Tangerine Response Essay

In a place flooded with war and violence, a school is separated from reality; living within the walls are the boys of the school, shielded from the ugly truths that lie beyond. During this time of adolescence, the boys are forced to grow and mature while the walls that protect them begin to fall. One boy, Gene, lives within this wall and matures into a young man during this time through many events and conflicts he faces. Through these events occurring, he is now able to withstand the violence of the world, war and trauma. This coming of age is demonstrated when Gene causes Finny to fall out of the tree, discovers the reality of war, and Finny dies.

To begin, the move from Texas to Tangerine Florida introduces new friends into Paul’s life, which tags along clarity, confidence, and brotherhood. For example, the team soccer captain for Tangerine Jr. High, Victor, told Paul after a victory game against the Palmetto

were shattering right in front of us! The sounds of fire trucks and ambulances were heard from

Paul Fisher was just another normal five year old boy until his brother Erik, did something that would change his life forever. In the book Tangerine written by Edward Bloor there is a boy named Paul Fisher and he has a brother named Erik. He and his brother weren't the closest of friends, and Erik made some pretty bad decisions. Erik Fishers choices affected Paul by making him legally blind, hating his family for not giving him the truth, and by thinking what had happened to him was his fault.

In the book Tangerine, most of all of the choices Paul makes are because of characters’ actions. The choices are made by Erik, Paul’s brother. Erik repeatedly hurts paul figuratively and literally and won’t stop until he gets what he wants. Erik’s choices affect Paul because they impact his life, self concept, and relationships.

Many great novels are exciting, plot-twisting, and suspenseful, and Tangerine is one of them. It all begins with a seventh grader, Paul Fisher, and his family move to Tangerine, Florida, in search of a good high school for Paul’s brother’s, Erik’s, football debut. Paul is tired of everyone favoring Erik for doing some phony acts, which is why he is afraid and hates his brother. Throughout the story, Paul struggles to remember what caused his blindness that makes him wear thick glasses to help him see. Paul’s new, fresh start gives him the chance to make friends; in which those friends open his eyes and give him inspiration & courage to face his fears. Edward Bloor skillfully uses symbolism and flashbacks to express the theme of growth and change throughout the novel Tangerine.

The novel Tangerine, has many surprises and extraordinary plots and twists. The story starts off with Paul, a normal middle school kid, starting a new life off in a foreign environment called Tangerine County in the state of Florida. It is a new school, which means new people. His brother, Erik, gains a powerful position, also known as a bully. He teases Paul’s friends : Joey, Tino, and many more. A main conflict is the battle between Erik and Paul. Erik gets all the attention from family, and Paul is treated like leftovers. As the story advances, Paul struggles to remember what caused him to have extremely eyes. His eyes require “coke bottle” glasses that creates fame, sometimes unwanted fame, for Paul. The author Edward Bloor uses symbolism and flashbacks to help express a theme; growing and changing, that relates to a not so ordinary student named Paul Fisher.

I called her name several times before I heard the loud clonking of an animals hoof, a horse, perhaps. I squinted at the path

This entire book is about a senior in high school, Greg Gaines taking a different approach than everyone else is. The book begins by giving an introduction and Greg Gaines, the narrator, warning you about how bad a book this is going to be. Shortly after this introduction, is the first day of school.

Paul’s father made the choice of moving him and his family to Tangerine Florida, because he got a new job offer and wanted to take it. Paul was excited for his fresh start at a new school with a new name other than “Mars.” Moving to a new school was great for Paul at first, but then everything went downhill from the time he walked through the doors of Lake Windsor Middle School. Paul was told that his classes were outside in portable classrooms, while the sixth graders would be inside with regular classrooms to be in. At the end of the day, everything got worse. Paul faces another complication at Lake Windsor Middle School.

I shot a glance into my bike mirror, and there it was--half a block behind, then ten yards, the one yard. The man in the ski mask leaned farther out the window. He pulled the bat back and up. Then he brought it forward in a mighty swing, right at my head.” That was Erik but when Paul went back to his house Erik was just sitting there in the kitchen like nothing happened.

I’d skidded to a stop, my left sneaker just barely missing the front spokes. I hadn’t touched it. I hadn’t even really breathed on it, I don’t think, yet the cycle began to teeter. Wobble. To tremble and to shake apart. One minute it was an aluminum road racer the next a heap of tiny gears and cogs littering the pavement. I’m not exactly sure why, but I think it was my fault.

All I could hear was the ringing of my ears and the feeling of my head against the dashboard. As I glared up I could see my beautiful babes next to me but she was yelling something. The front window was cracked and small pieces of glass filled the car. Then the sound of yelling and every other sense came back to me in a rush. And just beyond the car was a black SUV that came to a screeching stop with their grinding engine suddenly stopping. Men filed out of the car in all black suits armed to the teeth, one man stood alone between them for he was the one wearing a red tie, he called out saying, “ shut your engine off now or we’ll fire!” I looked over to my babes in the passenger seat she look scared, I slowly caressed her cheek and brushed

A strange sound drifted by my ears. It sounded like a donkey’s bray and a goose’s honk mixed together into one sound. I peeked below. From the distance, I could see small moving black figures. Penguins!

I could hear mama grabbing something out of her bag and her heels on the hard wood floor walking back towards me "click clack click clack".