Day 3: Richard

George's Response

In George's situation all he sees is gang activity, the gang lifestyle. In his poem he mentions taking the "time" looking at the clouds which he never did because he was to busy repping his block and holding his block down. George is just the typical kid from the inner city that has visions of making it out but is constantly being dragged to a future grave by his homies. What blocks the visions of "clouds" in most characters in True Notebooks is the "outs" as they mention. They figured they made a huge mistake and there is no way to correct it but to keep themselves away from the "outs" or kill themselves but it would show cowardice to other inmates. So the repping and proving process starts all over again while they are in juvenile hall. Most kids don't get second chances after being charged with 25 to life so they don't see the "clouds" but only when they are released out to the field for recreational time. He sees the clouds as freedom, freedom to roam about without boundary but he is locked up that's why he wishes he was a cloud.

Michelle's Response

A. The inmates have a tremendous amount of secrets its just not expressed until Mark arrives to the juvenile hall. When he heard the kids for the first time it didn't seem to represent or resemble their image at all. Some of the kids have inner feelings but can't show them while inside because it shows cowardice as I mentioned in my George Response above. So writing on a yellow notebook with only thirty minutes to complete a thought is the "time" given to release those feelings to Mark, it also helps there character in a way to prove that they are somebody besides a kid locked up in a juvenile hall.

B. I am not understanding the question but I will try and answer it as best as I can. Really people want to tell others news or word of mouth it is defined as gossip, meaning you were told some cloudy information about somebody which really is the business of who he or she shared with another associate. The minute you tell gossip it spreads fast, and people soon start putting in there two cents or what ifs on the table. See if was told something about a friend of yours I would go around telling you, it would make me seem like I'm the cause of rumor. Its best to keep things to yourself than speak of situations that you have no part of. Your role in this case is just a young man or woman with a piece of information that ties into a problem with two seperate individuals.