Second Rough Draft...

 Audrey M. Schultz
3/7/11
English 1B
Reader Response Paper
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 knife. As soon as I grip it in my hand, I (7). Sonny seems too lose himself and becomes one with his actions when his
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”
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 itHe 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. I believe that when Sonny goes to the bowling alley he is looking
for some type of affection. Mrs. Zuniga is always asking him questions about his life. She
is probably the only when who really seems to care for Sonny’s well being by feeding him
full plates of food and being his friend. She is the only one that never shows that she
wants something from Sonny. She seems to be the only genuine person in Sonny’s life.
When Sonny is there at the bowling alley I sense the calm in his in his voice. That is his
safe haven where he can just hang out and let some of his Steam out when he is angry or
upset. He bowls games to let out his frustration and bases his Score on how bad he is
feeling that day.
When Sonny is followed home by the sickie white dude he is very upset. Every where
Sonny turned there he was looking at him with a pervie look. “Inside I was screamingat him to fuck off, calling him queer joto homo and shit.(56-57).“
passage in the Novel because I experienced the same situation as Sonny. One day when I

was walking home from middle school I noticed that every time I turned on to a new

street there was this car with black tinted windows slowly driving across the street from
Me. I realized that it wasn’t a coincident that the car was turning on the same street as me
because the driver slowly lowered his window and yelled out for me to go over to him.
I was terrified. I wanted to yell out and scream “stranger or pervert” but I just kept
walking faster and faster. The faster I walked the faster the driver drove getting closer
and closer. Suddenly to my rescue I saw a familiar face, my friend Robert was riding
towards me on his bike. I started running towards him yelling…help me help me!! The man in the car took off super fast down the street. By then I was crying because I felt safe
now that my friend was there. My friend ended up walking the rest of the way home with
me to make sure I got there okay. I told my parents and they made a police report.
Unlike Sonny, he didn’t have any one to mention this to but his two friends. He felt he
had to take the matter into his own hands. He later on in the Novel confronts the perve
and throws his rock at him, hitting him in the face and making him crash his car.
When Sonny has a small confrontation with Cloyd he shares how he felt scared. “I hatedSonny always tried to
that I was afraid to leave, to scratch an itch. I hated him (126).”

swallow his pride when it came to him dealing with his step father Cloyd. As strong
willed as he was he did what Cloyd asked of him to keep the peace for his mom. Sonny
had a good way of turning on and off his temper and feelings. That is very hard to do at a
young adolescent age. He was growing up too fast and experiencing a lot of hatred all
around him and disappointments.
I did a lot of running around while I was a teen. I was the rebellious daughter always
wanted to explore the world and learn the hard way about life. My life was a little

different than Sonny‘s. I had both my parents in the same home and they loved me and

wanted the best for me, but we lacked the friendship stage. I never felt I could really run
to them for advice or my problems. They were very strict and I hated not having the
freedom that Sonny had. So I made a lot of bad calls in my time. I would take off and
hang out with my friends and not come home at times. I made my parents worry. I knew

it wasn’t the right thing to do but at that time I was selfish and thought only about myself.
One day when my dad confronted me on my disrespectful choices I felt like Sonny. I was
terrified of my father and what he thought of me. It broke me to the point that I didn’t like myself anymore. Sonny always went home to Apt.#1 no matter what. Even though
his Mom and him had a distant relationship he still loved her and worried about her.
When Bud confronts Silvia (Sonny’s mom) in the apartment and becomes loud
and rude with her, Sonny feels the need to protect his Mom. He does what an older
man would do when some one is being disrespectful.
“Don’t yell at my Mom, fuckass! (221).”
maple chair and table. Bud’s strength tore at Sonny’s shoulder muscles and forced
Sonny’s arm behind his back with one hand and locked under his neck lifting Sonny entire
body. Sonny states: “I didn’t care, I didn’t care how much he could beat me, I was going He has so much courage during the most scariest times. Any other
to find out (222).”
person might have just ran or called for help but Sonny always found the courage even if it
meant putting him in danger to protect himself or others he loved. Relating to this
passage I have found myself standing up to a man who was bigger than me to protect a
friend. Her boyfriend was being a real big jerk and he thought that by getting into her face
and threatening to hit her that he would prosper from it. I on the other hand would not
and could not ignore the situation. I ran right into the room and pulled him away from my

frighten friend who already suffered from low self esteem. I knew that he could and

would hit me but Something took over my mind and body. I pushed him up against the
wall and told him that if he laid another hand on her that I was going to show him what it
was like to be a little Bitch! I know that two wrongs don’t make a right but it was my
solution to the problem that day. I don’t think he ever expected some one to stand up to
him like that. I scared him away and got my friend to realize that she was better off

without him in her life.
We find ourselves sometimes in the worst of situations. Either by choice or because we
just can’t look the other way. I chose to focus on Sonny’s obstacles and FEARS that he

had to go through in order to survive his life, because we all go through it one time or
another in our lives. Some not so drastic but we do; and we all handle things differently.
Sonny would lose himself in the fear and act on it. Wither it be the right way or the

wrong way he had to act on it.
I never liked what I went through in my past. I had to learn the hard way and make crazy
decisions on how to deal with things. Therefore I became the person I am today. Maybe
still not the wisest person but a little more smarter and I know now what I didn’t know
then. Fear is not always a fun thing to have, but when you do have it you either
need to look it in the eye or run from it. Sonny chose always to look it in the eye and not
let it break him. I hoped that in the end he would of got away from all the drama that
surrounded him so that he could make better choices. Although he stayed I feel he was
growing every day and learning to try and become a better man. I know I have through all
of my experiences! I thoroughly enjoyed the novel.Sonny came at Bud and Bud tossed him into theI can related to this
go black 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).