Ashly

Carmelo's question:
I strongly believe that if the boys in True Notebooks were to grow up in a different family and in a different area, their lives would be completely different. I believe the family life that they were lacking helped to lead them into the position that they are in now. If they would have grown up in a family where education was stressed they probably would have a complete different life. Maybe if the parents they do/did have stressed the importance of it their lives would have turned out different. Even if the boys grew up in a complete different neighborhood their lives would be different. Maybe the people they would have surrounded themselves with would have had a good impact on them and helped them become successful people later in life. Maybe if they didn't grow up in a area place where poverty was prevalent they wouldn't have fell into the gang lives that they did.
I think If Marjane would have stayed in Iraq she would have been a different person because she would have had different experiences. She still would be with her family, but she also would still be around war, and not able to get the education that she wanted. Marjane probably would have a different outlook on life if she would have stayed.
If I had to live on my own at the age of 14, not knowing what I do now, I don't think I would be able to do it. At that age I didn't know much outside of my social life, let alone know how to take care of myself. I don't think I would do well at all being away from my parents at that age, I think it would be a very difficult struggle for me, and I don't know how I would deal with things. I guess if I had to be placed in that situation I would find a way to get by, but looking back at how I was at that age, I do not know what I would do.

Natalia's Question:

I think her mother is probably very worried because she is not used to seeing Marji in that situation. She is used to seeing Marji in their home and how she lives their. It probably is difficult to watch for her Mother, I think her mother feels bad about not being there to help raise her, and that if she was Marji would be in a different situation.
If the parents of the kids in True Notebooks were to see their children I think they would be very upset. Most of these children murdered someone and they have to deal with the fact that their son's could commit such a horrible act. I think the parents would blame themselves for not raising their children in a different way. It would be difficult to know that your child may be in prison for the rest of their lives. If it was my child in jail, I know I would be ashamed, I would blame myself for not being their when the child needed me, I would feel like it was my fault, like I didn't provide enough for the child to live a normal life instead of relying on a gang life. I would take a step back and look at myself and see what I did wrong for my child to be in that position. I think most of their parents would feel the same.
When I was first maturing and starting to become older my Mom especially did not like it. My mom and I would get into stupid arguments nearly everyday. We could not stand to be around each other for almost two years. We would get into fights even while being in the car together. I couldn't talk to her and she couldn't talk to me because it just turned into yelling. I had a bad attitude problem and she really couldn't stand me. As I grew out of that stage she and I began to get along more, and now we are very close.