Your concise description of Pam gave me an even better feeling for this character.

12 Points

Empathy: Say in what ways you wish a character would change / develop or what you would like to happen in the life of some character

I wish that Vernons mum, Doris Little, would change in the way she treats her son. It’s awful how she’s only interested in herself, the joy-cakes or her Special Edition. I’m sure that Vernon needs a person who cares for him and listens to him. But Doris does everything to keep Lally in her house, although he betrays her own son and profits from his misery. Shouldn’t it be every mother’s duty to see that her kids get along? I don’t know where this disinterest comes from, probably Vernon reminds her too much of his father or she can’t handle with his teenager behavior. But I think if she would try to pay him more attention and try to understand his sight of the world, then he’d open him more against her.
Another character I’d like to change is, now that I’ve read the whole book, Taylor. I think she has a very egoistic way of life. Maybe that’s because she was something like the queen in high-school who always got what she wanted. She seems to be very spoiled and used to get her will. And she uses Vernon’s crush on her for herself to get famous. That’s very sad.

(Words: 201)

Recount: In your own words, what has happened in the book?

After his friend Jesus shot some of his classmates and executed himself, fifteen year old Vernon gets suspected of having been his accomplice. This means the beginning of a difficult time for the teenager because he cannot proof his innocence and has to stand the hate of the whole town he lives in. Still in a shock, Vernon doesn’t show any feelings what is used against him by the police. Eulalio Ledesma, a so-called reporter, arrives in Martirio and starts a liaison with Vernons mum, just to get some information about her son to publish it and push his career. Unfortunately, Vernon can’t stand the pressure from the outside and decides to escape from Texas to Mexico, what makes him even more suspicious.
Society’s search for the guilty of that massacre ends with the arresting of the innocent Vernon and the death penalty. Does he really have to die for something he hadn’t anything to do with? Or will justice win in the end?
(Point of the book: Vernon gets judged)

(Words: 164)

Prediction: Take a guess as to how the story will go on or finally conclude.

Point of the story: Vernon, on his way to Mexico, meets Taylor

First of all, I’m sure that the story will come to a good end. But I have to ask myself how a good end would be like… I believe that Taylor will help Vernon. She may not fall in love with him, but she could find some helpful evidences that can help him get out of the situation that everybody in Martirio hates him and wants to see him “hanging on a cross”. The “best end” for Vernon would surely be that Taylor decides to stop her studies in Houston and leaves the country with him.
Personally, I hope that Vernon can go back home to his mum and get along with her better because I think that, with fifteen years of age, he’s still too young to live all alone in Mexico, although he might desire it.

Anyway, I’m convinced that Taylor will play an important role in the rest of the story because otherwise she wouldn’t appear anymore ;-)

(Words: 161)

Characterization: Write about the relationship between two characters and how it is changing or developing

Lally (Eulalio Ledesma) / Vernon

In my eyes, the relationship between Lally and Vernon can be described in three phases:
At the beginning, when Lally first appears, he seems honestly interested in Vernon, what’s happend and tries to find out the truth. He appears to be an underdog, too, and wants to help Vernon to tell the world the truth. He’s actually the only one who really listens to the poor boy.
After Lally started having sex with Vernon’s Mom and moves into the house of family Little, he changes. He tries to take the role of a father and Vernon notices that there’s something wrong with him.
Finally, Vernon finds out who Lally really is. Not a reporter, but a representative who wants to profite from the things that happend to Vernon. He uses the boy for his career and doesn’t care if Vernon gets executed, as long as he himself gets enough money and fame. Doris is a tool as well he uses to get the right information.

(Words: 167)

Charakterization: Descibe a character from the book: Palmyra

My favorite character in the book is definetly Palmyra, the best friend of Vernon’s mother. She has a very kind heart and is always hungry; while others ask you about how you’re doing, Palmyra asks you if you had enough to eat. She drives an old Mercury, where a tape of Glen Campbell is stuck in the player so that everytime you drive with her, you hear the song „Galveston“. If you search Palmyra, have a look at the Bar-B-Chew Barn, a restaurant in Martirio, which is her favorite place to be.
I think Palmyra ist he only one of his mum’s friends Vernon likes. She seems to be something like an aunt for him. She’s very reliable and always ready to listen to your problems; you’ll get the best results when you stop at the Barn before and bring a few ribs around...

(Words: 144)

Analysis: Write about the style of writing the author uses

„Vernon God Little“ is written in a quite rough language; it contains many „bad“ words (the famous „f-word“ is used very often for example) and much slang what makes it difficult to read for a person who’s not familiar with this kind of language.
Nevertheless, the book contains many descriptions and the author uses many metaphors and symbols to show how the protagonist feels like. Altogether, you get a very clear impression of what’s going on in Vernon’s head and how he feels.
The language which is used has the effect on me that I often had to laugh of the comparisons he makes (for example the picture of Betty Pritchard, who appears like the bird on the back of a rhino who’s in this case Georgette). It’s fun reading it because this style of writing is very refreshing and diversified.

(Words: 141)