In "Nineteen Minutes" by Jodi Picoult, the plot continues. The book is about students and many other people in a little town who were affected by a mass shooting in a school. Most of the time the author discusses the minds of two victims. Peter Houghton, the shooter and Josie, a patient suffering from PTSD. While reading this book I thought about the victims of the shooting in Newtown, Connecticut and how they are dealing with the tragedy. While reading this I can't help but think about the shooter and how he may have been lead to commit such a crime.
Peter in the story actually suffers from PTSD. While he is being interrogated he explains that he was the victim all along and the people who he shot caused him to feel pain. Peter feels that the people who caused him harm deserved their fate. I wonder if maybe the shooter in Newtown felt that he was a victim of some type of crime and things went downhill from there or if he had some grudge against schools from when he was a teen or child. I feel that people, when they are classified as mentally insane, do these harmful deeds because in their twisted mind it makes sense. In Peter's case he thought that killing all the people who did him harm was the true way to solve the problem, but violence is never the answer.
In Josie's case she is also suffering from PTSD. She doesn't really want to leave the house and is completely devastated and raw from the death of her beloved boyfriend. I feel that this character is a lot like the mothers who were affected in Newtown. Someone who they loved so much was taken away from them on a completely ordinary day and they could not stop or save them. These people can go insane because they somehow feel that the death of their loved one was their fault, but in the end they need to accept that the tragedy happened and that they couldn't have done anything. Josie is struggling with the concept that she didn't save her boyfriend, but I know all wounds must heal, so she will soon be okay.
I think that the author is truly telling the story of a town in crisis after a tragic mistake. From watching the news on Newtown, I feel that Jodi Picoult is trying to show us all the different sides in a tragedy. I think she also wants us to see everyone's perspective and the different ways we all deal with grief. I believe that this is incredibly insightful and such an amazing book. Whomever is reading this needs to read this book.
Sasha:
ReplyDeleteFantastic post! You did a great job connecting the issues in this book to a real-lie crisis, and it was evident that this has helped you develop your thinking about the recent issue in Connecticut. It was a great connection that you made. I also love how you analyzed both sides of the story and discussed the characters' thoughts in depth to help you widen your understanding of the text. But I was wondering, did Peter ever state the reason he killed all those innocent people? Although Peter and Josie are both suffering from PSTD, they seem to be coping with it in two different ways. Why do you think they are so different? I think that it might reflect their overall personalities. Great job!
Peter only states that the people whom he killed, "deserved what they got". This leaves the reader interested and wanting to know more. I think that these are very different characters. One is someone who embraces who they are but is put down for it. The other is a girl who hides her true being because she is scared she'll end up being an outcast. I think this leads them to have very different ways of coping with such a terrible act.
ReplyDelete