Felicia

By Tim Tharp Title for the reading I've done: **__The Crazy Life of a Party Boy__** Date: 4/28/10
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Significant Quote: Okay, yes, maybe I do drink a little bit more than a little bit too much, but don't go getting the idea I'm an alcoholic. It's not some big addiction. It's just a hobby, a good, old-fashioned way to have fun. Once, I said that exact thing to this uptight church girl at school, Jennifer Jorgenson, and she goes, "I don't have to drink alcohal to have fun." So I'm like, " I don't have to ride a roller coaster to have fun either, but I do." (pg. 18)

Explanation: This quote is significant because throughout this section of the book Sutter (the main character) drinks almost every single day and it seems to get him into trouble most of the time. For example, after drinking he gets in a fight with his girlfriend, Cassidy. He may have said some of the disrespectful and mean things to Cassidy because of his bad temper, or from the large amount of whiskey he had been drinking all morning. Also, when Sutter visits his sisters house after drinking all afternoon he gets caught, makes a fool of himself, and blows his chances of talking to the beautiful girl he had his eye on in the room. So, drinking may be a way to have fun for Sutter in the beginning, but this "fun" can lead to serious consequences.

HOTQ: How does the people around Sutter affect the bad decisions that he makes?

Answer: Sutter's family is a major factor in the decisions he makes. First of all, his parents are divorced. Divorces seem to always be problems for most children because there seems to be that missing element in their family. With one parent out of the house Sutter has more opportunities to do dangerous things. The parental supervision is lacking majorly in his household and Sutter can pretty much do what ever he wants without getting caught. Friends are also an important factor. Teenagers should never hang out with "the wrong crowd." But Sutter never really chose that path. He sort of made his decisions on his own and may have had a buddy or two with him but nothing more. What Sutter needed was friends from the good crowd. He needed someone to lead him in the right direction instead of just having his bestfriend Ricky take part in his dangerous decisions. Sutter needed a person in his life who he was close to and who he was comfortable talking to.

Connection: Like I said, Sutter never had a very good and close friend or family member. My parents are very protective of me and make sure I do not go down the wrong path. I also have a good group of friends who make the right choices and work hard in school. But there is another person I know who's parents are rarely home and pay little attention to them. This person made some bad choices and I am not saying they are a bad person, but they are not going down the right path. You can cleary see the difference between the two of us because of the people who surround us.