https://padlet.com/19grossklausa/siwrwbw3hju2 By: Allie Grossklaus en-us 2017-11-13 21:54:15 UTC 2017-11-28 19:25:39 UTC hello@padlet.com 19grossklausa https://padlet.com/19grossklausa/siwrwbw3hju2/wish/206507054 Sometimes the hardest issues to talk about are the most important to address. This theme is not only present in the novel, but also in real life. for example, we can apply this in schools with an issue that is not talked about a lot in schools, yet very common: depression. It is something that is present in approximately 20% of teens lives, and increases their risk of attempting suicide by 12%. Depression is very dangerous, and is shown in this novel when we learn that Conrad Jarrett is still emotionally unstable after his brother's death. ]]> 2017-11-13 21:56:12 UTC https://padlet.com/19grossklausa/siwrwbw3hju2/wish/206507054 19grossklausa https://padlet.com/19grossklausa/siwrwbw3hju2/wish/206510015 Conrad says "To have a reason to get up in the morning, it is necessary to possess a guiding principle. A belief of some kind. A bumper sticker, if you will."  This is a clear sign of depression, the feeling of not wanting to get out of bed, and no motivation for anything. This ties back into the theme because if conrad had family willing to talk to him about the tough stuff: his brother's death, feeling isolated at school, not doing well in his classes, then maybe he would have a better outlook on life, and a reason to carry on every day. ]]> 2017-11-13 22:09:33 UTC https://padlet.com/19grossklausa/siwrwbw3hju2/wish/206510015 19grossklausa https://padlet.com/19grossklausa/siwrwbw3hju2/wish/206512567 Not everything that seems perfect is exactly as it seems. This theme relates to the Jarrett family, and how they hide their problems:  by pretending they don't even exist. To everyone else, they seem like a normal family who is recovering from a tragic loss. But on the inside, they have very deep issues, starting with the death of Conrad's older brother whom he looked up to, Conrad and his mother's rigid relationship, and finally, his declining mental stability. We can relate this kind of facade to people who have experienced tragedies in real life. Humans tend to not want others to know they are hurting, so we pretend like nothing is wrong. ]]> 2017-11-13 22:20:10 UTC https://padlet.com/19grossklausa/siwrwbw3hju2/wish/206512567 19grossklausa https://padlet.com/19grossklausa/siwrwbw3hju2/wish/206515922 "They do not discuss a problem in the presence of the problem." This quote just about sums up the Jarrett family. When any issue seems to appear, they act like nothing has happened. For example, when Conrad quit high school swimming, he was too afraid of disappointing his parents, that he didn't tell them for a month. Instead of talking to them about certain issues he is having, Conrad chooses to ignore them, which only leads to bigger problems in the end. This seems to be a trend in this family, especially with Conrad's mother, Beth, who believes Conrad is old enough to deal with his issues on his own. This relates back to the second theme, because Beth tells Conrad's father, Calvin, she just wants to move on and leave the past in the past, which is a big struggle for Conrad and puts a strain on their relationship. ]]> 2017-11-13 22:35:28 UTC https://padlet.com/19grossklausa/siwrwbw3hju2/wish/206515922 19grossklausa https://padlet.com/19grossklausa/siwrwbw3hju2/wish/206571272 2017-11-14 04:41:32 UTC https://padlet.com/19grossklausa/siwrwbw3hju2/wish/206571272