https://padlet.com/jessica_berliner/9n6r29h5hf20h495 Post your reaction to the conclusion of the Nickel Boys. Some response ideas include: How do you feel? What are your thoughts on the conclusion? Are there any scenes that really stood out to you? Etc. Responses should be 3-5 sentences in length and include references or a quote from the text. Please respond to at least three of your classmates with 2-3 sentences building off their ideas or continuing the conversation. Please make sure you are Logged into Padlet or you include your name in your posts for credit en-us 2022-03-07 18:36:35 UTC 2022-03-21 08:05:14 UTC hello@padlet.com avaschmitt https://padlet.com/jessica_berliner/9n6r29h5hf20h495/wish/2086726263 Throughout the Nickel Boys, I kept trying to anticipate what would happen next, but I couldn't. The unpredictability Whitehead incorporated into his writing made the book interesting to follow, as I got to know every situation and character somewhat sporadically. This book was not so much as challenge emotionally, it was more of a challenge to keep trying to understand Elwood's experiences and how he views his world. The conclusion was a interesting reveal, however, though I felt it was a bit rushed, like it was some afterthought. While the newly revealed Turner tells his story to his wife, he seems somewhat detached from it mentally but not emotionally. I found it very endearing that Turner kept Elwood's name as is own, as it honored his death in a way I believe Tuner felt substantially. For me the end was a bit underwhelming in some ways, however, the way the author expressed the confusion of emotions surrounding Turner and his new life was a great conclusion to the book.]]> 2022-03-09 18:52:38 UTC https://padlet.com/jessica_berliner/9n6r29h5hf20h495/wish/2086726263 katherinekim1 https://padlet.com/jessica_berliner/9n6r29h5hf20h495/wish/2086737599 "It was a time of high-minded reform all over, even at Nickel. But the rooms waited, blank and still and airless. They waited for wayward boys in need of an attitude adjustment. They wait still, as long as the sons—and the sons of those sons—remember" (p. 88).

This is a beautifully written paragraph about a horrible time. It portrays injustice as it is—perpetual, desperate, powerful, by using diction elements such as repetition and imagery. I feel like this section mirrors the ending—although the world is far from perfect, Jack Turner can now live in a world that his friend Elwood only dreamed of. Instead of forgetting, he is working to make people remember.]]> 2022-03-09 18:58:52 UTC https://padlet.com/jessica_berliner/9n6r29h5hf20h495/wish/2086737599 https://padlet.com/jessica_berliner/9n6r29h5hf20h495/wish/2086750413 How did I feel in the Nickel boys? It was very interesting and it was a challenge to predict what's going to happen next even with context clues. Something I thought that would happen was maybe Turner sacrificing his life but unfortunately, it was my favorite character: Elwood. A specific scene that was so simple to understand and easy enough to picture was the last moments of Elwood and Turner running away from the shotgun except Elwood was shot. A quote from the text that really stood out to me was, "When the diner ask him his name,two weeks out of Nickel, he said,"Elwood Curtis."First thing that popped into his head. It felt right. He used the name from then on when anybody asked, to honor his friend"(p.202) Although this was more of a paragraph I think this really stood out to me on how Elwood in a way did take the bullet for Turner because they were close to each other and they both could have died. Either way, Turner honoring the bravery and courage of Elwood carries his name on which I think was a really nice finishing touch on Whiteheads part. Overall this book was a deep heavy book but also well written and really enjoyable to read for appropriate audiences. ]]> 2022-03-09 19:06:31 UTC https://padlet.com/jessica_berliner/9n6r29h5hf20h495/wish/2086750413 https://padlet.com/jessica_berliner/9n6r29h5hf20h495/wish/2086764748 When we started Part 3 and I had read the sections about what Elwood was doing now and how he was working with Ace Moving, I was completely set that this was to work back up to what we saw in the Prologue, and that we'd see Elwood then and he'd do some great big reflection on what went down. When Chickie Pete asked "Elwood" what happened to the boy he always hung out with and he feigned confusion, I thought for sure that Turner had sacrificed himself for Elwood or that he turned himself in so Elwood would escape. What really hit me was thinking about how Elwood's life was cut so short, and thinking about his grandmother and if he would've tried to find his parents if he got out, or if he would've pursued an education and we could've seen him live out the rest of his life trying to make a difference in the world. Overall, this book was absolutely fantastic, and this is probably my favorite school-sanctioned read. There was truly beautiful imagery and descriptions and a heart wrenching story.]]> 2022-03-09 19:14:46 UTC https://padlet.com/jessica_berliner/9n6r29h5hf20h495/wish/2086764748 kateshin https://padlet.com/jessica_berliner/9n6r29h5hf20h495/wish/2086765323 The ending of the Nickel Boys was very unexpected for me, as a reader. The death of Elwood was not an event that I had predicted in the past, and I often wondered how life would be for Elwood after leaving the school. Personally, I was very saddened by the death of Elwood, since I understood that he had dreams and fantasies of what he wanted to do in life, for example, go to college, which unfortunately ended in him going to the reform school. The epilogue really stood out to me, especially when Whitehead wrote, "When the owner of the diner asked him his name, two weeks out of Nickel, he said "Elwood Curtis." First thing that popped into his head. It felt right. He used the name from then on when anybody asked, to honor his friend. To live for him." (page 200). This example in particular helped me understand exactly what type of friend Turner was to Elwood, and how he understood that Elwood wanted to live and experience life as his optimistic self. The book as a whole was greatly written, and I enjoyed knowing the message behind it– that Whitehead wanted to give the Black survivors a voice. ]]> 2022-03-09 19:15:05 UTC https://padlet.com/jessica_berliner/9n6r29h5hf20h495/wish/2086765323 https://padlet.com/jessica_berliner/9n6r29h5hf20h495/wish/2086791259 This book always kept the reader on their toes. There were so many elements and layers to this book, that you couldn't really anticipate what would happen next, and i think that's the beauty of it. We never knew what we would read on the next page of the book, which kept readers invested in the storyline. The ending of the book was extremely unexpected and heartwarming. i think there was a large piece of strength shown within the friendship between Elwood and Turner, and I'm glad we have showcased their relationship throughout the whole book. my favorite part was ¨He used the name from then on when anybody asked, to honor his friend. To live for him¨(Whitehead 202). This was such a touching moment to read since he truely loved Elwood a lot.]]> 2022-03-09 19:29:48 UTC https://padlet.com/jessica_berliner/9n6r29h5hf20h495/wish/2086791259 averykim https://padlet.com/jessica_berliner/9n6r29h5hf20h495/wish/2086792357 I personally was very shocked by the ending of The Nickel Boys. In the chapters before the epilogue, it mentioned how "Elwood" was doing after his time at Nickel and it felt good to see how he made the most out of his life. My presumption was that Elwood had run away but Turner had died. Something that really stood out to me was Whiteheads quote, "Silence was all he ever got. He says, 'I'm going to take a stand,' and the world remains silent" (Whitehead, 207). Turner thinks this in remembrance of Elwood and what he stood for which is very moving. In a sense it sparks his longing to share out the story of Elwood to anyone who is willing to listen. I thoroughly enjoyed the book as a whole and liked how Whitehead highlighted a different perspective. ]]> 2022-03-09 19:30:29 UTC https://padlet.com/jessica_berliner/9n6r29h5hf20h495/wish/2086792357 brendanknox https://padlet.com/jessica_berliner/9n6r29h5hf20h495/wish/2086792523 Nickel boys was an extremely interesting novel and challenging to predict at times. Unfortunately, reading the flash-forwards to Elwood's future at the start of part 3 gave away some of the surprise for me. It all seemed too easy. After everything that had happened, for anyone to escape Nickel seemed nearly impossible. I was saddened by Elwood's death, and although I expected it in some way, It definitely was not like this. Turner and Elwood sticking together even after the boy's fall was very moving. Something that I enjoyed keeping up with throughout this novel was Turner's character development, and it was extremely interesting how it continued even after his time at Nickel was well overdue. Turner feeling like as if it's his responsibility to grow up to be someone Elwood would've been proud of says a lot about how much Elwood's friendship truly meant to Turner. Although Turner's ending also left me saddened in some way, It more gave me hope for his future. It was nice to finally see him get the littlest of closer. I wish the epilogue was a little more thorough with explaining some important details to what happened, but overall, Nickel Boys was an incredibly thought out and written story. Whitehead did an incredible job of giving all Black survivors a voice, and this truly heart wrenching story was a joy to read.]]> 2022-03-09 19:30:36 UTC https://padlet.com/jessica_berliner/9n6r29h5hf20h495/wish/2086792523 https://padlet.com/jessica_berliner/9n6r29h5hf20h495/wish/2086957787 The Nickel boys was a fascinating and wonderfully written book, but in all honesty the ending was not much of a surprise to me. While I never predicted the events to go down just as they did, I was anticipating something tragic to end the book, and deeply change Elwoodś character.  The more images of the future that whitehead shared, the more I felt as though there was a polar difference between the young boy we saw and the man who looked back at his life. Moreover it seemed too simplistic for both Elwood and Turner to survive the school together, thus I anticipated the death of one of them. Even still, the ending idea of Turner´s goal to preserve Elwoodś life and story by taking his name was a tragically sweet sentiment to me. Furthermore the final lines ended the novel eloquently as they brought a bittersweet ending to Elwoodś dream of seeing a Black patron in the restaurant he worked at as a child. ]]> 2022-03-09 21:31:15 UTC https://padlet.com/jessica_berliner/9n6r29h5hf20h495/wish/2086957787 elliehou https://padlet.com/jessica_berliner/9n6r29h5hf20h495/wish/2086967160 After concluding The Nickel Boys, I feel like it gave me a new perception of injustice throughout society. Colson Whitehead's message was conveyed into a touching and emotional story that made a great impact on many audience members including myself. The death of Elwood was an ending I hadn't envisioned. It was both a shocking and sorrowful moment for me.

The quote that impacted me the most from the book was only moments before Elwood's tragic ending: "The world had whispered its rules to him for his whole life
and he refused to listen, hearing instead a higher order. The world continued to instruct: Do not love for they will disappear, do not trust for you will be betrayed, do not stand up for you will be swatted down. Still he heard those higher imperatives: Love and that love will be returned, trust in the righteous path and it will lead you to deliverance, fight and things will change. He never listened, never saw what was
plainly in front of him, and now he had been plucked from the world altogether," (Whitehead 195). This section displays the hope that lived inside Elwood, but all was shattered by the pull of a trigger.]]> 2022-03-09 21:40:04 UTC https://padlet.com/jessica_berliner/9n6r29h5hf20h495/wish/2086967160 kellyhalliburton https://padlet.com/jessica_berliner/9n6r29h5hf20h495/wish/2086994555 The ending of the Nickel Boys was tragic: with Elwood's murder and Turner's escape to live in the world his closest friend could only dream of. Whitehead illustrates the brutality and discrimination African American descendants faced during the 1960s. Whitehead also brings justice to the black students of the Dozier School for Boys who were never given a voice. The Nickel Boys continues to touch readers and inspire generations to treat everyone fairly regardless of skin color.
  While the Nickel Boys was an educational and analytical read, there were a few parts towards the ending of the novel that were not clear. For instance, why would Turner abruptly decide to give Elwood's note to the white authorities after he previously said, "They [are] going to take you out back, bury your ***, then they take me out back, too. The **** is wrong with you?" (Whitehead 174). Perhaps there was too sudden of a change of character in Turner. This should have been a progressive change. 
Overall, the Nickel Boys was a satisfying read (despite that the author sometimes strayed from the plot of the story). Thank you for your consideration.]]> 2022-03-09 22:08:27 UTC https://padlet.com/jessica_berliner/9n6r29h5hf20h495/wish/2086994555 oliviale1 https://padlet.com/jessica_berliner/9n6r29h5hf20h495/wish/2087019672 After reading this book, I feel a sense of emptiness for the loss of Elwood and the burdens that the Nickel boys have had to carry on into their lives. There’s a fervent frustration that I also experienced throughout the book because of how ignorant some people still are and how these horrible crimes weren't further investigated sooner. The second timeline with Turner as the narrator was an interesting and creative aspect that Whitehead expertly incorporated into the story. Although it was heart wrenching that our protagonist died tragically in these fatal moments so close to freedom, it displays that harsh reality of how Nickel treated their boys. The "escape" was abrupt and a little unrealistic, since very few boys escaped Dozier (or Nickel) but I can understand Whitehead’s choices from a literary standpoint to reflect on the development of the historical era. One instance that had a huge impact on me as a reader and drew me even closer to the characters in the final moments of the story was when Turner decided to use Elwood’s name to honor him, “To live for him,” (Whitehead 202). ]]> 2022-03-09 22:35:40 UTC https://padlet.com/jessica_berliner/9n6r29h5hf20h495/wish/2087019672 summerbrennan https://padlet.com/jessica_berliner/9n6r29h5hf20h495/wish/2087129390 I was so touched by the end of The Nickle Boys. It was devastating to see Elwood die, but the way Turner took Elwood to the free world with him spiritually by using his name made me very emotional. What really stuck out to me was how the author came full circle by bringing Turner back to the restaurant where Elwood's journey began. "He never stopped playing, up until his afternoons at the Richmond ended"(Whitehead 19) "If he had been less tired he might have recognized the name from a story he heard once when he was young, about a boy who liked to read
adventure stories in the kitchen, but it eluded him" (Whitehead 169). The author started the story with Elwood and it ended with Turner. ]]> 2022-03-10 00:24:43 UTC https://padlet.com/jessica_berliner/9n6r29h5hf20h495/wish/2087129390 https://padlet.com/jessica_berliner/9n6r29h5hf20h495/wish/2087430516 The Nickel Boys was a fantastic book and I really enjoyed reading it. Whitehead really brought these characters to life and made the readers really feel for them and feel what they went through. I loved the whole idea of this book and how Whitehead wanted to tell the story of the reform school. I had my assumptions of what would happen in the end, but it didn't turn out exactly as I thought. I thought that Turner would have died for Elwood. I think the ending was absolutely beautiful as well as heartbreaking. I would never have expected Turner to pretend to be Elwood or that his first name was Jack. I thought Turner was his first name. Whitehead created this amazing friendship that I think really made this book so beautiful. ]]> 2022-03-10 03:08:47 UTC https://padlet.com/jessica_berliner/9n6r29h5hf20h495/wish/2087430516 surinapatel https://padlet.com/jessica_berliner/9n6r29h5hf20h495/wish/2087589370 2022-03-10 04:57:42 UTC https://padlet.com/jessica_berliner/9n6r29h5hf20h495/wish/2087589370 jackwilson6 https://padlet.com/jessica_berliner/9n6r29h5hf20h495/wish/2087605165 I think The Nickel Boys is a fantastic book. I thought it was a very interesting decision by Whitehead to flash between Turner's future as "Elwood" and the last days in Nickel in Part 3. It made you think that Turner was going to die, but Whitehead switched him with Elwood, which actually made a lot of sense. Turner isn't the kind of character to die, if you get what I'm saying. Elwood's entire character arc was a tragedy. After being arrested, his life just went downhill. There were some bright parts, but it was overall a tragedy. Turner truly was a stray cat. He always had his way out of trouble, and he ended up settling down. It was a very poetic ending. Although sad, I loved it.]]> 2022-03-10 05:07:20 UTC https://padlet.com/jessica_berliner/9n6r29h5hf20h495/wish/2087605165 isabellabetancourt https://padlet.com/jessica_berliner/9n6r29h5hf20h495/wish/2087635305 This book was so raw. Honestly, I was confused by the ending first, and it took me a second to piece together what had happened. The conclusion was jaw dropping. Love the twist ending. It was so meaningful. Because of the nature of the plot, the ending most definitely stood out the most. I was shocked but moved - Whitehead did an amazing job developing Turner and Elwood's friendship, so that when they escaped, the sweet surprise of how Turner decided to remember Elwood was touching. As tragic as the book is, the reality of the story was written very eloquently.]]> 2022-03-10 05:26:33 UTC https://padlet.com/jessica_berliner/9n6r29h5hf20h495/wish/2087635305 jadepark https://padlet.com/jessica_berliner/9n6r29h5hf20h495/wish/2087638693 After reading The Nickel Boys, all the different parts of the story had all pieced together and I developed a deeper understanding of how unjust and cruel some peoples lives were back then. It gave me a new perspective through a very emotional and intriguing way. The scenes that stuck out to me were the scenes where a lot of the staff were treating the boys extremely unfairly. Other than the horrific punishments itself, it was shocking to see how corrupted peoples thinking could be. By the end of the book it was really sad to see Elwood die like that. I think it was especially sad because of the build up. Elwood had put so much effort and went through so many things and when he finally tried to escape he was caught and killed. It was tragic because Elwood out of the majority of the boys there would have had the brightest future.]]> 2022-03-10 05:28:56 UTC https://padlet.com/jessica_berliner/9n6r29h5hf20h495/wish/2087638693 jasminediep https://padlet.com/jessica_berliner/9n6r29h5hf20h495/wish/2087682718 The Nickel Boys, to me, was an interesting and profound book, and although most of the time it seemed confusing and jumpy. It presented an interesting message and a wonderful ending. When it came to the conclusion, I was stunned at first, and then the pieces just started falling together and it made sense. Throughout part three, when it comes to the time jumps, we are greeted with this version of “Elwood.” When I first started reading about this character that existed post Nickel, all that came to me was how differently he acted compared to the character we got to know during his stay at Nickel, a good doer. “He consoled himself with the notion that he just had to keep doing what he’d always done: act right” (Whitehead 43). Contrast that to the time jumps and we see him smoking and sassing people off as if they didn’t mean anything. Of course I didn’t even question that they could’ve been different people, since it wasn’t impossible that something at Nickel changed him. Which presumably I thought was solitary confinement, and that maybe Turner died instead of Elwood, which I now come to see wasn’t the case. Overall I loved the ending of the book, it felt very fulfilling in a sense. The relationship between the two boys at the end especially.]]> 2022-03-10 06:04:30 UTC https://padlet.com/jessica_berliner/9n6r29h5hf20h495/wish/2087682718 keyunxiao https://padlet.com/jessica_berliner/9n6r29h5hf20h495/wish/2087822321 To me, The Nickel Boys is such a raw and deep book. It was hard to imagine the lives of Black people living in that time era. However, Colson Whitehead masterfully used Elwood as an open window for readers; we are able to see how the cruelty of Nickel Academy scarred Elwood inside. Because the experiences of Elwood are so realistic and described in a vivid manner, I was able to really see each scene happening. When Elwood went to the White House for the first time, the room "had a bloody mattress and a naked pillow that was covered instead by the overlapping stains from all the months that bit into it." So many students have been beaten, and the beating is so harsh that all the students had to do this. They are like objects of scorn for the school staff. There is no filter to racism, Whitehead was straight to the point, putting the reality out there as it is. The ending caught me by surprise because Elwood's downfall happened at the very end of chapter 16, but Elwood and Turner's escape went fairly well at the beginning of the same chapter. This was already a wild roller coaster ride for me, and I didn't expect Turned to go by Elwood's name after the escape. It could act as a symbol for the idea that anti-racism will never be lost and it won't end until we achieve racial equality. 

]]> 2022-03-10 07:52:26 UTC https://padlet.com/jessica_berliner/9n6r29h5hf20h495/wish/2087822321 https://padlet.com/jessica_berliner/9n6r29h5hf20h495/wish/2087834763 I feel this story was written to be a movie. To fully understand it, you need to read it at least twice. The way the story dances creates a sense of rawness and reality. The footnotes and side remarks make the book feel more like a diary rather than a story. Whitehead's use of perspective really allows us to truly feel the fear and agony the boys at Nickle went through. Through the use of jumping around, Whitehead is able to consistently trick readers into believing one thing at first, and completely surprising us with the truth at next. Just as Whitehead explains Elwood believing, "it was the nicest-looking property Elwood had ever seen- a real school, a good one, not the forbidding reformatory he'd conjured the last few weeks," (Whitehead 47). We quickly learn what a horrifying school Elwood is put into. Also, at the beginning of chapter eleven, the author starts with, "Elwood?" (Whitehead 135), completely fooling us when we learn that the ending of this story was narrated by Turner. The way Whitehead was able to weave many morals and use new ways in which he could tell the story made me feel constantly on edge and wanting to read more. Although the ending was a bit unsatisfying, it really showed to me how even a boy like Elwood who had a bright future ahead of him was brought down. It showed me that many others during this time were most definitely put in terrifying situations like these, and makes me better understand our past, and how we should never treat anyone like this in the future.]]> 2022-03-10 08:01:02 UTC https://padlet.com/jessica_berliner/9n6r29h5hf20h495/wish/2087834763 kayasparnicht https://padlet.com/jessica_berliner/9n6r29h5hf20h495/wish/2088785858 I was so incredibly moved by The Nickel Boys, and it is no mystery to me why it was chosen as a Pulitzer Prize winner. I was completely blindsided by Elwood́'s death, and I started crying when I read the line, ̈"When the owner of the diner asked him his name, two weeks out of Nickel, he said, ́Elwood Curtis.́ First thing that popped into his head. It felt right. He used the name from then on when anybody asked, to honor his friend. To live for him" (Whitehead 202). That line was so powerful because it showed that even though Elwood́'s life was far too short, his memory still lived on through Turner. If you have true friends in life and made positive, strong impacts on the people around you, you will never be forgotten. I also loved how the book came full circle at the end when Turner ate at the Richmond Hotel, the same hotel that Elwood had worked at as a kid. Elwood had longed for a time when a Black customer would eat at that restaurant, and the fact that Turner was that customer was such a powerful choice by Whitehead.]]> 2022-03-10 17:10:41 UTC https://padlet.com/jessica_berliner/9n6r29h5hf20h495/wish/2088785858 https://padlet.com/jessica_berliner/9n6r29h5hf20h495/wish/2089751596 Nickel Boys, for me, was an incredible and moving book by how we read the perspective of a young black boy, Elwood, who is introduced to this cruel world of racism and segregation of black and white he realizes when he attends Nickel Academy and experiences traumatizing events. Along the way, we are introduced to this new uprising character named Turner who is a very knowledgeable and strong kid who stands for what he believes in and see this opposition between the 2 character arcs of Elwood and Turner and see how they correspond with one another. Moving on, the conclusion of the Nickel Boys in my opinion was devastating by how Elwood was shot at a young age and we never got the chance to see him change as an adult. At first, I thought it was Turner who was going to die but as it seems, Turner or Jack doesn't seem to be the kind of person who would fall and only makes sense for Elwood to be the one who Turner experiences a tragedy. But, I must say, I love Turner and Elwood's friendship that changes into honoring and a considerate bond between one another. This is seen with Turner taking Elwood's name and takes his life endearing his dear friend he misses dearly and the life Elwood wasn't able to have. I really enjoyed reading the Nickel Boys, because, it's overall an inspiring book that is beautifully written during a horrible time of injustice. ]]> 2022-03-11 04:06:58 UTC https://padlet.com/jessica_berliner/9n6r29h5hf20h495/wish/2089751596 isabelleng1 https://padlet.com/jessica_berliner/9n6r29h5hf20h495/wish/2089873660 The Nickel Boys is an incredibly well-written novel by Colson Whitehead. Whitehead was able to portray all these different emotions and hardships out of the characters. He also brought us along Elwood's journey to watch him grow into the person he became. In the end, Elwood did end up passing away and for me, the ending was surprising; however, I wouldn't consider myself shocked. I did believe that Whitehead was going to let Elwood stay alive after all the discrimination, injustice, and brutal things he went through, but it was reasonable for Whitehead to let go of his character so he could finally be free from all of it. A quote that stood out to me in the book was, "You can change the law, but you can't change people and how they treat each other" (Whitehead 105). This quote proves that no matter what laws are added or removed, the people will never change and no one has control over that but themselves, which carries on various discriminatory issues. ]]> 2022-03-11 05:49:53 UTC https://padlet.com/jessica_berliner/9n6r29h5hf20h495/wish/2089873660 ashleyguo https://padlet.com/jessica_berliner/9n6r29h5hf20h495/wish/2089932277 The Nickel Boys was an incredibly moving, deep, and devastating book, and I was so touched reading it. Getting to know Elwood's story, how unfairly he was introduced to the real world, full of racism, hatred, and cruelty, was so special. The ending was a complete shock to me, and I was almost crying when Elwood died, when "[Turner] looked back again as Harper pulled the trigger. Elwood’s arms went wide, hands out, as if testing the solidity of the walls of a long corridor, one he had traveled
through for a long time and which possessed no visible terminus. He
stumbled forward two steps and fell into the grass" (Whitehead 161). After all Elwood has faced, the loss of his parents, being forced into Nickel Academy, the senseless cruelty of the staff there, and just being a boy of color, he ended up being shot by someone who was once on good terms with, Harper. Turner was very much affected by his friend's death, that he took on his name. Their friendship is so inspiring and powerful because when you meet someone in your life that changes you into a better person, and give you a new perspective on the world, then it is a true friendship. That just so happens to be the case with Elwood and Turner. At the end of the novel, when Turner went back to the Richmond Hotel where Elwood once worked at, I was so happy to see that his dreams of seeing a black patron finally came true. Overall, The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead was one of the most heart-wrenching, but powerful book I have ever read.]]> 2022-03-11 06:46:26 UTC https://padlet.com/jessica_berliner/9n6r29h5hf20h495/wish/2089932277 https://padlet.com/jessica_berliner/9n6r29h5hf20h495/wish/2090957059 I thought this was a very emotional and powerful read. While I did predict and anticipate the overall ending, I did not guess the main twist. Whitehead's writing comes entirely full circle leaving little to no loose ends which I greatly appreciate. My favorite part about Whitehead's writing is that there is no sugar-coating to the dark reality of the real historical reform school that it was based on. There was no other way for a story like this to succeed if it was afraid to use dark language and themes. Each character felt so real and represented almost each side of the Civil Rights Movement. Before reading this book I imagined that it would be about a group of activists or protestors, but I really hadn't ever thought about reform schools that already have poor conditions. Another detail I found interesting was Turner's role throughout the story. He mainly acts as a polar opposite from Elwood who is too hopeful. He masks his emotions to not draw attention to himself and to keep himself in check to survive, but he also suffers from survivor's guilt. He only ever breaks his shell and character when he lets himself be vulnerable by the end. Turner's journey is my favorite (although skeptic to hopeful is one of my favorite character arcs anyways).]]> 2022-03-11 18:50:37 UTC https://padlet.com/jessica_berliner/9n6r29h5hf20h495/wish/2090957059 jamesconroy1 https://padlet.com/jessica_berliner/9n6r29h5hf20h495/wish/2090985046 I felt that the ending of this story was one of the most moving and meaningful endings to a book I have ever read. I thought that the foreshadowing was amazing looking into the future, and how the character's actions were too uncharacteristic to be Elwood. I thought the conclusion was, I don't want to say clever, but it is. It was a very interesting ending, and allowed Whitehead to add more trauma to Elwood's future self. Elwood had fought throughout his life against discrimination, and to rise above it. In the end though, his attempts were in vain, as he was killed. In addition, this moment in the story gave Turner the final push he needed to become motivated to succeed in life. If not for that, Turner may never had started his moving company, or traveled down to Tallahassee to advocate for his race in regard to Nickel. Both of these actions are things Elwood would do - making a successful company as a black person, and standing up for the black community. Personally, I was really moved by the last paragraph in the epilogue when Whitehead writes, "If he had been less tired he might have recognized the name from a story he heard once when he was young, about a boy who liked to read adventure stories in the kitchen, but it eluded him. He was hungry and they served all day, and that was enough" (Whitehead 210).]]> 2022-03-11 19:11:44 UTC https://padlet.com/jessica_berliner/9n6r29h5hf20h495/wish/2090985046 https://padlet.com/jessica_berliner/9n6r29h5hf20h495/wish/2091323344 The book mainly touched topics about discrimination and the affects of racism throughout the years. Racism is still a prevalent issue that so many have to deal with. With the Nickel Boys, I thought it was a raw, real book. It did not sugarcoat how truly affective the prejudice and racism the boys at Nickel experienced, which was honestly refreshing. I've read books that touch topics like racism, depression, death, etc. but the majority usually sugar coat things. With the Nickel Boys, I was able to connect to the character and feel what they felt through the book. I got to analyze how all the events at Nickel Academy physically and psychologically affected the boys. Nowadays, you hear about how racism effects people in negative ways and how it shouldn't happen, but reading about how it effects someone physically and emotionally was very different from what I'm used to hearing. As someone who has experienced racism, I could relate to Elwood. I'm fortunate enough to not experienced anything as close to the racism they did, however it still hit close to home. My favorite part was the ending of the book. Turner arrived at a hotel after he arrived at Tallahassee. We find out that the hotel Turner was at was called Richmond Hotel, the exact same hotel Elwood had dreamt of seeing a black man eating there one day. It was a beautiful way to end the story after a long, tedious life of suffering and injustice.]]> 2022-03-12 03:09:57 UTC https://padlet.com/jessica_berliner/9n6r29h5hf20h495/wish/2091323344 https://padlet.com/jessica_berliner/9n6r29h5hf20h495/wish/2096578745 I think this is THE best book I have ever read. I don't read much so that is probably why it is the best book i have read but it is still an amazing book. The end of this story was very meaningful and was packed with a lot of information that some people might not have caught and hat is one of the reasons why I think it was such a good book and a well written ending. It added character development to Turner, he got wife that he could rely on and before in the book he was mostly only helping himself. It showed us that there is hope in people, although Elwood died, his hope went into turner and they continued to try to thrive and that's why I think it was a good ending. ]]> 2022-03-15 18:32:26 UTC https://padlet.com/jessica_berliner/9n6r29h5hf20h495/wish/2096578745