Rough draft

Audrey M. Schultz

3/7/11

English 1B

Rough Draft-RR

In the novel, The Flowers by Dagoberto Gilb; Sonny is the main character. Sonny tells his story
about his life and the obstacles he faces. In reading this novel I chose to write my views and
thoughts in the Reader Response Theory about Sonny and how he controls and reacts to his fears.
Sonny starts off early in the story sharing an in counter he has with an angry man who comes to his
home looking for his mom Silvia while he is alone. The man is drunk and irate. Sonny right away
has to show that his fears turn into protection and survival. “I ran to the kitchen. I found that big (7). Sonny seems too lose himself and becomes one with his actions
knife. As soon as I grip it in my hand, I don’t feel scared. I didn’t care if he carried a gun. He
comes in I cut the dude. I held the big knife in my hand and I’m gripping it so hard I didn’t feel
like it was a knife but me”
when his adrenaline is pumping.
Sonny always knows when his mom is dealing with drama because he usually tries to listen in on
her phone conversations. Almost as if he goes into an area in his mind. “I made it go blackHe would take a lot on at such a young age, by trying to be strong for him and his mom and what
ever choices that she made. Sonny never really having any adult supervision came and went as he
pleased. Experiencing the world for himself. He finds himself dealing with all these older adults
that want things from him rather than them steering him in the right direction.

inside my head, and the words, when she’d make them, were these shapes that wormed around,
spraying light that would disappear into a hole that was bigger than any room I been in” (9).