In fact, the Rules make it hard to figure out ones target, given the no snitching rule. Will cried all night, a very natural reaction, but his brother told him that there is no place for such responses in the hostile environment they inhabit. A burner. The middle drawer is on Shawns side of the brothers bedroom. If he did not kill Buck, he would not have died. A story that might never know an ENDif WILL gets off that elevator. LitCharts Teacher Editions. Any literary elements can be conveyed through characters, setting, dialogue, plot, or a combination. Riggs probably killed Will's brother, Shawn, the day before yesterday. The second is the date of Its after hearing Mikeys story that his questions hits harder: what you think you should do?. Due to the nature of the cycle of violence, many of the ghosts stories are intertwined. From the creators of SparkNotes, something better. Create an image for examples that represent each symbol using appropriate scenes, characters and items. This depiction of the ghosts serves to underscore the wasted potentialthe stolen timeof those whose lives are cut short by violence. I would definitely recommend Study.com to my colleagues. And as a kidI always figuredhis heartwas forreal brokenlike an arm or a toy, wouldve been totell Buck how importantthat soap was. Novels and poetry often have a variety of themes throughout that students can identify and analyze. When Dani was killed, Will remembers seeing her with her mouth, open. I love Jason Reynolds voice! Unlisted storyboards can be shared via a link, but otherwise will remain hidden. However, after Shawns murder, Will realizes that manhood has unexpectedly arrived early for him: he must, per the Rules of conduct in his community, avenge Shawns death by killing Carlson Riggs, who he believes is Shawns killer. Without further ado, lets dive in. One minute and seven seconds later, the door opens in the lobby, and Buck, Dani, Uncle Mark, Pop, Frick, and Shawn run out of the doors in the midst of a cloud of cigarette smoke. A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality study guides that feature detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, quotes, and essay topics. Create your account. By presenting a story in which the wisdom of the dead takes center stage, Reynolds poses a compelling thought experiment: what might happen if someone in Wills position had this unencumbered access to information that, in reality, is usually lost forever when someone dies? Our, "Sooo much more helpful thanSparkNotes. And because of her youth, many of the words used around her have connotations of innocence and childhood: playground (p.124), sunshine (p.127), and flower dress (p.127). Will is seeking revenge for his brother Shawn's murder. "Long Way Down - Themes" eNotes Publishing Its heavily implied that the nighttime is a metaphor for the collection of dark emotions that can overcome a person after someone they love has been killed. Complete your free account to request a guide. Comment. Instant PDF downloads. Not affiliated with Harvard College. By making this clear to Will, the ghosts in the elevator ask him to consider if his plan to kill Riggs is actually the right course of action, and if Will is actually behaving loyally by following through with it. Our, "Sooo much more helpful thanSparkNotes. Long Way Down thoroughly explores the theme of revenge. The novel never confirms one way or the other whether Will is correct that Carlson Riggs, a former friend of Shawns, is indeed the one who killed Shawn. While its important to not diminish the importance of the relationship between Will and Shawn (Shawn is the reason Will plans to kill someone, after all), the fact that it was just the two of them and their mother speaks to the fractured nature of families in Wills community, which partially explains the importance of loyalty to that community. Have students create attractive posters to display their ideas. Definitions and examples of 136 literary terms and devices. The stories of his father and brotherboth of whom were killed in retaliation for avenging deathslead Will to the private realization that he cannot say for certain that killing Riggs will solve his problems. Best summary PDF, themes, and quotes. To unlock this lesson you must be a Study.com Member. his face was wetwith tears he wasntsupposed to crywhen he was alive. Reynolds builds on this central theme with the introduction of several ghosts of people who have died from gun homicide. Revenge seems inevitable; none of the ghosts on the elevator who were killed by someone seeking revenge seem angered by this, merely resigned. He challenges what Will believes to be true, and as a result, Will is no longer sure of Riggs involvement in Shawns death. At only fifteen, Will assumes this responsibility as though it is a rite of passage into manhood. Most examples do not fit the identified symbols. A Long Way Gone is Ishmael Beah's noteworthy memoir published in 2007.Beah gives a firsthand account of his experiences as a child soldier during the Sierra Leone civil war in the 1990s. But Bucks in the elevator? Long Way Down was inspired by Reynolds's experiences working with incarcerated youth, whose fates, he acknowledges, could've easily been his own. PDFs of modern translations of every Shakespeare play and poem. purchase. A gat. that it stopped Mom fromscraping loose a riverof wounds. However, the surety Will begins the elevator ride with is steadily worn down by the ghosts who challenge him to reconsider his decision. A burner. It is when Will sees his brother lying dead that the shooting becomes something out of the ordinary. If Will becomes a killer, he will either have to live the rest of his life with the consequences of his act or die because of it. This is why one bullet is missing from Wills gun. You'll be able to access your notes and highlights, make requests, and get updates on new titles. Will didnt know that Shawn had ever actually USED his gun. Dialogue Writing. So sad. Our, "Sooo much more helpful thanSparkNotes. Enter your email address to subscribe to my site and receive email notifications every time I post new content. Or does he? The Rules stem from principles of masculinity that suppress vulnerability, and most of the novels characters follow The Rules. Learning them is a rite of passage for all men, and they are passed on from father to son and from older to younger brother. Because of this, most of his booksincluding, Would not have made it through AP Literature without the printable PDFs. Even then, the author does not, in this work, offer any alternative code of behavior. The last date is today's A tool Dani, the second ghost to join Will on the elevator, forces Will to confront the potential repercussions of following through with his plan to avenge Shawns death. Drawing found families because Im single and dont want to mingle, I barely read anything in January, but here are some classic book recommendations anyway, A Writers Guide to Getting to Know Their Character. All storyboards are public and can be viewed and copied by anyone. When Frick discloses his story how he was killed Will thinks, I wish I knew an anagram for POSER (p.276). Long Way Down has one main setting in this story, an elevator. A strap. Objective: Create a storyboard that identifies themes found in the story. The second date is today's Long Way Down is the opening theme and credits song for The Evil Within. Chapter-by-chapter summaries and multiple sections of expert analysis, The ultimate resource for assignments, engaging lessons, and lively book discussions. Plus, get practice tests, quizzes, and personalized coaching to help you A cannon. The Rules are simple: no crying, no snitching (to the police), and if a friend or family member is killed, the survivor must avenge their loved ones death by killing their killer. I was only three.And I dont remember that.Ive always wanted to. around the grip, placingthem over Shawnsprints like littlebrother holding bigbrothers hand again. As a young man living in a community rent apart by gang violence, Will feels obliged to put up a tough, brave front in the face of danger. At two seconds past 9:08 a.m., Buck enters the elevator on the seventh floor. Uncle Marks parting words are chilling. Will's true vulnerability is exposed when he pees himself in fear, when he cries over his uncertainty about killing Riggs, and when he seems to want nothing more than to hug the people he has lost. In other words, everyone in Wills life has encouraged him to view the Rules in a highly simplified and glorified way rather than to truly think about their potential consequences. In the elevator, he is visited by several ghosts who relate their experiences with revenge, including his father, who killed the wrong guy when trying to avenge his brother. (including. As the ghosts file out of the elevator, Shawn turns back and asks, you coming? (p.306). As important as their mentorship has been, he is destined to suffer the same fate if he carries out his plan. Complete your free account to access notes and highlights. Composed by Masafumi TakadaVocals by Gary NumanLyrics:Find myself withinDarkness twisting me aroundThere is nothing I can doThis world doesn't spinIt just tu. Jason Reynolds, Long Way Down. Wills interest in anagrams may be because they remind him of his bond with Shawn same letters, different words, somehow still make sense together, like brothers (p.37). It represents Wills growing discomfort as he tries to prepare himself to kill Riggs and quite possibly the immorality of using murder to solve problems. And stray bullets had cut through the playground, and Will had tried to cover her, but she was hit anyway, and so what she wants to know, on that fifth floor elevator stop, is, what if Will, Will with the gun shoved in the back waistband of his jeans, MISSES. The first character that Will encounters is Buck, the only big brother Shawn had ever had (p.86) and the one who taught [Shawn] The Rules (p.93). Unlike a fictional narrative, real time does not stop at some arbitrary point. GradeSaver, 3 November 2022 Web. succeed. publication online or last modification online. . L ong Way Down by Jason Reynolds is a 2017 verse novel about Will Holloman, a fifteen-year-old boy grieving over the death of his brother.. Will's older brother, Shawn . The ghosts in the elevator are definitely one of the highlights in Long Way Down. Reynolds uses connotation to reveal the grievance of Will after going through the loss of a loved one. But each of the ghosts presents, in its own way, the futility of revenge. Because of this, he chalks Danis disapproval and line of questioning up to her not understanding the Rules, rather than thinking of it as an important question he really should answer. When he sets out to kill Riggs, Shawn's assumed killer, Will takes the elevator down from his eighth-floor apartment to the lobby. The soundtrack of an epic motorbike adventure from John O'Groats to Cape Town. This is the final line of the book and quite possibly the most powerful. He shows Will what its like to be on the other side of the barrel, whats it like to be afraid for your life. Will believes the men in his life all followed The Rules, and he reaches for these guidelines when coping with the loss of Shawn. Will Hollomans biggest struggle is trying to find an outlet for his grief. Instant PDF downloads. Thanks for exploring this SuperSummary Study Guide of "Long Way Down" by Jason Reynolds. 912 reviews 13.8k followers. The citation above will include either 2 or 3 dates. Already a member? So Mikey represents Will if he kills Riggs. Complete your free account to request a guide. Time is up, and Will has to make a decision. Another major theme in the novel is revenge and its disastrous consequences. Below you will find the important quotes in Long Way Down related to the theme of Grief, Fear, and Cycles of Violence. Students can explore by identifying these elements themselves or in an " envelope activity ", where they are given one or more to track . This section contains 532 words. This links back to the books theme of connection. Teachers and parents! T he main themes in Long Way Down are everyday violence, the rules of masculinity, and the passage of time.. They're like having in-class notes for every discussion!, This is absolutely THE best teacher resource I have ever purchased. If there are three dates, the first date is the date of the original Find related themes, quotes, symbols, characters, and more. "My students can't get enough of your charts and their results have gone through the roof." Storyboard cells do not help in understanding the symbols. 10 likes. If everyone followed The Rules, there would be no end to the bloodshed. I wondered if he knewthat in me and Shawns world, Id already chosen to be. But for men, crying is a sign of weakness, not a way to cope with grief. 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