Grade 9 Culminating Essay: Check-in #2 By: Aeron
Step One:
Topic: Personal Growth
Theme/Thesis #1: When faced with a shocking or stressful experience that cause a deeper understanding about themselves, individuals often feel as if they have personally grown from the incident.
Topic: Change
Theme/Thesis #2: To change a person’s life forever, it’s not necessary to change their surroundings but their minds because it’s hard for one to rise above their own thoughts.
Brainstorming Chart
Theme: When faced with a shocking or stressful experience that cause a deeper understanding about themselves, individuals often feel as if they have personally grown from the incident.
Text: “I wanted to apologize [...] for what happ- for what I did [...] I am sorry [...] I really am.” (McClintock, 310)
Symbols:
· The bridge Mark was pushed off of
· Dooley’s grandfathers ring
Characters:
· Ryan Dooley –main character
· Dooley’s Uncle
· Jeannie – Dooley’s uncle’s girlfriend
· Lorraine – Dooley’s mother
· Mark Everley – the dead body
· Mr. Rektor – the vice principal of Ryan’s school
· Eddy Gillette – one of Ryan’s past friends
· Peter Landers – a friend of Mark, a scrapper
· Winston Rhodes – handsome dude
· Esperanza – the Rhodes’ family’s maid
· Beth – Mark’s younger sister
· Marcus Bracey — a good friend of Mark’s
· Megan – Landers girlfriend
· Alicia – a girl who visits the video store often
· Warren – a bullying victim of Peter and friends
· Detective Graff – homicide cop for Mark’s case
· Dr. Kingston – Dooley’s psychologist
· Dr. Calvin – Dooley’s psychologist from when he was in the detention center
· Kevin – Dooley’s video store supervisor
· Linelle – Dooley’s video store co-worker
·...
