Tears Of A Tiger by Sharon Draper

864 Words2 Pages

Tears of a Tiger by Sharon Draper After a basketball game, four kids, Andrew Jackson, Tyrone Mills, Robert Washington and B.J. Carson, celebrate a win by going out drinking and driving. Andrew lost control of his car and crashed into a retaining wall on I-75. Andy, Tyrone, and B.J. escaped from the four-door Chevy right after the accident. Teen basketball star and Hazelwood high team captain was sitting in the passenger's side with his feet on the dashboard. When the crash happened, his feet went through the windshield and he was unable to escape. The gas tank then exploded and burned Robbie to death while the three unharmed kids tried to save him. Andy goes back to school and talks to his basketball coach about how he feels about Rob's death and how his fiends and family feel about the accident. In addition, they discuss Andy's sentence because Andy keeps punishing himself for Rob's death. Everybody at school was crying during Rob's memorial service. Grief Counselors from downtown come to the school to try to get the kids to share their feelings. At the next basketball practice, Andy comes in late and the coach tells him to get ready for warm-ups. In their next game, the Hazelwood Tigers are down late in the fourth quarter. Andy makes a three pointer for the win with five seconds left in the game. After the game, the coach gives Andy Rob's position as starting center and team captain. Andy goes to psychologist, Dr. Carrothers, to discuss his depression about Rob's death. He does not think he needs to be there because he is fine in school and he is fine at home. Andy talks about why the accident is his fault. He realizes he needs help with his depression and wants to come back for another visit to discuss what is going... ... middle of paper ... ...ad together hoping they forgive him. He says he will always treasure those moments and that even if they do not forgive him they can remember without so much pain. In English class, they start to study the Shakespeare play Macbeth. They talk about how he used to be noble and willing to sacrifice himself for the king, but now he is a wretched, depraved, corrupt murderer. Ms. Blackwell explains that Macbeth is dead inside, but lives only because of his refusal to surrender to Macduff and the forces of good. It was Mary Alice's idea that Macbeth kills the king. She cannot take the guilt so she kills herself. B.J. says Shakespeare is saying, "Life is short and then you die. And on top of that, life don't mean nothin' anyway." B.J. thinks Macbeth is depressed because he killed so much that he couldn't find anything else to live for. Andy got depressed and left the class.

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