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Londa McDonald
Stacey Knapp
Stacey Knapp
English 1B
March 7, 2011
Two Different Teenage Lives
In the novel The Flowers by Dagoberto Gilb, the author tells a story about a teenage boy. This teenage boy is named Sonny. Using reader’s response, Sonny’s and my life have some similarities and differences. The family he comes from made him become independent at a young age however when I was Sonny’s age I depended on my family for a lot. Broken and lost, Sonny tries to find something or someone worth his time. From start to finish, everything that has happened to Sonny makes him into the struggling independent teenage boy he has become.
From the very beginning, Sonny has lived with his mother Sylvia and his sister Ceci. Unlike my life at home, Sonny doesn’t have a father figure in his life. The only relationship he has is with his mother and it’s never been strong. Sonny tells us “It was that my mom, if she wasn’t at her job, was out on dates and whatever [sic]” (5). This shows that Sonny never had his mother around like he needed. He never relied on anyone but himself. Sonny states “. . . I made my own dinner and lunch and did my shit without nobody” (5). This states that Sonny is lonely and independent and can’t count on anyone. The household I lived in was much different. I lived with both my parents and my brother. I had my parents to rely on for mostly everything. Since my brother and I are very close, I also had him to go to if I needed it. My family likes to be
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together when we all have time. Every day we sit down and have a family meal or we will watch TV together. Unlike Sonny, I had it easy, while Sonny had to become an adult at an early age.
Sonny also came from a household that was pretty violent for a child. His mother Sylvia would “. . . go after Ceci with belts or wooden hangers or whatever was near” (5). This shows that Sonny witnessed this violence many times and it became his lifestyle. To live in a household like that is a very hard environment to grow up in. A young child shouldn’t be alone or around violence. The household I lived in was a loving and a caring one. I had my family together, no one abandoned me or threatened to abuse me. If my parents ever left for a business trip or for a vacation they never just took off. They would send me to my grandparent’s house when I was younger. I was always with someone; I was never left alone. For Sonny, all I think he is looking for is someone to notice him. He is looking for someone to be there for him and love him for who he is.
When his mother marries Cloyd, Sonny is moved into a new environment. Sonny gets involved with tenants Pink and Cindy and he builds rough relationships. None of them have a good influence on him. Pink offers a Bel Air to Sonny if he spies on Cloyd for him. Pink confronts Sonny telling him “. . . all I need is you to listen for me is all . . . I’m speaking of your stepdad [sic]” (139). This shows that all Pink wants is for Sonny to spy on Cloyd for his own benefit. Cindy also hooks onto Sonny because she only wants him so she isn’t lonely and for sexual things. Sonny feels no connection and states “I felt confusion like I wasn’t on my own feet” (125). This shows that Sonny isn’t sure about their relationship because she is desperate and she is just using him. During my childhood I had some good and bad friends. Some would
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use me just like Pink and Cindy used Sonny. One friend would make plans with me and then ditch me. After a while I just stopped hanging out with her. Sonny and I have trust issues and it’s hard to find people who like you for you.
From the beginning, Sonny has a stealing habit. He steals from people who don’t appreciate what they have. Sonny states “It was sitting there in his truck...almost lost in a pile of receipts…” (49). This shows that Sonny doesn’t really feel guilty that he has stolen because he does appreciate everything he has. Sonny also steals out of anger. He got accused of stealing Gina’s magazines. After being accused thoughts run through his head, “I wanted to steal something” (122). This shows that his anger makes him want to act out so he can feel more powerful. For being so young he has a lot of anger inside of him. When I was almost sixteen I didn’t use anger to strengthen myself. Throughout my childhood I had a couple of disagreements with friends and family that caused conflict. I looked at the positive in every one and tried to not let the anger in me become a problem. I knew it would lead me into trouble. For Sonny that’s all he can do since he has never had anything positive in life.
In this novel, Sonny finds someone who is worth getting close with. Her name is Nica. Sonny and Nica’s relationship is different from any other relationship Sonny has had with anyone. Sonny states “Happy to see me, happy that somebody was over, happy I visited her, that it was me” (94). This shows Sonny’s joy that someone actually is happy to see him since no one usually acts this way towards him. Sonny always felt unwanted and used until he met Nica because she isn’t expecting or wanting anything from him like Cindy and Pink do. He wants a
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relationship that will last and mean something more than all the broken relationships he has had in the past.
Nica is Sonny’s first love. We all have this first experience with someone. For me it didn’t happen when I was as young as Sonny. No matter what age, it’s always a new feeling and you want it to last forever. Sonny takes it slow and tries to buy pizza for her. Sonny asks Nica “What if I buy us a pizza right now?” (95). This is the first time Sonny actually offers something instead of just stealing because Nica is important to him. As things around him get complicated he goes to her more and more. Nica opens up to Sonny about how she wants to run away from her family to Mexico. Nica confesses “I don’t like it here. . . I don’t want to stay now” (236). This shows that Nica and Sonny’s relationship has grown and they learned to trust each other. Sonny really cares for her and gives all of his money he stole to her. Sonny tells Nica “You don’t have to worry. . . I have money, it’s your money” (248). By Sonny donating his money towards her well being shows that he loves her. With the LA riots erupting, Sonny sacrifices everything for Nica to get away. He wants her to have a better life then what she was living before. I understand wanting to give everything to a person you love. Just like Sonny, I had to move that special person to live somewhere else because his old home wasn’t working. Sonny and I both had the strength to let the ones we love go for the better.
Sonny’s story is filled with anger, independence, violence, sacrifice, love, and hope. He came from a broken family and finally found someone that loves him for who he is. To actually let someone in after being abandoned from most of his family is a miracle. I was born with everything that Sonny wished he had. The thing that connects me and Sonny is that we all wish
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for that one person or persons that get who you are. I happened to have it from the start and I also was able to find more people that care for me. Every struggle he has had to go through lead him to Nica and made him become the person he wants to grow into. Maybe after becoming close to Nica, he will reach out and learn to trust good people that will help him change his ways.
Work Cited
Gilb, Dagoberto. The Flowers. New York: Grove, 2008. Print.
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