Bluefish: Week of 2/24/14

Pages: 24-100
Prompt: Pretend that you have magical powers, and you could change certain parts of the story. What parts would you change and why?

     This story is extremely interesting, and I think that if I were to change certain parts, it would't be as interesting as it is right now, and there wouldn't be any real problems. Though certain parts of the story just make me so sad, that if I did have the power to change them, I would. Even though I know it's only a story, it feels like so much more than that; it feels so real, so though the things happening aren't real, they seem real, which is why they make me so sad, and if I had the power to change them, I would.

     The first part of the story I would change if I had the power to, would be the fact that both of Travis's parent are dead and he has to live with his Grandpa, who is not a very good parent to Travis. I'm not sure how Travis's mom died, because it hasn't mentioned it in the book yet, but once his mom died, his dad died only a few months later in a car crash. He was drunk, and crashed into a tree, and died. Travis was left alone to live with his Grandpa, which you may think was a positive thing, because he could still live with a family member, but his Grandpa wasn't exactly his ideal family member. His Grandpa was a smoker, and an alcoholic. He smoked a pack of cigarettes a day, and drank all the time. I feel bad for Travis, because if he's ever feeling alone, or scared, or sad, his Grandpa isn't a person he can really turn to, and he doesn't exactly have any good friends at school to share his personal life with, so he doesn't really have anyone to turn to when he's depressed, or if he's had a bad day. Just the thought of him having really no one, makes me feel so bad for him, and makes me think about my own life, and how sad I would be if my parents died, and I was stuck on my own, with only my Grandma or Grandpa (though I really love my grandparents and know that they would be there for me in times of need.) So, I would definitely change the part of the story where Travis's parents die.

     Another part of the story I would change if I had the power to, would be the fact that Velveeta's dad died. Velveeta seems like she was very close with her dad, and though she tries not to physically show it, she really misses him. She has a mother, who seems ok, at times. She makes dinner, and plays board games with Velveeta, but when her boyfriend shows up, things begin to go downhill. He convinces her to drink, and she always goes with it, and ends up trying to change the next day again, but always ends up going back to drinking. So, Velveeta is basically raising herself when her mother isn't sober, and can't stand her mom's boyfriend, or the fact that he might be taking the place of her dad. The only things that make her feel better are, sitting in her father's old trailer, and writing to him, telling him about her daily life. You can tell that Velveeta also has a hard time (like Travis) handling a death in her family, and doesn't really have anyone to turn to. I would feel the same way if one of my parents passed away, and I couldn't really trust the other to take care of me.  Velveeta always puts on a brave face, though you can tell that she really is sad on the inside. So, I would also change the part of the story where Velveeta's dad dies. You can really tell that she needed her dad.

     One last part of the I would change if I had the power to, would be the fact that Travis can't read. Now, I know that it doesn't seem like a big deal, and doesn't really matter if it's changed or not, but I would definitely change the story so Travis could read. Travis is very quiet, doesn't really say much to anyone, doesn't participate in class, and rarely does his homework. He has never really learned anything or gotten anything out of school, and doesn't really feel it's important to start, but the fact that he can't exactly read, and he's in 8th grade, is not good. I think he's very quiet and doesn't really participate, because he doesn't understand, nor can he actually answer a question or do the work asked of him, because he can't read or understand it. He has to ask people where he is because he can't read a sign telling him, and he has to have a teacher read to him, because he can't read a book for the class. He doesn't understand and people are starting to realize. I don't want Travis to get made fun of in this book. I have already seen all the stress, and pain he has to go through and all the problems he has, and I wouldn't want him to have to experience how mean kids can be. So, I want him to be able to read, and understand, so he can succeed, and think of himself as smart, and become more confident! So, if I had the power to change any parts of the story, those are the parts I would choose and why.