Real Day Prologue

knew in order to detach herself from society’s standards and her emotional attachment to people,

Amy Lyles Wilson father’s passed away and left her mom widowed. Her mom now had to deal with not only grief but learning to do many things that she had never done before. She was a fast learner so learning how to do things she’s never done before wasn’t hard, it just took courage. For example, pump her own gas or any car mechanics but even throughout the obstacles that her mom had been challenged with after her dad passed away she learned that always, and she means always, you keep going.

Her father was a drunk, her mother was mentally ill, all she had was her three siblings to struggle with her by her side. Throughout her life she wasn’t given all that she needed, and her parents put her in many dangerous

Finally, she had people who understood her and were willing to listen to her. She had people who believed in her, stood by her when she had her baby. The girls were not perfect, she had some not so good moments with them but even in their imperfections, they were people she could relate with. Being able to read her story to them, and hear their story, gave her a sense of belonging. When Ms Rain asked her how she feels participating in class she said “I feel here”. This is an indication of a sense of belonging.

The person who she once was is almost entirely lost and she knows that her life will never be the

Humans need social interaction to flourish and they tend to select a few people to become closest with. They share secrets, gossip about others, and support each other in times of need, but how well can someone really know another person? In Nineteen Minutes the reader watches Josie Cormier get ready for school, hiding her private personality away for the day. “Either Josie was someone she didn’t want to be, or she was someone who nobody wanted” (Picoult 8). To all of Josie‘s classmates, friends, teachers, and even her own mother she seems like the perfect child. Josie hangs out with the right crowd, gets great grades, and follows all of society's rules perfectly, but no one really knows who she is. Behind the mask perfection Josie is just another teenager struggling with depression and identity issues. The author chooses to make the most popular girl in school also one of the most depressed to show that although things may seem beautiful on the outside, they can be rotting from the inside. Picoult is proving how that easy it is for people to hide their personalities to the world.

embrace her solitude. She enjoyed social interactions, yet she felt as if she never belonged in

There’s a perfect mold that society has created for us as teenagers to fit into. Individuality is a trait that is often forgotten amongst teens. We walk into school everyday and compare ourselves to the “popular crowd”, longing to dress, act, and be like them. In The Glass Castle, Jeannette was ridiculed and bullied for being different. Similar to Jeannette, I have always aimed to have a ton of friends, own cute clothes, and have as many people as possible like me.

I shouldn’t have been acting like a spoiled little girl and cried my heart out for a party. I never realized how much it hurt my mom to not give me what I wanted. I had learned that I can’t be mad at my own mom for not giving me what I want. I knew that she would’ve given me the party of my dream if she had money. There will always be obstacles in life that will get in the way of what you want. It’s the small things that count in

escape her life, but all she ended up with were friendships that reminded her of

In junior high school and high school she wanted to fit in with the rest

Florence’s Uncle said “you’ll have a happy life here at Crutchfield Hall, I promise you”. Florence thought to herself “I did not say it, but the prospect of a happy life with Aunt seemed uncertain at best”. As Florence held it in, I reflected back on myself, because I have no filter, I say what I think all the time and I will straight up tell someone that I do not like them. So reflecting back on me to Florence, I can tell that she is too nice to tell the bad truth to someone. Florence is that kind of person that holds deep secrets, especially with deep feelings, with everything that she is going through just would cause her to blow up one day because she is that kind of girl that has those sad eyes. Florence has a very troubled life but she

People are struggling around me everyday and most of them, like Esther, don’t show it. I realize now that everyone is different and goes through different things to shape them into who they are. As an individual, I have grown by realizing these things. I know now that no matter how things get, keep going on.

This excitement and nervousness compels Kathy to pursue all odds to become one of the grown-ups. This would appear to lead her away from individuality, but it ultimately, after finally being pushed over the edge into maturity, allows a more profound realization that she doesn’t need to conform.

I haven’t slept in weeks, the thought of mom’s death has been creeping in more and more lately. Ever since that night things have never been the same and I find myself enraged at the world around me. Dad made Autumn stop dancing, the thought of her dancing reminded him of how mom had loved dancing and how it had caused her death. Little did he know she never stopped, she trained in secret, and I supported her along the way. Autumn was the only one who was there for me after mom died. We became closer to each other, our own support systems in a sense. That was until she left me to be with Sylvia. I was alone, and when I needed her most she left me. I still had my girlfriend Claire, but we were growing apart. When she left too, what life I had left finally shattered. Leaving me to deal with the impact in solitude.