Bad Boy (Pg.41-62)

Summary:

In this section of the book, Mrs. Conway calls Walter a Bad Boy for the 1st time in the book because he has such bad conduct in class. She then isolates him from the class by putting him in back of the class where nobody can sit next to him. This is where he is given a book called " East o" the Sun and West o" the Moon" given by Mrs. Conway. All of a sudden Walter started to read and eventually like the book, but could not take it home as he wished. He later earned 1st page of the Jubilee Issue for a class poem he wrote called "My Mother." Walter Dean starts to take about 125th street in Harlem and how a black priest protested for more jobs there. He was successful and the transformation there was better than before because it seemed more alive. As the story goes on, Walter enters 6th grade where the teacher is a male named Mr. Lasher and he explains how he will not tolerate any fight or bad conduct in his class. Dean slowly became 1st or 2nd in every class, but after hopping on the back of a cab bumper because he thought it was a good idea, he has bruises on his legs. Walter just can's seem to stay out of trouble.


Quote:

" Dow the street we came, my white teacher and me, with all my friends looking at me and a few asking if it meant I was going to get a beating" (Myers 57).





Reaction:







I was shocked a little when this teacher exactly walked home to talk to his mother face to face about his conduct in class and how he wasn't going to accept bad behavior from Walter. I thought it was going to be a deal deal with Mr. Lasher just sending a note home or calling his parents, but he went to the household. Before this incident, Walter never mentioned that the teacher was white so that again shocked me to see that from all the teachers he got in trouble with, a white teacher holds Walters hand through Harlem streets all the way to his house to speak with his parents, and I think that shows what Mr. Lasher expects from Walter.