Reading Response #4 : Blood is Thicker

In a family everybody loves each other and gets along right? But why? Why does it have to be that way? And why is it considered to be a “messed up" family when people don’t get along. Just because we are related does mean I have to like you and it sure doesn’t mean you have to like me too. This is the same situation that is going on with Randall and his cousin Savon.

Savon is a real tuff guy with a bad attitude. Hakeem is more lay back and follows every direction his family tells him to do. Hakeem feels that he is being pressured by his family to be a good role model for Savon. But Savon is more independent and thinks he doesn’t need anybody to set him straight. You can see how these two totally different people can clash.

The characters in this book remind me of what I go through in my family. Sometimes I feel like I go through “family pressures”, especially since I’m the youngest. I have two older brothers and every single time I may get a get a bad grade in school or do something wrong like for instance not clean my room, my mom would say “I never went through that with your brothers” or” I never did that when I was your age”. Don’t get me wrong I understand where she’s coming from but I just can’t stand when you compare me to someone. I feel like I’m my own person and I don’t need you to judge what I do compared to another person because that person is not me. I know how it feels to be in Randall’s shoes, the one that is being compared that thinks he has to prove something and rebel against people.

Although I understand how Savon feels/thinks, I never really thought about how Hakeem might feel. How does Hakeem feel about being the role model? Does he feel pressured? Does he not like being a role because his family members envy him? In the book Hakeem was never a hot head and never looked down at Savon. Instead he always tried to help him become a better person. Hakeem in this case would be my brother. The one I look up to, the role models. I wonder how they feel about playing that role. Do they feel pressured into not making mistakes? Do they feel like they have something to prove? I wonder how it feels to be in there shoes…

Heroes

This book is very complex. I think it shows how much people judge each other. Maybe for once we should stop and really listen to what each other has to say. like when Hiro tried to tell his co worker that he has the ability to move time. Hiros co worker paid no mind to him. As time moved by Hiros co worker was convinced that he can move time because he saved a little girls life in japan from a a speeding truck coming right at her. After that incident Hiro thought it was his duty to save people. He thought he had to become a "Hero".

what is a hero anyways? i mean in movies a hero is considered to be a person who has powers and goes around saving everyone's lives but in real life when you call somebody a hero what are you actually saying to them? Cause I'm pretty sure they don't have powers. That's only in movies right?

All of the characters in the book have some type of power. some have more control of theirs others don't. Do the characters consider themselves as "heros" just because they have powers? in reality i guess "powers" is the ability to do something others cant. That doesn't necessarily mean that your a "hero" unless you use your advantage for good things. Like when Hiro discovered his ability to move time he acted on it but in a good way.

I don't think this show is a about good vrs evil but more like accepting who you are and just going with the flow. its up to you if you want to do something about that "power". Nobody's perfect. You cant expect one person to change the world. Yeah sure being called a hero is a good thing, but i guess at the end of the day its just a title you put on someone. being a hero is not a skill. you cant go to school and learn about it. Its just a title that you earn. With or without powers.