This book really makes you appreciate the family that you have. As many family issues that me and everyone in the world faces, it is how u go about it and turn out in the end that really matters. Not only had Baby lost her mother at a very young age but her heroine adddicted father isnt always there for her. Her father is still young and focused mostly on himself, so Baby is forced to raise herself. For a 12 year old girl its alot of pressure on her to became an adult while still a child at the same time, especually since she doesnt exactly have a "good" role model! Baby has had more struggles than some people will ever encounter. Baby has been forced to move multiple times,has a cocaine addict for a father, no mother, no sense of security, few friends, exposed to adult subjects at a young age etc. With all of these experiences most people would end up feeling sorry for themselves or do drugs,smoke. Instead Baby learns from her expiriences and although she does regret and understand that some of what she has done isnt right she doesnt let that destroy her and she aims to be better. I would find it so strange to call my father by his first name but for Baby that is all she knows.By her calling her father Jules it shows that she dont hav a very close relationship with him and as shown in the story he would often choose to do drugs rather than be there for Baby. In a way having Baby exposed to all of the drugs and smoking that her father does she ended up realizing that is not something that she would want to be apart of. This shows that the atmophere and someone live is a enourmous part of what formed Baby as a person! - Bailey
Hey Bailey, I completley agree with what you have writen. Baby is in many ways foprced to be an adult,whille still emotionally,and physically being a child. Baby is alsmot strenghtened by what has happened to her,even tho she lacks a good rool model, has an absent father yet she still tryes to her best to take care of herself,I admire that about her. Its hard for Baby to always be secocund to drugs to smoking. I can understand her calling her father,Jules,because in many ways,he is not an acutal father to her. I think Baby can realize that sort of lifestyle,is one she does not want to live. Its brave and wise of her to make the rigfht choices. Mia
1. I think by what Baby has faced,she is a better person. I feel Baby can relate to others and feel with them better,she has that senstivity.
2. No,not at all. I think Jules is trapped as a slave to his addiction,and becoming free of that is never easy. He isn't in control of what he does(its no excuse tho) Still,I can tell he means well.
3. If Baby would still have her mother,I think Baby would have taken better care of herself,brushing her hair,showering,making better decissicion involver herself,and her friends,probably not have gotten into prostitution.
4. I think Baby finds Alphonse very cool and someone who she wants to be accepted by. Alphonse somewhat seems to have this power almost control over her, Baby listens to Alphonse.
5.Baby is very sweet,kind,she is very ignoraant of most of what happens,she understands it,but dosen't realize everything or think everything throught. Baby is very compassionate and understanding. She is strong and has great perserverance,no matter what happens to her,she looks beyound hating everything and being stuck on those issues,she tryes to look ahead,
6.I defenatly think Babys friends have influenced her, glamourizing/proving things like prostitution,and drug use. Baby is too inocent to fully comprehend everything that happens and what most people seem to do,Baby is willing to try.
7.I don't really think you can say Baby is better off with her dad,or with Baby being in foster care. Both have their pros and cons. in a way,Baby is more protected and cared for in foster care,but that would mean not being with her dad,not feeling like an individual,not having a sense of safety or comfort from her caregivers,and never being sure of who will be living witn her. With her dad,Baby has more a sense of security,ina way,taht she knows she has a dad,and a place where she somewhat knows whats going to happen,she can be out on her own,and live her life,learn as she growns. I think its a mtter of opinion to be honest.
8.We don't know much about Jules' girlfriend,she is mentoned..maybe once or twice I belive,.. I don't think so tho.
9. His decission to go to rehanb sounds like a hard one. I think he knows its best for him and Baby,but its never easy being apart from your child because your trapped ina world of heroin.
10. I think people are a product of their enviroment. Baby has made mistakes,but everyone does. you can't exactly say your blaming her,she has done them,leanred and moved on. I think her lifestyle and Jules somehwhat contributed to her bad decissions tho. -Mia
I agree with you that the book makes you appreciate the family you have, because Babys family is kind of different, because she lost her mother when she was a baby and her father is heroin addicted. And I think so too, that she has to manage adult things while she is still a child. I dont really know what you mean by "With all of these experiences most people would end up feeling sorry for themselves or do drugs,smoke", because she ends up taking drugs. And Jules is heroin addicted and not cocain addicted I think. And I agree that they dont have a close relationship, because she calls her dad Jules.
Its strange that when you see people with the lifestyle that Baby and her father have you often judge them (not on purpose but thats how people are). Some make fun of them, others feel sorry but all in all you can never truely know the story behind someone in there situation. If u look at Baby when she gets into prostitution and is inlove with a Pimp (Alphonse). She hasnt had a very good life to put her on the right track to success so its not neccisarly her fault. Other people at her school may not realize the pain and disfunction that she has been through so they tease her and put her down. Not only does that not help Baby it makes her feel worse about herself. The less self respect she has the more comfiterable she will be prostituting and doing drugs. She seems to feel like she is worthless because she has never been shown or told otherwise.What other people say impacts some people more than they can see. Baby has been passed from foster homes to foster home because her father is in rehab trying to get over his heroine addiction. So its not a surprise that she has never felt stability or comfort in anything/anyone and that is why when Alphonse shows a little bit of intrest in Baby she gets hopeful that for once she will have someone who she can always turn to. Although he does care for Baby he isnt a very good person to rely on because he isnt very loyal being a pimp he has multiple girls that he cheats on Baby with and he is very controlling of her money etc. Once again Baby's Trust and "security blanket" has been shaken. Baby eventually moves in with Alphonse while prostituing for money.
I totally agree with the text you wrote Mia! I agree with everything, i think you are so right that you would judge people with the ifestyle like Baby, but you would just look at how the look like and what they do and you dont look at the history behind and what they went through and the reasons why they got into prostitution. Maybe she is also looking for love. Her father loves her, but when he is in rehab the relation between them changed and maybe Baby had the feeling he didn´t love her anymore that much than when she was a child. I agree that she gets hopeful that for once she will have someone who she can always turn to. I guess Baby is a bit naive in trust in Alphonse, because of curse he has many girls and she is just one of them and he gives her the feeling she would be the only girl, but she isnt. Lotte
1. I dont think Baby becomes a worse person in what she went through. I just think that she had a difficult life and she never had a good role model, so thats why she didnt knew how to manage things better. 2. I dont think Jules is a bad person. I dont know his history and how he came into drugs, but I think most of the bad things he does because he is in rehab and even trying to do a rehab is a step forwards that takes courage. 3. I think Baby would be more loved and maybe she would be more self confident. And I agree with Mia that she propably would not got in prostitution. 4.I think she becomes so reliant to Alphonse, because she needs more love than she gets.
Baby goes through so much in such a short period of time, ita horrible to see some of the disturbed things that she ends up experiencing. She begins to "date" Alphonse.(i put the word date in quotaion marks because although alphonse claims to have feelings for Baby its obvious during the book that she is not the only speacial one of his girls.) While Baby is having this kind of relationship with Alphonse it cause a few issues between Baby and her father Jules. I understand why Jules wouldnt be very happy about Baby having a relationship with a pimp but in my opinion he doesnt really have a right to get upset with Baby when it is kind of his fault that she is in this situation. If he had payed more attention to her life while she was younger and helped guide her she wouldnt be so reliant on one person. She also would have had more selfrespect than to go after such a "low life" guy. One of the other girls that also has Alphonse as a pimp likes to tease and make fun of Baby. She teases Baby because she knows how much Baby trusts Alphonse and believes that he only cares about her. Baby and Alphonse end up kissing while high and drunk. In a strange way Baby looks at Alphonse as if a mother figure because he is someone that she thinks she can 100 percent trust and always turn to, he makes her feel comfiterable. Jules believes that Baby is sleeping with Alphonse so he ends up kicking Baby out of the house. That deffenitly doesnt help Baby it just makes her feel worse and she ends up going into a correctional facility. Although Baby is very nervous of being there she puts up with it because she thinks that she might has the chance to receive some affection from the staff that work there, sadly she is disapointed with how non-affectionate they are. -Bailey
Mia= setting
ReplyDeleteLotte= theme
Bailey= character
This book really makes you appreciate the family that you have. As many family issues that me and everyone in the world faces, it is how u go about it and turn out in the end that really matters. Not only had Baby lost her mother at a very young age but her heroine adddicted father isnt always there for her. Her father is still young and focused mostly on himself, so Baby is forced to raise herself. For a 12 year old girl its alot of pressure on her to became an adult while still a child at the same time, especually since she doesnt exactly have a "good" role model! Baby has had more struggles than some people will ever encounter. Baby has been forced to move multiple times,has a cocaine addict for a father, no mother, no sense of security, few friends, exposed to adult subjects at a young age etc. With all of these experiences most people would end up feeling sorry for themselves or do drugs,smoke. Instead Baby learns from her expiriences and although she does regret and understand that some of what she has done isnt right she doesnt let that destroy her and she aims to be better. I would find it so strange to call my father by his first name but for Baby that is all she knows.By her calling her father Jules it shows that she dont hav a very close relationship with him and as shown in the story he would often choose to do drugs rather than be there for Baby. In a way having Baby exposed to all of the drugs and smoking that her father does she ended up realizing that is not something that she would want to be apart of. This shows that the atmophere and someone live is a enourmous part of what formed Baby as a person! - Bailey
ReplyDeleteHey Bailey, I completley agree with what you have writen.
ReplyDeleteBaby is in many ways foprced to be an adult,whille still emotionally,and physically being a child.
Baby is alsmot strenghtened by what has happened to her,even tho she lacks a good rool model, has an absent father yet she still tryes to her best to take care of herself,I admire that about her.
Its hard for Baby to always be secocund to drugs to smoking. I can understand her calling her father,Jules,because in many ways,he is not an acutal father to her.
I think Baby can realize that sort of lifestyle,is one she does not want to live. Its brave and wise of her to make the rigfht choices.
Mia
10 Disscution Questions
ReplyDelete1- Do you think that because of what the main character (Baby) has been through she has become a better or worse person?
2- Do you think that Baby's father Jules is a bad person?
3- If Baby's mother was alive, how do you think her life would be different?
4- Why do you think Baby becomes so reliant of Alphonse?
5- What character trait's would you consider Baby to have?
6- Do you think that the friends that Baby has had influenced her lifestyle?
7- Would you say that Baby was better off in foster care or with her father?
8- Do you think that Jules girlfriend care's about Baby?
9- Is Jules desicion to go to rehab selfish?
10- Would Baby be fully to blame for all of the mistakes that she has made in her life?
By: Bailey
1. I think by what Baby has faced,she is a better person. I feel Baby can relate to others and feel with them better,she has that senstivity.
Delete2. No,not at all. I think Jules is trapped as a slave to his addiction,and becoming free of that is never easy. He isn't in control of what he does(its no excuse tho)
Still,I can tell he means well.
3. If Baby would still have her mother,I think Baby would have taken better care of herself,brushing her hair,showering,making better decissicion involver herself,and her friends,probably not have gotten into prostitution.
4. I think Baby finds Alphonse very cool and someone who she wants to be accepted by.
Alphonse somewhat seems to have this power almost control over her, Baby listens to Alphonse.
5.Baby is very sweet,kind,she is very ignoraant of most of what happens,she understands it,but dosen't realize everything or think everything throught.
Baby is very compassionate and understanding. She is strong and has great perserverance,no matter what happens to her,she looks beyound hating everything and being stuck on those issues,she tryes to look ahead,
6.I defenatly think Babys friends have influenced her, glamourizing/proving things like prostitution,and drug use.
Baby is too inocent to fully comprehend everything that happens and what most people seem to do,Baby is willing to try.
7.I don't really think you can say Baby is better off with her dad,or with Baby being in foster care.
Both have their pros and cons.
in a way,Baby is more protected and cared for in foster care,but that would mean not being with her dad,not feeling like an individual,not having a sense of safety or comfort from her caregivers,and never being sure of who will be living witn her.
With her dad,Baby has more a sense of security,ina way,taht she knows she has a dad,and a place where she somewhat knows whats going to happen,she can be out on her own,and live her life,learn as she growns.
I think its a mtter of opinion to be honest.
8.We don't know much about Jules' girlfriend,she is mentoned..maybe once or twice I belive,..
I don't think so tho.
9. His decission to go to rehanb sounds like a hard one.
I think he knows its best for him and Baby,but its never easy being apart from your child because your trapped ina world of heroin.
10. I think people are a product of their enviroment.
Baby has made mistakes,but everyone does.
you can't exactly say your blaming her,she has done them,leanred and moved on.
I think her lifestyle and Jules somehwhat contributed to her bad decissions tho.
-Mia
I agree with you that the book makes you appreciate the family you have, because Babys family is kind of different, because she lost her mother when she was a baby and her father is heroin addicted. And I think so too, that she has to manage adult things while she is still a child. I dont really know what you mean by "With all of these experiences most people would end up feeling sorry for themselves or do drugs,smoke", because she ends up taking drugs. And Jules is heroin addicted and not cocain addicted I think. And I agree that they dont have a close relationship, because she calls her dad Jules.
ReplyDeleteThe last comment was by Lotte I forgot to write it!
ReplyDeleteIts strange that when you see people with the lifestyle that Baby and her father have you often judge them (not on purpose but thats how people are). Some make fun of them, others feel sorry but all in all you can never truely know the story behind someone in there situation. If u look at Baby when she gets into prostitution and is inlove with a Pimp (Alphonse). She hasnt had a very good life to put her on the right track to success so its not neccisarly her fault. Other people at her school may not realize the pain and disfunction that she has been through so they tease her and put her down. Not only does that not help Baby it makes her feel worse about herself. The less self respect she has the more comfiterable she will be prostituting and doing drugs. She seems to feel like she is worthless because she has never been shown or told otherwise.What other people say impacts some people more than they can see. Baby has been passed from foster homes to foster home because her father is in rehab trying to get over his heroine addiction. So its not a surprise that she has never felt stability or comfort in anything/anyone and that is why when Alphonse shows a little bit of intrest in Baby she gets hopeful that for once she will have someone who she can always turn to. Although he does care for Baby he isnt a very good person to rely on because he isnt very loyal being a pimp he has multiple girls that he cheats on Baby with and he is very controlling of her money etc. Once again Baby's Trust and "security blanket" has been shaken. Baby eventually moves in with Alphonse while prostituing for money.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with the text you wrote Mia! I agree with everything, i think you are so right that you would judge people with the ifestyle like Baby, but you would just look at how the look like and what they do and you dont look at the history behind and what they went through and the reasons why they got into prostitution. Maybe she is also looking for love. Her father loves her, but when he is in rehab the relation between them changed and maybe Baby had the feeling he didn´t love her anymore that much than when she was a child. I agree that she gets hopeful that for once she will have someone who she can always turn to. I guess Baby is a bit naive in trust in Alphonse, because of curse he has many girls and she is just one of them and he gives her the feeling she would be the only girl, but she isnt. Lotte
ReplyDelete1. I dont think Baby becomes a worse person in what she went through. I just think that she had a difficult life and she never had a good role model, so thats why she didnt knew how to manage things better.
ReplyDelete2. I dont think Jules is a bad person. I dont know his history and how he came into drugs, but I think most of the bad things he does because he is in rehab and even trying to do a rehab is a step forwards that takes courage.
3. I think Baby would be more loved and maybe she would be more self confident. And I agree with Mia that she propably would not got in prostitution.
4.I think she becomes so reliant to Alphonse, because she needs more love than she gets.
Baby goes through so much in such a short period of time, ita horrible to see some of the disturbed things that she ends up experiencing. She begins to "date" Alphonse.(i put the word date in quotaion marks because although alphonse claims to have feelings for Baby its obvious during the book that she is not the only speacial one of his girls.) While Baby is having this kind of relationship with Alphonse it cause a few issues between Baby and her father Jules. I understand why Jules wouldnt be very happy about Baby having a relationship with a pimp but in my opinion he doesnt really have a right to get upset with Baby when it is kind of his fault that she is in this situation. If he had payed more attention to her life while she was younger and helped guide her she wouldnt be so reliant on one person. She also would have had more selfrespect than to go after such a "low life" guy. One of the other girls that also has Alphonse as a pimp likes to tease and make fun of Baby. She teases Baby because she knows how much Baby trusts Alphonse and believes that he only cares about her. Baby and Alphonse end up kissing while high and drunk. In a strange way Baby looks at Alphonse as if a mother figure because he is someone that she thinks she can 100 percent trust and always turn to, he makes her feel comfiterable. Jules believes that Baby is sleeping with Alphonse so he ends up kicking Baby out of the house. That deffenitly doesnt help Baby it just makes her feel worse and she ends up going into a correctional facility. Although Baby is very nervous of being there she puts up with it because she thinks that she might has the chance to receive some affection from the staff that work there, sadly she is disapointed with how non-affectionate they are.
ReplyDelete-Bailey
i forgot to right that the journal entry on 6 December 2012 10:23
ReplyDeletewas by me - bailey