:00 PM CDT
Date: Wed, 20 Sep 1995 14:51:00 -600
Walter Dean Myers develops several themes in Scorpions and Fallen Angels, some of which have been touched upon or discussed so far. Susan Griffith referred to the last sentence of Scorpions in which Jamal pulls up his collar "against the wind." Occasionally readers point to this as a sign of hope - a few readers see this as the only sign of hope in Scorpions. My readings of these books reveal other signs and expressions of hope, although I can discover more of this theme in Fallen Angels than in Scorpions. In both books, characters talk about the future and how they do/don't picture themselves in the future. Discussions about about ways to make money are one way the characters in each book picture the future; Richie Perry's letters to his brother indicate another view.
Another idea to explore might be Myers' interest in angels as a symbol for teenagers in war (title + page 44) and for children of all ages in two other very different books: his published poems accompanied by old photos: Brown Angels (1993) and Glorious Angels
(1995). Ginny
******************************************************************** Ginny Moore Kruse CCBC-NET e-mail: gmkruse at ccbc.soemadison.wisc.edu Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC) A Library of the School of Education University of Wisconsin - Madison
Received on Wed 20 Sep 1995 03:51:00 PM CDT
