6. Theo breaks into houses and Jacob saves the Christmas cards. Both boys are trying to have the same thing—what they consider to be a real home. What makes their home not a “real” home to them? What do they want?
7. Do you think an insanity defense if appropriate for someone with Asperger's? Why or why not?
8. How do you think you might have voted if you were on Jacob’s jury? Why do you think Jodi Picoult omits the verdict from the end of the book? Is it a good ending?
I think I'm going to just answer #5 for right now and maybe come back and answer the rest later (it's Naptime! Gotta get this in- ha!)
ReplyDeleteErin and I had a discussion about this last night- families where one of the siblings has a disability. This is a HUGE issue for me, having a child with a disability (and that he will be the Older Brother, if and when we have more kids).
I felt SO sad for Theo throughout the novel- especially that he felt he had no real home and snuck into other people's homes to pretend. I don't think he had it worse than Jacob, because wow, Jacob had it bad, but in a way, his life was just as hard.
For me, having another child is something I want desperately, but something that scares me to death. I don't want any of my children to be cheated because of their sibling- Grayson out of my time and attention for his medical needs due to a younger sibling's needs or another child out of my time and attention because of Grayson's therapies, etc.
I am especially worried if I have another boy, and assuming that boy to be developmentally typical, what will Grayson think to see his younger brother running around, playing sports, and doing things he may not be able to do? Will that crush his self esteem?
But then the other side of the coin is the sibling relationship is SO special and I don't want Grayson to not experience that relationship. Also, I think having a sibling with a disability might make the other child more compassionate (I know I have become more compassionate in the past year).
I know tons of people do it, and if you really go into it with a realistic plan and are willing to get both siblings any help they need (in the book, I think Emma was TOTALLY clueless about Theo and did not parent him correctly- not that she was a bad mom, but definitely could have done better with her younger son), then it can work out wonderfully.
That all being said, I am in NO WAY ready for #2 right now!
6. A real home to Jacob is one with a mom and a dad and typical, functioning kids. I don't think he wanted anything extravagent- he just wanted to be in a home where he didn't stand out- he didn't want to be the kid with the weird brother. Jacob wanted so desperately to be accepted- to be normal- but he just couldn't.
ReplyDelete7.No I don't think an insanity defense is appropriate for Aspergers. I think that's a very slippery slope. One thing I did have issue with is no one ever flat out asked Jacob (until the end) what happened. Don't you think, because of his inability to lie, that he would have told the story if asked?
8. I don't know how I would have voted, because I have all this extra info about Jacob that the jury doesn't have. IF I was on the jury, I probably would have thought he was guilty, based soley on the evidence (of course, this is before Theo's admission). I liked the ending- I don't think we needed to know what happened- it was kind of beside the point.
5. I don't think that Theo has it worse then Jacob, I think he just has it different, but both have a tough time at it. Jacob wants to fit in, but Theo does too. I thought it was interesting at the end when they home school because they can not leave the house and Jacob wonders why they did not do it before...is it because Emma was just so focused on keeping him mainstream? I felt bad for Theo because his life was hard and especially in a single parent home where Jacob required so much attention and repeatedly, the mom would make a promise and have to break it. He tended to run away from the conflict and ultimately tried to re-create a happy home elsewhere.
ReplyDelete6. I think to Theo a "real" home is one where everyone can relate to one another and without the unusual situation that is his home. I think that Jacob looks at the cards bc they are of other families who relate to one another, he wants to fit in and understand the social cues and be a part of a "normal" family but can not.
7. I did not think it is an appropriate defense, but I can see how they went there, first off since it was their only hope, but then as I thought about it a bit more, perhaps it is appropriate because the insanity plea is one where they state the person did not know what they were doing, and in a way, J did not know. He did not have the ability and experiences to pick up on why it was wrong or the emotions to feel sad or remorse...
8. I agree with Elizabeth, it is hard to know how I would have voted since I had all the background information. Based on pure evidence, he was guilty. It would have been interesting to hear what happened after Theo's story and Jacob's truth, perhaps convicted of something, but not murder.
As for the question, if Theo has it worse then Jacob, I think for all siblings there comes a time when one of the brothers or sisters gets more of the parents attention at times. I sometimes feel sorry for Emma when I am always telling her to wait or be careful with her baby brother, when I am off feeding him lunch or putting him to bed. I try to have alone time with Emma everyday and really just be in the moment with her, but it is hard. It is hard with two, never down time, but I think it is good for kids to know that they are not the only one in the family and they need to share the time. Emma for sure has gotten more patient and kind since Carter was born, even though I am exhausted:( Getting easier though......
ReplyDeleteI can see how the insanity plea was a good idea at first but I don't really agree with it..