Individual Post #3

How are Gerald and Angel like many young people today? How are they different? What strengths are found in them that help them to survive the situation in which they live?

Gerald and Angel are alike other kids today because they both go to school, the relationship they have is like other people have with their families, Gerald plays sports and acts like a normal teenager, and Angel does too. Angel takes dance lessons and is getting really far with how well she's doing in dance. They’re not really too different from people today, they actually act a lot like people today. What helped Angel get through everything was Gerald and dance. What helped Gerald get through was Angel, and needing to protect her.

With the flames and fear behind them, Gerald and Angel rode together to the music of the sirens which had decorated their past and would forge their future.

I think that Gerald and Angel will have a better future with Monique. And Gerald will take charge and still protect Angel and will be more trusting of Monique. Like in the story how Gerald and Angel at the end come out in a happy way that Jordan it not with them anymore. Its like other children that are getting abused sometime stand up and may be move to a foster care home. And might be adopted by some better people.

Speak Up

What "Pep Talk" has does your novel give to readers?

My novel gives readers the “Pep Talk” of sticking up for yourself. It tells readers to speak out when they are done wrong on. It tells them why sit there and hurt? Do something about it to help yourself and the people around you. Its a message to young people to take the advice and get help. In my book, speaking out was advice to different age groups, for Angel who was around 7 years old, Gerald who was 12, and Monique who was a grown up. Speaking out helped them all. Many young people who go through the same things are afraid to speak up but they can learn from Gerald that its the best thing to do. If they can do it, anyone can. Speaking out against the abuse brought only positives to their family and can do the same for other families in need of help. Forged by Fire gives children suffering the same problem, the encouragement they need to speak up about the abuse.

  

Never be afraid

Some people ask the question: ¨why am I here?¨ and think ¨No one likes me!¨ Encouragement is all they need to get them through a hard time or even a hard day. Everyone should feel appreciated, there shouldn't be time when people wonder what's their purpose in life or even do they have on. Sharon draper proved with someone you love and who loves you back you can get through any obstacle in your way.Gerald stuck up for himself and showed that he wasn't some little kid that Jordan could just hit anymore.Sometime people are scared to stick up for themselves They tend to get hurt more and more the longer that don't stand up to the person that is hurting them.Anyone that is being hurt and don't know what to do should listen to this advice and i guarantee they won't be hurt anymore.Without Gerald Angel would still be hurting in pain sad everyday being molested abused raped ... but because she has someone that loves her and will do anything to protect her she got away from the sadness molestation raping and abuse.

Why wasnt monique able to see jordan's abuse?

Gerald's mother Monique had numerous problems. She loved him, but seemed to be consumed with the problems in her own life. Why was Monique not willing or able to see Jordan's abuse of Angel? How realistic do you think Monique's reaction is?

I think Monique was just not willing to see Angel’s abuse. She struggled a lot, and didn’t want to face the truth. She called them liars, because she was afraid of more loss. She was afraid of losing her husband and basically her life. She wouldn't have been able to handle the fact that she allowed Angel to be abused, she did nothing so in a way it is her fault. She had created a false life for herself, she had been so very desperate to create a new life for herself. She was desperate to have a happy life she says to Gerald when he protests Jordan’s return  “Let’s see if we can all work together to make this a happy family once again.”  Then Gerald asserts that it never was a happy family. Gerald is completely right and she needs to hear the truth, however she won’t accept it. She defends Jordan all the time justifying him, and always lets him have his way.

Pep Talk- Forged by Fire

I think that Sharon M. Draper wrote the book, Forged by Fire, because she wanted to have the readers understand more about child abuse and neglect. In the beginning of Forged by Fire, Gerald was neglected by Monique when he was younger, left alone a lot, not changed (diapers), and not being watched enough. Gerald was also abused by Monique as well as neglected, when he did or tried to do something wrong, she would right from the start “teach him a lesson” by hurting him in some way so he wouldn’t do it again, or he’d get hurt again. Later in the story, Gerald meets his younger sister Angel, and evil step dad Jordan. Jordan would always abuse Angel in some way or another after he would come home drunk, from the bar. Jordan would leave Monique alone if she didn’t interfere with him or Angel when he was “occupied”. We could learn from this and be aware of this happening all around. When Gerald would come to live with them, Jordan would come home from work (sometimes drunk sometimes not) and hit Gerald if he felt like it, Gerald was never a match for Jordan. However, he always tried to stick up for Angel. Both Jordan and Monique would neglect Gerald and Angel, they would have to feed themselves, take care of each other, and watch out for one another. Mr. Washington was always there for Gerald, he had helped Gerald through all the hard, hard parts of his life. I think the message of this story was to have everyone’s back, and help people who need to be helped.

Pep talk - Forged by Fire

Pep talk - Why did Sharon M. Draper write forged by fire and what lesson does it teach?

I personally think that Sharon M. Draper wrote the book Forged by Fire to help us understand the life of abused children and to show us that there are people that are being abused like Gerald and Angel in the united states. The book Forged by Fire has many lessons we can learn from, Gerald protects his sister and mom from Jordan he even takes the hits meant for angel from Jordan, he soothes angel and protects her from most things around her and keeps her healthy and happy. Gerald is the protector of his family and we can learn from this to help us protect our families and and stick up to any problems that are hurting anyone in our family, even outside our family. Gerald also sticks up to what he believes and does not allow Jordan to control his life by abusing him. He sticks up to Jordan, stops him from hurting Angel. Gerald also will not allow Jordan to mess him up and tell him what to do, if he does not like what Jordan tells him to do he does not listen and does what he believes is right. We too should stick up to what we believe and stop obstacles like abuse from controlling our lives, we should keep going on no matter what someone says about you or what happened in your life.