The first section of Beautiful Boy explains a lot of the history of David's drug use and tells his feelings on Nic's childhood and start with drugs. It tells of David and Vicki's divorce and how much of a toll it took on Nic to be split between both parents. Karen is introduced as Nic's stepmother and Jasper and Daisy are born later on in the story.
I didn't find any words that I didn't understand in this book, it seems to be very straight forward and in plain english the entire time.
I can understand Nic's feeling about his parents being separated and having to constantly go back and forth and be missing someone all the time because my parents are divorced and that was how my childhood was a lot of the time.
"Letters and emails still interrupt my days with haunting reminders of the toll of addiction. My heart tears anew with each of them." p13 I thought this was a very strong and emotional quote because it shows you just how many people are affected by drug addiction and how the feelings stay with you for your entire life, even if the addict you know is recovered.
" I am packing an overnight bag for him and look for a sweater in his backpack. I do not find the sweater, but instead discover a small bag of marijuana." p48
This is where all the problems begin. When David finds the pot in Nic's bag it signifies the beginning of the long hard road that leads them both through Nic's addiction and recovery that takes a large financial and emotional toll on their entire family.
I've been wondering through this entire book did Nic started using pot because of his dad telling him that he did when was young?
I also wanted to know what does everyone else think of how David handled the situation when Nic was caught buying pot later on in the story?
*Summary: This section was about Nic's childhood. It outlined how he grew up when he was with his father. It also showed how David Sheff's mistakes could have caused Nic to become an addict. *2 VOCABULARY WORDS: 1) "The teacher is built like Ichabod Crane, with receding, flyaway auburn hair and a crooked nose"(Pg 57) Recede: to go or move away; retreat; go to or toward a more distant point; withdraw. 2) "Nic is obdurate" (pg 79) Obdurate: stubbornly resistant to moral influence; persistently impenitent: an obdurate sinner. *2 or more QUOTES/ PASSAGES 1) "And yet I accept the joint, thinkg-rationalizing-that it's not unlike a father in a previous generation sharing a beer with his seventeen-year-old son, a harmless, bonding moment." (pg 90) I think that this was a bad thing for David Sheff to do. All he did was dig himself into a deeper hole. He made it so now Nic thinks it's alright for him to smoke. This is just the opposite of what David should have done. 2) "Somehow we also justified marijuana, quaaludes, jack daniel's, jose cuervo, cocaine, and random uppers and downers." (Pg 85) I thought this was very hypocritical of David Sheff. He did all of these things in college and then gets mad at Nic when he does the same things. *2 or more DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: 1)Why did Nic's dad smoke that joint with him if he didn't want Nic to smoke. 2)How did Nic's dad not catch onto a lot of the early signs that Nic had a drug problem? *1 CLARIFICATION QUESTION: 1) What was going on with that ulcer thing?
The Beautiful boy is a non fiction book about a father’s journey through the troubles and hard times of raising his teenage son, Nic, who is addicted to Crystal Meth. The first chapter is about Nic ‘s home life. When he was a young boy, his mother and father got divorced, which left his father to raise him during the school year and his mother to raise him during the summer. In his early teenage life, Nic showed signs of depression over his parents’ divorce so he was sent to therapy where he discussed his feelings about the divorce. Nic’s father remarried which made Nic’s life a little better for the time being. Then it became confusing to him, and at an early age he began to feel tons of peer pressure which he fell under quite easily. “The submerged border may account for the looming sense of transience and fragility…” (38) Transience: an impermanence that suggests the inevitability of ending or dying “Nic had been a sensitive, sagacious, exceptionally smart and joyful child., but on meth he became unrecognizable”. (9) Sagacious: Wise or Shrewd My Connection: I can connect with the author because with in my family there has been drug abuse. It is hard to cope with it because you don’t know what type of help to give to that person so you don’t give any at all. A family member that has been abusing drugs for many years lies to us all the time and in the story, the author states that he caught Nic in a lie as well. My Quotes: “I sense that he’s undergoing a fitful transformation, as if a tug of war’s being waged inside him”.(36) When Nic was 9, he showed feelings and signs of being trouble at a very early age. His father Saw him changing after he got remarried. That’s when Nic’s troubled year began. “I sing to him. Close your eyes, have no fears, the monster’s gone, he’s on the run and your daddy’s here.” (27)
To John's questions: i believe that Nic's dad smoked the joint with him because he was desperate to make a connection with him and try to open up to where Nic could feel like they were on the same level and that Nic could talk to him.
Nic's dad didn't catch on to the early drug use because he thought that it was taken care of after they found the pot in his backpack, he wasnt looking for any signs of drug use and as far as i can tell Nic was pretty good at hiding it in the beginning.
In response to Sarah's question. I think Nic would have smoked even if his dad didn't tell him about his previous drug use. Most kids come upon drugs by themselves and not because of what their parents tell them.
The first section of the book Beautiful Boy by David Sheff talks about the early life of Nic Sheff who was a studious kid ever since he started school. He also talks about the use of drugs when he was a teenager. When Nic got into a private high school he still had good grades but was already getting in trouble. His parents had to visit the school because he bought marijuana from a kid in school. When Nic is almost out of high school, he applies to many college's which he gets into most of them. Before college he decides to go on a trip to Paris to attend a three week program and he comes back looking mess, so his dad takes him to the hospital where he finds out he has an ulcer.
Vocab Words:
“...That I can understand the ubiquity and the persistence pressure to do drugs...”
Ubiquity- Existence or apparent existence everywhere at the same time
Connections:
I can relate to this section because Nic was under a lot of pressure when his parents got divorce and my parents got divorced when I was very young and I was very upset so I can kind of see why he would start doing drugs but I still think that it doesn’t give him the reason to.
Quotes:
“In the evenings, with my new friends, united by marijuana and rock and roll, I got stoned and hung out on the street, or we went to someones house” (Pg. 75)
This quote shows how Nic's dad cant really complain about his son using marijuana because he did so when he was in college, I think his dad should talk to his son about the use of drugs and alcohol and he should tell him about his experiences with drugs. I think it might help his son think about what he is doing,
Questions:
I don’t understand why Nic's father would smoke with his son if he doesn’t want him to do drugs?
And why would Nic start doing drugs if he was doing so good in school and already had a good life ahead of him?
Clarification question:
Where did that ulcer come from? How did he get it?
john- his dad smoked the joint because he wanted a way to be closer to nic. And nic's dad didnt catch on about nics drug problem bacause he wanted to believe that if nick wanted to try drugs then he would tell his dad. sarah- I believe that nic tried pot because he was just wondering what it was like. And maybe his father smoking it did play a factor but I dont believe that it played a huge part in it. -cait-
To sarah's question ; i dont think Nic smoked pot because his dad told him he used it. I think that Nic did it because of his friends and the pressure they put him into. The fact that his dad told him he smoked it might have caused him to think since his father did it, it was okay for him to do it.
Carley- I think that nic started doing drugs because of the curiosity of it and for some kids it might help them feel relieved of tough situation maybe about his parents divorce or stressing situations.
In part two of the novel, it talks a lot about his roommate Charles. That he stayed with in collage, the University of Arizona in Tucson. Charles parents died but he wouldn’t tell the truth about how they died, but he knew that drugs and alcohol had something to do with it. The University of Arizona is even closer to the U.S. and Mexico border and even easier to get their hands on drugs. “He Had Alluring and Prodigious energy.” (84) Alluring: Powerfully attract or charm; tempt Prodigious: Remarkably or impressively great in extent, size, or degree. Unnatural or abnormal. “I was and amateur when compared to Charles… hangovers accompanied by guilt…”(85) I guess they were more focused on alcohol and drugs more than their schooling and education. “… A mound of crystalline powder. From his wallet he produced a single-edge razor… Charles had purchased crystal meth.”(107) He must have been very troubled to have started using meth. Now he’s hooked… Discussion questions: How started using first? Charles? What do you think Charles parents would have done to help him if there were still alive? Ryan Period 2
In part three of the novel, Nic leaves home for over a week leaving his father worried the entire week. Eventually he comes home high and very ill. After this his father tries desperately to find a rehab center for Nic, obviously Nic refuses to go but he is forced anyways. He goes to rehab for 28 days but needs much more help the councilors said.
Deceitfulness- Given to cheat or deceiving.
“… Nic Surprises us again. This time he tells us that he realizes that he needs more time in rehab…” (140)
The first section of Beautiful Boy explains a lot of the history of David's drug use and tells his feelings on Nic's childhood and start with drugs. It tells of David and Vicki's divorce and how much of a toll it took on Nic to be split between both parents. Karen is introduced as Nic's stepmother and Jasper and Daisy are born later on in the story.
ReplyDeleteI didn't find any words that I didn't understand in this book, it seems to be very straight forward and in plain english the entire time.
I can understand Nic's feeling about his parents being separated and having to constantly go back and forth and be missing someone all the time because my parents are divorced and that was how my childhood was a lot of the time.
"Letters and emails still interrupt my days with haunting reminders of the toll of addiction. My heart tears anew with each of them." p13
I thought this was a very strong and emotional quote because it shows you just how many people are affected by drug addiction and how the feelings stay with you for your entire life, even if the addict you know is recovered.
" I am packing an overnight bag for him and look for a sweater in his backpack. I do not find the sweater, but instead discover a small bag of marijuana." p48
This is where all the problems begin. When David finds the pot in Nic's bag it signifies the beginning of the long hard road that leads them both through Nic's addiction and recovery that takes a large financial and emotional toll on their entire family.
I've been wondering through this entire book did Nic started using pot because of his dad telling him that he did when was young?
I also wanted to know what does everyone else think of how David handled the situation when Nic was caught buying pot later on in the story?
*Summary: This section was about Nic's childhood. It outlined how he grew up when he was with his father. It also showed how David Sheff's mistakes could have caused Nic to become an addict.
ReplyDelete*2 VOCABULARY WORDS:
1) "The teacher is built like Ichabod Crane, with receding, flyaway auburn hair and a crooked nose"(Pg 57) Recede: to go or move away; retreat; go to or toward a more distant point; withdraw.
2) "Nic is obdurate" (pg 79) Obdurate: stubbornly resistant to moral influence; persistently impenitent: an obdurate sinner.
*2 or more QUOTES/ PASSAGES
1) "And yet I accept the joint, thinkg-rationalizing-that it's not unlike a father in a previous generation sharing a beer with his seventeen-year-old son, a harmless, bonding moment." (pg 90) I think that this was a bad thing for David Sheff to do. All he did was dig himself into a deeper hole. He made it so now Nic thinks it's alright for him to smoke. This is just the opposite of what David should have done.
2) "Somehow we also justified marijuana, quaaludes, jack daniel's, jose cuervo, cocaine, and random uppers and downers." (Pg 85) I thought this was very hypocritical of David Sheff. He did all of these things in college and then gets mad at Nic when he does the same things.
*2 or more DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
1)Why did Nic's dad smoke that joint with him if he didn't want Nic to smoke.
2)How did Nic's dad not catch onto a lot of the early signs that Nic had a drug problem?
*1 CLARIFICATION QUESTION:
1) What was going on with that ulcer thing?
The Beautiful boy is a non fiction book about a father’s journey through the troubles and hard times of raising his teenage son, Nic, who is addicted to Crystal Meth. The first chapter is about Nic ‘s home life. When he was a young boy, his mother and father got divorced, which left his father to raise him during the school year and his mother to raise him during the summer. In his early teenage life, Nic showed signs of depression over his parents’ divorce so he was sent to therapy where he discussed his feelings about the divorce. Nic’s father remarried which made Nic’s life a little better for the time being. Then it became confusing to him, and at an early age he began to feel tons of peer pressure which he fell under quite easily.
ReplyDelete“The submerged border may account for the looming sense of transience and fragility…” (38)
Transience: an impermanence that suggests the inevitability of ending or dying
“Nic had been a sensitive, sagacious, exceptionally smart and joyful child., but on meth he became unrecognizable”. (9)
Sagacious: Wise or Shrewd
My Connection:
I can connect with the author because with in my family there has been drug abuse. It is hard to cope with it because you don’t know what type of help to give to that person so you don’t give any at all. A family member that has been abusing drugs for many years lies to us all the time and in the story, the author states that he caught Nic in a lie as well.
My Quotes:
“I sense that he’s undergoing a fitful transformation, as if a tug of war’s being waged inside him”.(36)
When Nic was 9, he showed feelings and signs of being trouble at a very early age. His father Saw him changing after he got remarried. That’s when Nic’s troubled year began.
“I sing to him. Close your eyes, have no fears, the monster’s gone, he’s on the run and your daddy’s here.” (27)
Ryan
Period 2
To John's questions: i believe that Nic's dad smoked the joint with him because he was desperate to make a connection with him and try to open up to where Nic could feel like they were on the same level and that Nic could talk to him.
ReplyDeleteNic's dad didn't catch on to the early drug use because he thought that it was taken care of after they found the pot in his backpack, he wasnt looking for any signs of drug use and as far as i can tell Nic was pretty good at hiding it in the beginning.
In response to Sarah's question. I think Nic would have smoked even if his dad didn't tell him about his previous drug use. Most kids come upon drugs by themselves and not because of what their parents tell them.
ReplyDeleteSummary:
ReplyDeleteThe first section of the book Beautiful Boy by David Sheff talks about the early life of Nic Sheff who was a studious kid ever since he started school. He also talks about the use of drugs when he was a teenager. When Nic got into a private high school he still had good grades but was already getting in trouble. His parents had to visit the school because he bought marijuana from a kid in school. When Nic is almost out of high school, he applies to many college's which he gets into most of them. Before college he decides to go on a trip to Paris to attend a three week program and he comes back looking mess, so his dad takes him to the hospital where he finds out he has an ulcer.
Vocab Words:
“...That I can understand the ubiquity and the persistence pressure to do drugs...”
Ubiquity- Existence or apparent existence everywhere at the same time
Connections:
I can relate to this section because Nic was under a lot of pressure when his parents got divorce and my parents got divorced when I was very young and I was very upset so I can kind of see why he would start doing drugs but I still think that it doesn’t give him the reason to.
Quotes:
“In the evenings, with my new friends, united by marijuana and rock and roll, I got stoned and hung out on the street, or we went to someones house” (Pg. 75)
This quote shows how Nic's dad cant really complain about his son using marijuana because he did so when he was in college, I think his dad should talk to his son about the use of drugs and alcohol and he should tell him about his experiences with drugs. I think it might help his son think about what he is doing,
Questions:
I don’t understand why Nic's father would smoke with his son if he doesn’t want him to do drugs?
And why would Nic start doing drugs if he was doing so good in school and already had a good life ahead of him?
Clarification question:
Where did that ulcer come from? How did he get it?
Carely R.
Period 7 : )
john- his dad smoked the joint because he wanted a way to be closer to nic. And nic's dad didnt catch on about nics drug problem bacause he wanted to believe that if nick wanted to try drugs then he would tell his dad.
ReplyDeletesarah- I believe that nic tried pot because he was just wondering what it was like. And maybe his father smoking it did play a factor but I dont believe that it played a huge part in it.
-cait-
To sarah's question ; i dont think Nic smoked pot because his dad told him he used it. I think that Nic did it because of his friends and the pressure they put him into. The fact that his dad told him he smoked it might have caused him to think since his father did it, it was okay for him to do it.
ReplyDeleteCarely R.
Period 7
Carley-
ReplyDeleteI think that nic started doing drugs because of the curiosity of it and for some kids it might help them feel relieved of tough situation maybe about his parents divorce or stressing situations.
-Mike
In part two of the novel, it talks a lot about his roommate Charles. That he stayed with in collage, the University of Arizona in Tucson. Charles parents died but he wouldn’t tell the truth about how they died, but he knew that drugs and alcohol had something to do with it. The University of Arizona is even closer to the U.S. and Mexico border and even easier to get their hands on drugs.
ReplyDelete“He Had Alluring and Prodigious energy.” (84)
Alluring: Powerfully attract or charm; tempt
Prodigious: Remarkably or impressively great in extent, size, or degree. Unnatural or abnormal.
“I was and amateur when compared to Charles… hangovers accompanied by guilt…”(85)
I guess they were more focused on alcohol and drugs more than their schooling and education.
“… A mound of crystalline powder. From his wallet he produced a single-edge razor… Charles had purchased crystal meth.”(107)
He must have been very troubled to have started using meth. Now he’s hooked…
Discussion questions:
How started using first? Charles?
What do you think Charles parents would have done to help him if there were still alive?
Ryan
Period 2
In part three of the novel, Nic leaves home for over a week leaving his father worried the entire week. Eventually he comes home high and very ill. After this his father tries desperately to find a rehab center for Nic, obviously Nic refuses to go but he is forced anyways. He goes to rehab for 28 days but needs much more help the councilors said.
ReplyDeleteDeceitfulness- Given to cheat or deceiving.
“… Nic Surprises us again. This time he tells us that he realizes that he needs more time in rehab…” (140)
Will he stay sober?
Ryan
Period 2