I think that this book is very educational and I've learnt a lot from it,about the importance of family and unity. I learnt that family is very significant in our lives,family members are the ones who will stand by you through thick and thin. I also learnt that unity is important as divided,we fall,united,we stand. If we want to achieve something,we've to unite.
I learnt from the characters that we should stand up for our own beliefs,for what we think is right,like Papa. We should be righteous,like Mr Jamison,and not be afraid to stand up for yourself,like Cassie. We should believe in ourselves and never look down upon ourselves. We should have dignity.
I also learnt that we should be able to judge for ourselves,whether a friend is trustworthy or is safe to be around with. We should learn to differentiate real and bogus friends. Stay away from those who would harm you,for example in this novel,T.J. Be true to those who will stand by you and help you even in times of difficulties,like Jeremy.
I also seen racism through this book. I think that everyone is equal. Everyone should be given equal opportunities to succeed in life. Only with equal treatment,will there be peace and harmony. I learnt that we should be fair to everyone.
I see how Cassie changed. People change over time and we all mature. Cassie learnt about the real world around her and racism through her family,especially her parents. I think that parents have a great impact on their childern. The behaviour of a child is a reflection of the parents' teachings. I think that parents should be patient and nurturing,firm yet understanding,like Papa and Mama. Siblings also play a part. For example,Stacey as the eldest sibling has a control over his younger siblings. They look up upon him and respect him. They listened to him,for example,in the bus incident. They listened to him,without even considering the consequences as they believed in him. This shows how great siblings can affect each other. However,I think that Stacey was wrong in his way of revenge. He taught his siblings to employ tricks to exact revenge. I think that that was wrong of him to do so. Fortunately,he had Mr Morrison who taught him and he dared to admit to his mistakes. He is responsible and assumes responsiblity for his own actions. I admire him for his courage and think that we should all learn from him.
