In the first section on the book "Tweak", lots of things happen very quickly. Nic Sheff brings the reader back in his history of using drugs and shows how screwed up he has been for a while. He talks about getting drunk for the first time at age 11 which just shows how screwed up his childhood was.
Vocab- Eucalyptus- A diverse genus of flowering trees ( and shrubs)in the myrtle family. exuberance-The state of being joyously unrestrained and enthusiastic.
I could connect Nic Sheffs problems to a telivision show I once saw. This show was called intervention.One man has been a drug adict since he was 14 years old. This reminds me of Nic Sheffs story just because of how young he started.
Quotes- 1)"I tought myself how to shoot up by looking at a diagram on the internet"(19). This could be extremely dangerous because you have no idea weather or not the diagram is a trustworthy source. 2)"Oh, and I need a notebook, so I grab this black thing with powderpuff girls stickers on the cover. It turns out to be my sister's diary"(16). This quote just shows how Nic is willing to do anything to help support his drug using. Even steal from his little sister.
Discussion Questions- 1)Why does Nic have to steal from his own family in order to keep using drugs? 2)Do you tihnk that Nic and Gack's drug dealing will end up working out?
Clarification Question- 1)Why dosent he go and get help? it seems like he dosent even want to get off of the drugs.
The first section of this book really describes how Nic was using drugs at a very young age, and did not think much of it. It described his high school life, and how successful he was as a student even while smoking marijuana and drinking heavily. I find it interesting that he was able to balance his party life with his school career while simultaneously obtaining remarkable grades. He never thought he would end up being an addict, as stated early in the novel "But I still had this feeling like it could never happen to me. I had a 4.0 in high school for Christ's sake. I was a published writer, I came from a good family. Besides, I was too young to be an addict. I was just experimenting, right?"(18). Nic was oblivious to the fact that even "experimenting" with hard drugs can destroy anybody. Nic also found himself stealing from his own family and friends just to support his drug addiction. "Yes" wailed Jasper, "I had five dollars in there. Daisy, you took it"..."I got out of bed and started to pack. I don't remember taking the money, but I knew I had"(19-20).I feel that he really hit rock bottom in his younger years, as he did not even realize he stole from his little brother. The section also described how Nic and Gack established a drug dealing business, selling meth and heroin. Due to their young age and lack of knowledge in the trade, I wonder profitable their business will actually be. Vocab: Relapsed - get worse: deteriorate in health; "he relapsed". Restitution - damages: a sum of money paid in compensation for loss or injury.
Discussion Questions: How will Nic and Gack's business function while they are getting high on their own supply?
Why does Nic continue to use drugs after going to rehab several times?
Clarification Question: How could Nic stoop so low as to steal from his own younger brother to fund his drug habit?
Answers to Jake P. Discussion Questions- 1)Nick has to steal from his own family because meth and other drugs impair your judgment and Nic was unable to distinguish right from wrong. 2)I do not believe that Nic and Gack's drug dealing business will work out because they are amateur drug dealers. They are conducting a very dangerous business, and they seem unprepared for what could be in store for them. Nic was already shorted by 20 dollars during a deal without even realizing it. Also, 200 dollars is stolen from Nic right infront of him. This is clear evidence that he is not being as careful as he should be. "Something's wierd," says Gack. "How much money you get?" "Two hundred" "Where is it?" "There, on the dresser." "Where?" I look over. Of course it's gone"(47). This lack of skill and experience on dealing drugs will surely be the partner's downfall. Clarification Question- 1) Nic does not want to get help for his addiction because he is unaware that he is an addict. He only believes he is "experimenting" with the drugs, but in fact he is truly an addict with a very serious problem. Once he realizes how deep he is in addiction, then he will finally seek rehabilitation.
Answer to Aleems Question- Q)How will Nic and Gack's business function while they are getting high on their own supply? A)When Nic and Gack are getting high on their own drugs, this could greatly effect their buisness. They could end up using their own drugs to get high instead of selling them and end up losing a bunch of money. This could cause them to maybe commit robberies or find other ways to support their addictions.
The book Tweak starts right off with a bang. It starts off with the main character Nick telling his story of his addictions to many sorts of drugs. Like some teenagers Nick smoked pot everyday, and did the ocasional mushrooms and acid. This first section basically tells about Nicks first relapse with the addictive drug Meth.
retrospective - directed towards the past, contemplative of a past situation.
This summer my uncle had to drive down to the slums of Bridgeport and drag my cousin out of a old ratty beatendown house. We later found out that she had been shooting up herion, and other drugs were found in her system.
1- "the truth was, i didnt want to stop. Its not like I enjoyed stealing or hurting my dad, or whatever. I mean, I hated it. But I was so scared of coming off the drug." - This I feel is the problem with most teenage users. They dont want to hurt anyone they just feel theres no other way.
questions: 1. Why does all the sudden he want to become a massive California drug lord? 2. Why did he feel the random need to relapse all the sudden?
Clarification question: After all is said and done, do you think he will carry out his plan of leading one of the largest Meth drug opperations in California?
1)Do you think that Nic and Gack's drug dealing will end up working out?
- No I dont think that there idea of dealing meth will workout. For example they mentioned of getting high on there own supply, and everyone knows that to be sucsessful you can't do that. I also feel like they both obviously have issues, so something will most likly go wrong.
The first section of this book shows how Nic was starting to use drugs at a very young age, and didn't think anything of it. He talked of his high school life, mostly about how successful he was as a student even while smoking weed and drinking. I find it amazing that he was able to balance his blissfuly drug-filled life with his school career while also staying up to date with his work. He thought he was immune to becoming an addict, "But I still had this feeling like it could never happen to me. I had a 4.0 in high school for Christ's sake. I was a published writer, I came from a good family. Besides, I was too young to be an addict. I was just experimenting, right?"(18). Nic was completely wrong about the fact that even "experimenting" with hard drugs can destroy your body very easily. Nic also found himself stealing from his family and friends just to feed his addiction. "Yes" wailed Jasper, "I had five dollars in there. Daisy, you took it"..."I got out of bed and started to pack. I don't remember taking the money, but I knew I had"(19-20).I feel that he had dropped down to a very low point in his life, but still had a ways to go seeing as how he ran away from all of his problems. This chapter also described how Nic and Gack started selling meth. Due to Nic's unwavering ability to appease anyone he meets, I can't see them making very much money at all. There's no room for emotion in a world like theirs. Vocabulary: Relapsed - to repeat an action causing one to deteriorate in health; "he relapsed". Restitution - a sum of money paid in compensation for loss or injury.
Discussion Questions: How long will Nic and Gack's business last? Why does Nic continue to use his own drugs when he is trying to sell?
Clarification Question why would nic ever take his younger sisters diary?
If the first 62 pages of the book “TWEAK” a young kid named Nic, roughly in his 20s or so doesn’t deny having a methamphetamine problem. During his early years he talks about how messed up his child hood was leading up to his addiction. He later goes on to tell the story of how he became a street dealer and his ups and downs during it. This book is very similar to the movie “Pay It Forward”, because Nic and the school teacher feel the same way about life and try to change. It’s a different world, man, heightened, exciting. Heightened- to make something such as a color appear brighter or stronger, or appear to become brighter or stronger He sounds fairly apathetic to my frantic pleas to put a hold on my account. Apathetic- not taking any interest in anything “It was like being in a car with the gas pedal slammed down to the floor and nothing to do but hold on and pretend to have some semblance of control. But control was something I’d lost a long time ago.” (Pp.2) This quote is significant because it really gives you an idea of how bad he was and that there really was nothing to do. “There is a crazy fear I have of being rejected by anyone-even people I don’t really care about. They can’t hurt me that way-no one can. That’s why I have no references. “(Pp.37) This quote really is good because its tells us how he felt in life and tells us that he just didn’t want to be rejected for what he was, so it was easier just to deny everyone so that he could never be hurt. Why didn’t he try to move away from the town he lived in and start over so that he could get away from all the drugs? Was all the stealing really worth it? SETH KARLINS
During the first section of this book, Tweak, the author tells his story of experimenting with drugs and getting addicted. It started with pot, but then expanded tgo much worst things. It was crystal meth that changed his life. He compared it to a whole diffrent high.
Relapsed:To fall back on something -I relapsed.
Methamphetamine:A central nervous system stimulant -And with that, Gack and his dad leave the car and Lauren and I drive off with fresh needles and about a gram of crystal methamphetamine.
I could connect this story to a video I watched back in my 8th grade health class. It was about a guy who started all these drugs and couldn’t stay in the same rehab for 2 days. It reminds me of Nic because this was exactly like him.
“But control was something I’d lost a long time ago” (Page 2) -I think he can do it if he really wanted to. He just needs to have faith. He controls his body, and makes the choices. It’s all in his mind.
“My dad helped me get into a rehab five days later-a large, Victorian style mansion on Fell and Steiner” (Page 17) -I feel like his dad really does care about him. This is why he is only one trying to help him out because he doesn’t want to see him fall apart. He knows Nic can’t do it by himself, he needs help.
-Do you think Nic and Gack’s drug dealing business is ever going to work?
-Do Nic and Gack ever find Joe and get their belongings back?
-Was starting all these drugs just to make him feel good really worth it?
Why didn’t he try to move away from the town he lived in and start over so that he could get away from all the drugs?
- I feel like he never even thought about moving out of his town. He's lived there all his life. Honestly i dont think he is ready to move out into the world by himself. He cant even get a job or go into a rehab for more then 2 days without quitting or showing up. He should stay in this town that he is used to and try and turn around his life. After he starts making progess, then he should think about moving away and beginning a new life with new people.
Blog Post 2 In the second section of the novel "Tweak", Nic Sheff described how deep he was in addiction. He also finally realized that he was indeed a drug addict. In desperation for alcohol and drugs he would go to gay bars and take off his clothes just to get free drinks, and would ignore the consequences. The section also elaborated about his girlfriend Lauren, and how she almost lost her life by overdosing on heroin and meth.
Semblance- an outward or token appearance or form that is deliberately misleading; "he hoped his claims would have a semblance of authenticity"; "he tried to give his falsehood the gloss of moral sanction"; "the situation soon took on a different color" I wanna try to take a shower and change clothes maybe before seeing Lauren-maintain some semblance of looking like I 've got it together"(112).
Commodity- A good or a service that is exchanged for money. The origin of the term is wider, arising from the idea of a convenience or accommodation. "Not even hustling is as bad. At least with that, there's a sense of being a commodity of some value"(98).
This section of the novel allowed me to connect Nic to an episode of a show called intervention. The tv show described a man who was so obsessed with drugs that he didnt care how he got the funds to support his addiction. He too would often strip at gay bars for money even though he was not gay.
One passage in this section I found to be intriguing was when Nic realized that the hard drugs he has been taking has really isolated him from the real world. He is oblivious to his world around him, as he states "I realize I have no idea what movies have been released or anything. I'm so iolated-insulated in this world of scrounging to get money so I can buy drugs , to get high, then start all over again"(116). When he states "start all over again", Nic is emphasizing on the fact that he is trapped in his world of addiction.
Another important passage in this section was when Nic was describing how drugs had destroyed his own girlfriend's life. He stated " Over two weeks and she looks completley changed. She's lost so much weight her small head looks enormous on her withering neck. Her cheek bones are standing out against the hollowness of her face and eyes. Her arms are bruised, blood-brown splotches-white scars-swollen in some places, horribily shrunken in others. Her lips are washed out-white-cracked. I kiss them and taste her dry nicotine tongue"(97). This passage portrayed the physical destruction of drugs on the human body. Based on the text, I would imagine that Lauren is no longer as attractive as she used to be. If I were Nic, her appearence alone would drive me to get sober.
Dissussion Questions: Why does Nic allow himself to be molested and raped to fund his drugs? When will Nic stop using during rehab?
Knowing that his girlfriend nearly died of an overdose, why does Nic condone Laurnes hard drug use? Clarification Question:
In the second section of the book “Tweak”, it mostly talks about how Nic is becoming addict to crystal meth and how he needs to do it every day and when it wears off. It was his new habit. It also talks about how he got his girlfriend addicted to heroin because she didn’t like the feeling of crystal meth. This is where they both overdose and get sent into a rehab where they couldn’t sign an AMA to leave. Lastly it tells how Laurens starting to fall in love with Nic.
Octaves: A tone on the eighth degree from a given tone. -Bullets voice has dropped, like, three octaves since doing H. (Page 52)
Bulimia: Abnormally voracious appetite or unnaturally constant hunger. -She went right into her first rehab right out of high school, a dual diagnosis treatment center-one that dealt with both drug addiction and bulimia. (Page 64)
1.) “She sounds kind of annoyed with me for not having come over, but I don’t care. Isn’t that the greatest gift in the world- just not to care? I feel so grateful for it. That’s nothing I ever knew sober.” (Page 60)
-You can see that after doing drugs after drugs, it starts to make you not to care. Just like Nic. I feel like this is going to make him lose many friends with one of them being his girlfriend, Lauren. They’re going to get tired of his behavior and stop communicating with him.
2.) “Over two weeks and she looks completely different. She’s lost so much weight her small head looks enormous on her withering neck. Her cheekbones are standing out against the hollowness of her face and eyes. Her arms are bruised, bloody-brown splotches-white scars-swollen in some places, horribly shrunken in others. Her lips are washed out -white- cracked.” (Page 97)
-I think is passage is important because it tells how much different someone could look after getting addicted to a drug. Nic knows it was his fault but he doesn’t seem to care too much. He still treats her as the same person with the same feelings for her.
Why does Nic allow Lauren to use drugs after almost dying from an overdose?
Do you think Nic will stop using after his trip to rehab?
After all, do you think Nic will regret getting Lauren starting using again in the end?
The section of the book is when things seem to get much better for Nick. He met a man named Spencer who has a wife and a daughter. Spencer is helping Nick with his addiction problem. Nick has found other ways to cope with his addiction problem, one thing he loves to do now is ride his bike around. When he doesn't get out to ride his bike he gets very stressed and thinks about Meth.
Condescending: showing or implying a usually patronizing descent from dignity or superiority
"Ive been back in L.A now for a couple of weeks now. I was sad leaving everyone in Hawaii, but I'm also pretty grateful to be home.Ive been able to ride my bike again and its actually been great coming back to work." pg.206 -This shows how Nick has made a tremendous turn around for the drugy he was.
After my cousin went to rehab she has been clean for 6 months and is doing really well in college and is loving it.
1. Do you think Nick is going to stay with Zelda for long?
2. Nick still remembers everything Spencer would say to him, why is that?
Clarification Question: Will Nick stay clean for the rest of the book or will we find him relapsing later on?
Blog Post #3 In the third section of TWEAK, Nic begins to notice that he really needs help. As much as he knows he needs to get clean, he is struggling because he is so addicted. Even if he knows that this drug will end up killing him, he cannot find the power to stop himself from using. Nic also ends up with a new girlfriend who gets him into some pretty deep trouble. At one point she has him lying to his mother in order to get a plane ticket back home. She could instantly tell that nic was high tohugh.
Vocab- Euphoria- medically recognized as a mental/emotional state defined as a profound sense of well-being.(171) Amnesia- A condition where memory is disturbed or lost.
My connection is much less serious than an addiction to drugs but it is still an addiction. My uncle was an alchoholic and stuggled very hard to stop drinking. He relapsed a few times just like nic did but now he dosent drink anymore.
1) "Throughout my whole life,I have obsessed over watching and studying films, learning all about different directors and their work."(191( He should uses this hobby as a way to help get clean. This hobby could help get his mind off drugs. 2)"though it is kind of scasry that after fifteen years sober, spencer still has to be cautious."(194) This just shows how hard addiction is to beat. Even after 15 years he is still fighting to stay sober.
Questions- 1) What do you think Nic can do to help himself stay sober once he gets there?
2)Do you think that he should still be around drug users while he is trying to get sober?
Blog Post 3 In the third section of the novel, Nic described how he was desperate to get out of his life of drugs. As a child and teenager, he always believed the idea of a higher being was ridiculous and impossible. As stated in the novel, "God, look, I don’t believe in you or anything, but if you're in there, I need your help. I can't do this anymore. I'll do anything. PLEASE. Nothing happens. No flash of light, no burning bush, nothing"(126).However, despite his doubts about god, he began to pray as a last resort. He took a flight back to Los Angeles to live with his brother, after his father rejected his pleas to stay with him. Upon arriving in LA, Nic heads back to rehab and gets a job, trying to fill his schedule to stay out of trouble. Vocab Stifling - characterized by oppressive heat and humidity; "the summer was sultry and oppressive"; "the stifling atmosphere"; "the sulfurous atmosphere preceding a thunderstorm" "The sea air gives way to hot, stifling desert wind as we climb over the Santa Monica Mountains, over Kanan-Dume road toward the valley"(137). Macrobiotic - •macrobiotics - the theory of promoting health and longevity by means of diet (especially whole beans and grains) "Simone is blonde, and when she's not doing hair, she cooks macrobiotic food for cancer patients"(158). One way I connected to Nic in this section of the novel is when he prays to god when he truly needs help. I do believe in god and in times of danger or when I need guidance I look for help from god as well. However, Nic was very doubtful about god, but I have always believed in him.
One thought provoking quote was on page 150, where Nic stated "But there's also this part of me that is so dissatisfied with everything. If I'm not living on the verge of death, I feel like I'm not really living"(150). Nic is obviously in deep depression, as he is on the borderline of relapsing. He doesn’t feel complete without his drugs, and trying to stay sober is more painful than being on the drugs. Another significant quote was when Nic juxtaposed his life with his mother's dogs. He stated "For a moment I feel intense jealousy toward these dogs. They get to just live here with my mom while being completely taken care of. They don't have to struggle with trying to build their own lives, going to work, building relationships. They have no obligations other than to be loved"(153). This specific quote showed how furious Nic was with his life, as he was comparing it to a dog's easy life of playing and being taken care of. He vents about how difficult it is for him work with people and recover from his addiction. He emphasized about how the dogs had no obligations,where his life was full of challenges and hardships.
Discussion Questions: Why does Nic call Lauren and tell her hes going back to SF if he just started rehab?
Why does Nic's father reject him when he is in need of desperate help?
Clarification Question: Doubting the existence of god his whole life, why does Nic soon to believe in a higher being?
Answers to Jake P.'s Questions 1) What do you think Nic can do to help himself stay sober once he gets there? Once Nic arrives in Los Angles, he can stay sober by sticking to his schedule of working and rehabilitation. Also, I believe that the bike rides with his brother Spencer are crucial to his recovery, because Nic and his Brother loved to do it in the past, and it brings back old memories and good times for Nic. This will inspire him to stay in rehab as well as stay off drugs.
2)Do you think that he should still be around drug users while he is trying to get sober?
I think that the presence of drug users around Nic is a postive reinforcement to his rehab, because he can talk with them and share thoughts about addiction. All the drug users he is around are now off drugs, so there is a smaller chance of him using again.
In the first section on the book "Tweak", lots of things happen very quickly. Nic Sheff brings the reader back in his history of using drugs and shows how screwed up he has been for a while. He talks about getting drunk for the first time at age 11 which just shows how screwed up his childhood was.
ReplyDeleteVocab-
Eucalyptus- A diverse genus of flowering trees ( and shrubs)in the myrtle family.
exuberance-The state of being joyously unrestrained and enthusiastic.
I could connect Nic Sheffs problems to a telivision show I once saw. This show was called intervention.One man has been a drug adict since he was 14 years old. This reminds me of Nic Sheffs story just because of how young he started.
Quotes-
1)"I tought myself how to shoot up by looking at a diagram on the internet"(19). This could be extremely dangerous because you have no idea weather or not the diagram is a trustworthy source.
2)"Oh, and I need a notebook, so I grab this black thing with powderpuff girls stickers on the cover. It turns out to be my sister's diary"(16). This quote just shows how Nic is willing to do anything to help support his drug using. Even steal from his little sister.
Discussion Questions-
1)Why does Nic have to steal from his own family in order to keep using drugs?
2)Do you tihnk that Nic and Gack's drug dealing will end up working out?
Clarification Question-
1)Why dosent he go and get help? it seems like he dosent even want to get off of the drugs.
Jake p Period 1
The first section of this book really describes how Nic was using drugs at a very young age, and did not think much of it. It described his high school life, and how successful he was as a student even while smoking marijuana and drinking heavily. I find it interesting that he was able to balance his party life with his school career while simultaneously obtaining remarkable grades. He never thought he would end up being an addict, as stated early in the novel "But I still had this feeling like it could never happen to me. I had a 4.0 in high school for Christ's sake. I was a published writer, I came from a good family. Besides, I was too young to be an addict. I was just experimenting, right?"(18). Nic was oblivious to the fact that even "experimenting" with hard drugs can destroy anybody. Nic also found himself stealing from his own family and friends just to support his drug addiction. "Yes" wailed Jasper, "I had five dollars in there. Daisy, you took it"..."I got out of bed and started to pack. I don't remember taking the money, but I knew I had"(19-20).I feel that he really hit rock bottom in his younger years, as he did not even realize he stole from his little brother. The section also described how Nic and Gack established a drug dealing business, selling meth and heroin. Due to their young age and lack of knowledge in the trade, I wonder profitable their business will actually be.
ReplyDeleteVocab:
Relapsed - get worse: deteriorate in health; "he relapsed".
Restitution - damages: a sum of money paid in compensation for loss or injury.
Discussion Questions:
How will Nic and Gack's business function while they are getting high on their own supply?
Why does Nic continue to use drugs after going to rehab several times?
Clarification Question:
How could Nic stoop so low as to steal from his own younger brother to fund his drug habit?
Answers to Jake P.
ReplyDeleteDiscussion Questions-
1)Nick has to steal from his own family because meth and other drugs impair your judgment and Nic was unable to distinguish right from wrong.
2)I do not believe that Nic and Gack's drug dealing business will work out because they are amateur drug dealers. They are conducting a very dangerous business, and they seem unprepared for what could be in store for them. Nic was already shorted by 20 dollars during a deal without even realizing it. Also, 200 dollars is stolen from Nic right infront of him. This is clear evidence that he is not being as careful as he should be. "Something's wierd," says Gack. "How much money you get?" "Two hundred" "Where is it?" "There, on the dresser." "Where?" I look over. Of course it's gone"(47). This lack of skill and experience on dealing drugs will surely be the partner's downfall.
Clarification Question-
1) Nic does not want to get help for his addiction because he is unaware that he is an addict. He only believes he is "experimenting" with the drugs, but in fact he is truly an addict with a very serious problem. Once he realizes how deep he is in addiction, then he will finally seek rehabilitation.
Aleem Ahmed PER 1
Jake p Period 1
Answer to Aleems Question-
ReplyDeleteQ)How will Nic and Gack's business function while they are getting high on their own supply?
A)When Nic and Gack are getting high on their own drugs, this could greatly effect their buisness. They could end up using their own drugs to get high instead of selling them and end up losing a bunch of money. This could cause them to maybe commit robberies or find other ways to support their addictions.
Jake P per1
The book Tweak starts right off with a bang. It starts off with the main character Nick telling his story of his addictions to many sorts of drugs. Like some teenagers Nick smoked pot everyday, and did the ocasional mushrooms and acid. This first section basically tells about Nicks first relapse with the addictive drug Meth.
ReplyDeleteretrospective - directed towards the past, contemplative of a past situation.
This summer my uncle had to drive down to the slums of Bridgeport and drag my cousin out of a old ratty beatendown house. We later found out that she had been shooting up herion, and other drugs were found in her system.
1- "the truth was, i didnt want to stop. Its not like I enjoyed stealing or hurting my dad, or whatever. I mean, I hated it. But I was so scared of coming off the drug."
- This I feel is the problem with most teenage users. They dont want to hurt anyone they just feel theres no other way.
questions: 1. Why does all the sudden he want to become a massive California drug lord? 2. Why did he feel the random need to relapse all the sudden?
Clarification question: After all is said and done, do you think he will carry out his plan of leading one of the largest Meth drug opperations in California?
Post to Jakey P's:
ReplyDelete1)Do you think that Nic and Gack's drug dealing will end up working out?
- No I dont think that there idea of dealing meth will workout. For example they mentioned of getting high on there own supply, and everyone knows that to be sucsessful you can't do that. I also feel like they both obviously have issues, so something will most likly go wrong.
Conor Daley period 1
The first section of this book shows how Nic was starting to use drugs at a very young age, and didn't think anything of it. He talked of his high school life, mostly about how successful he was as a student even while smoking weed and drinking. I find it amazing that he was able to balance his blissfuly drug-filled life with his school career while also staying up to date with his work. He thought he was immune to becoming an addict, "But I still had this feeling like it could never happen to me. I had a 4.0 in high school for Christ's sake. I was a published writer, I came from a good family. Besides, I was too young to be an addict. I was just experimenting, right?"(18). Nic was completely wrong about the fact that even "experimenting" with hard drugs can destroy your body very easily. Nic also found himself stealing from his family and friends just to feed his addiction. "Yes" wailed Jasper, "I had five dollars in there. Daisy, you took it"..."I got out of bed and started to pack. I don't remember taking the money, but I knew I had"(19-20).I feel that he had dropped down to a very low point in his life, but still had a ways to go seeing as how he ran away from all of his problems. This chapter also described how Nic and Gack started selling meth. Due to Nic's unwavering ability to appease anyone he meets, I can't see them making very much money at all. There's no room for emotion in a world like theirs.
ReplyDeleteVocabulary:
Relapsed - to repeat an action causing one to deteriorate in health; "he relapsed".
Restitution - a sum of money paid in compensation for loss or injury.
Discussion Questions:
How long will Nic and Gack's business last?
Why does Nic continue to use his own drugs when he is trying to sell?
Clarification Question
why would nic ever take his younger sisters diary?
If the first 62 pages of the book “TWEAK” a young kid named Nic, roughly in his 20s or so doesn’t deny having a methamphetamine problem. During his early years he talks about how messed up his child hood was leading up to his addiction. He later goes on to tell the story of how he became a street dealer and his ups and downs during it. This book is very similar to the movie “Pay It Forward”, because Nic and the school teacher feel the same way about life and try to change.
ReplyDeleteIt’s a different world, man, heightened, exciting. Heightened- to make something such as a color appear brighter or stronger, or appear to become brighter or stronger
He sounds fairly apathetic to my frantic pleas to put a hold on my account. Apathetic- not taking any interest in anything
“It was like being in a car with the gas pedal slammed down to the floor and nothing to do but hold on and pretend to have some semblance of control. But control was something I’d lost a long time ago.” (Pp.2) This quote is significant because it really gives you an idea of how bad he was and that there really was nothing to do.
“There is a crazy fear I have of being rejected by anyone-even people I don’t really care about. They can’t hurt me that way-no one can. That’s why I have no references. “(Pp.37) This quote really is good because its tells us how he felt in life and tells us that he just didn’t want to be rejected for what he was, so it was easier just to deny everyone so that he could never be hurt.
Why didn’t he try to move away from the town he lived in and start over so that he could get away from all the drugs?
Was all the stealing really worth it?
SETH KARLINS
During the first section of this book, Tweak, the author tells his story of experimenting with drugs and getting addicted. It started with pot, but then expanded tgo much worst things. It was crystal meth that changed his life. He compared it to a whole diffrent high.
ReplyDeleteRelapsed:To fall back on something
-I relapsed.
Methamphetamine:A central nervous system stimulant -And with that, Gack and his dad leave the car and Lauren and I drive off with fresh needles and about a gram of crystal methamphetamine.
I could connect this story to a video I watched back in my 8th grade health class. It was about a guy who started all these drugs and couldn’t stay in the same rehab for 2 days. It reminds me of Nic because this was exactly like him.
“But control was something I’d lost a long time ago” (Page 2)
-I think he can do it if he really wanted to. He just needs to have faith. He controls his body, and makes the choices. It’s all in his mind.
“My dad helped me get into a rehab five days later-a large, Victorian style mansion on Fell and Steiner” (Page 17)
-I feel like his dad really does care about him. This is why he is only one trying to help him out because he doesn’t want to see him fall apart. He knows Nic can’t do it by himself, he needs help.
-Do you think Nic and Gack’s drug dealing business is ever going to work?
-Do Nic and Gack ever find Joe and get their belongings back?
-Was starting all these drugs just to make him feel good really worth it?
-Kyle Pacileo
Post to Seth Karlins discussion question
ReplyDeleteWhy didn’t he try to move away from the town he lived in and start over so that he could get away from all the drugs?
- I feel like he never even thought about moving out of his town. He's lived there all his life. Honestly i dont think he is ready to move out into the world by himself. He cant even get a job or go into a rehab for more then 2 days without quitting or showing up. He should stay in this town that he is used to and try and turn around his life. After he starts making progess, then he should think about moving away and beginning a new life with new people.
-Kyle Pacileo
Blog Post 2
ReplyDeleteIn the second section of the novel "Tweak", Nic Sheff described how deep he was in addiction. He also finally realized that he was indeed a drug addict. In desperation for alcohol and drugs he would go to gay bars and take off his clothes just to get free drinks, and would ignore the consequences. The section also elaborated about his girlfriend Lauren, and how she almost lost her life by overdosing on heroin and meth.
Semblance- an outward or token appearance or form that is deliberately misleading; "he hoped his claims would have a semblance of authenticity"; "he tried to give his falsehood the gloss of moral sanction"; "the situation soon took on a different color"
I wanna try to take a shower and change clothes maybe before seeing Lauren-maintain some semblance of looking like I 've got it together"(112).
Commodity- A good or a service that is exchanged for money. The origin of the term is wider, arising from the idea of a convenience or accommodation.
"Not even hustling is as bad. At least with that, there's a sense of being a commodity of some value"(98).
This section of the novel allowed me to connect Nic to an episode of a show called intervention. The tv show described a man who was so obsessed with drugs that he didnt care how he got the funds to support his addiction. He too would often strip at gay bars for money even though he was not gay.
One passage in this section I found to be intriguing was when Nic realized that the hard drugs he has been taking has really isolated him from the real world. He is oblivious to his world around him, as he states "I realize I have no idea what movies have been released or anything. I'm so iolated-insulated in this world of scrounging to get money so I can buy drugs , to get high, then start all over again"(116). When he states "start all over again", Nic is emphasizing on the fact that he is trapped in his world of addiction.
Another important passage in this section was when Nic was describing how drugs had destroyed his own girlfriend's life. He stated " Over two weeks and she looks completley changed. She's lost so much weight her small head looks enormous on her withering neck. Her cheek bones are standing out against the hollowness of her face and eyes. Her arms are bruised, blood-brown splotches-white scars-swollen in some places, horribily shrunken in others. Her lips are washed out-white-cracked. I kiss them and taste her dry nicotine tongue"(97). This passage portrayed the physical destruction of drugs on the human body. Based on the text, I would imagine that Lauren is no longer as attractive as she used to be. If I were Nic, her appearence alone would drive me to get sober.
Dissussion Questions:
Why does Nic allow himself to be molested and raped to fund his drugs?
When will Nic stop using during rehab?
Knowing that his girlfriend nearly died of an overdose, why does Nic condone Laurnes hard drug use?
Clarification Question:
Post Blog #2
ReplyDeleteIn the second section of the book “Tweak”, it mostly talks about how Nic is becoming addict to crystal meth and how he needs to do it every day and when it wears off. It was his new habit. It also talks about how he got his girlfriend addicted to heroin because she didn’t like the feeling of crystal meth. This is where they both overdose and get sent into a rehab where they couldn’t sign an AMA to leave. Lastly it tells how Laurens starting to fall in love with Nic.
Octaves: A tone on the eighth degree from a given tone.
-Bullets voice has dropped, like, three octaves since doing H. (Page 52)
Bulimia: Abnormally voracious appetite or unnaturally constant hunger.
-She went right into her first rehab right out of high school, a dual diagnosis treatment center-one that dealt with both drug addiction and bulimia. (Page 64)
1.) “She sounds kind of annoyed with me for not having come over, but I don’t care. Isn’t that the greatest gift in the world- just not to care? I feel so grateful for it. That’s nothing I ever knew sober.” (Page 60)
-You can see that after doing drugs after drugs, it starts to make you not to care. Just like Nic. I feel like this is going to make him lose many friends with one of them being his girlfriend, Lauren. They’re going to get tired of his behavior and stop communicating with him.
2.) “Over two weeks and she looks completely different. She’s lost so much weight her small head looks enormous on her withering neck. Her cheekbones are standing out against the hollowness of her face and eyes. Her arms are bruised, bloody-brown splotches-white scars-swollen in some places, horribly shrunken in others. Her lips are washed out -white- cracked.” (Page 97)
-I think is passage is important because it tells how much different someone could look after getting addicted to a drug. Nic knows it was his fault but he doesn’t seem to care too much. He still treats her as the same person with the same feelings for her.
Why does Nic allow Lauren to use drugs after almost dying from an overdose?
Do you think Nic will stop using after his trip to rehab?
After all, do you think Nic will regret getting Lauren starting using again in the end?
-Kyle Pacileo
Blogspot #3:
ReplyDeleteThe section of the book is when things seem to get much better for Nick. He met a man named Spencer who has a wife and a daughter. Spencer is helping Nick with his addiction problem. Nick has found other ways to cope with his addiction problem, one thing he loves to do now is ride his bike around. When he doesn't get out to ride his bike he gets very stressed and thinks about Meth.
Condescending: showing or implying a usually patronizing descent from dignity or superiority
"Ive been back in L.A now for a couple of weeks now. I was sad leaving everyone in Hawaii, but I'm also pretty grateful to be home.Ive been able to ride my bike again and its actually been great coming back to work." pg.206
-This shows how Nick has made a tremendous turn around for the drugy he was.
After my cousin went to rehab she has been clean for 6 months and is doing really well in college and is loving it.
1. Do you think Nick is going to stay with Zelda for long?
2. Nick still remembers everything Spencer would say to him, why is that?
Clarification Question: Will Nick stay clean for the rest of the book or will we find him relapsing later on?
Conor Daley p.2
Blog Post #3
ReplyDeleteIn the third section of TWEAK, Nic begins to notice that he really needs help. As much as he knows he needs to get clean, he is struggling because he is so addicted. Even if he knows that this drug will end up killing him, he cannot find the power to stop himself from using. Nic also ends up with a new girlfriend who gets him into some pretty deep trouble. At one point she has him lying to his mother in order to get a plane ticket back home. She could instantly tell that nic was high tohugh.
Vocab-
Euphoria- medically recognized as a mental/emotional state defined as a profound sense of well-being.(171)
Amnesia- A condition where memory is disturbed or lost.
My connection is much less serious than an addiction to drugs but it is still an addiction. My uncle was an alchoholic and stuggled very hard to stop drinking. He relapsed a few times just like nic did but now he dosent drink anymore.
1) "Throughout my whole life,I have obsessed over watching and studying films, learning all about different directors and their work."(191(
He should uses this hobby as a way to help get clean. This hobby could help get his mind off drugs.
2)"though it is kind of scasry that after fifteen years sober, spencer still has to be cautious."(194) This just shows how hard addiction is to beat. Even after 15 years he is still fighting to stay sober.
Questions-
1) What do you think Nic can do to help himself stay sober once he gets there?
2)Do you think that he should still be around drug users while he is trying to get sober?
Jake P per 1
Blog Post 3
ReplyDeleteIn the third section of the novel, Nic described how he was desperate to get out of his life of drugs. As a child and teenager, he always believed the idea of a higher being was ridiculous and impossible. As stated in the novel, "God, look, I don’t believe in you or anything, but if you're in there, I need your help. I can't do this anymore. I'll do anything. PLEASE. Nothing happens. No flash of light, no burning bush, nothing"(126).However, despite his doubts about god, he began to pray as a last resort. He took a flight back to Los Angeles to live with his brother, after his father rejected his pleas to stay with him. Upon arriving in LA, Nic heads back to rehab and gets a job, trying to fill his schedule to stay out of trouble.
Vocab
Stifling - characterized by oppressive heat and humidity; "the summer was sultry and oppressive"; "the stifling atmosphere"; "the sulfurous atmosphere preceding a thunderstorm"
"The sea air gives way to hot, stifling desert wind as we climb over the Santa Monica Mountains, over Kanan-Dume road toward the valley"(137).
Macrobiotic - •macrobiotics - the theory of promoting health and longevity by means of diet (especially whole beans and grains)
"Simone is blonde, and when she's not doing hair, she cooks macrobiotic food for cancer patients"(158).
One way I connected to Nic in this section of the novel is when he prays to god when he truly needs help. I do believe in god and in times of danger or when I need guidance I look for help from god as well. However, Nic was very doubtful about god, but I have always believed in him.
One thought provoking quote was on page 150, where Nic stated "But there's also this part of me that is so dissatisfied with everything. If I'm not living on the verge of death, I feel like I'm not really living"(150). Nic is obviously in deep depression, as he is on the borderline of relapsing. He doesn’t feel complete without his drugs, and trying to stay sober is more painful than being on the drugs.
Another significant quote was when Nic juxtaposed his life with his mother's dogs. He stated "For a moment I feel intense jealousy toward these dogs. They get to just live here with my mom while being completely taken care of. They don't have to struggle with trying to build their own lives, going to work, building relationships. They have no obligations other than to be loved"(153). This specific quote showed how furious Nic was with his life, as he was comparing it to a dog's easy life of playing and being taken care of. He vents about how difficult it is for him work with people and recover from his addiction. He emphasized about how the dogs had no obligations,where his life was full of challenges and hardships.
Discussion Questions:
Why does Nic call Lauren and tell her hes going back to SF if he just started rehab?
Why does Nic's father reject him when he is in need of desperate help?
Clarification Question:
Doubting the existence of god his whole life, why does Nic soon to believe in a higher being?
Answers to Jake P.'s Questions
ReplyDelete1) What do you think Nic can do to help himself stay sober once he gets there?
Once Nic arrives in Los Angles, he can stay sober by sticking to his schedule of working and rehabilitation. Also, I believe that the bike rides with his brother Spencer are crucial to his recovery, because Nic and his Brother loved to do it in the past, and it brings back old memories and good times for Nic. This will inspire him to stay in rehab as well as stay off drugs.
2)Do you think that he should still be around drug users while he is trying to get sober?
I think that the presence of drug users around Nic is a postive reinforcement to his rehab, because he can talk with them and share thoughts about addiction. All the drug users he is around are now off drugs, so there is a smaller chance of him using again.