Reef - Character Analysis
Reef is a 17 year old young offender and the only child of his parents. His real name is Chad Arthur Kennedy. Reefs’ parents had died when he was very little so he was given to his grandparents. His grandpa is an abusive alcoholic and his grandma is the contrary. His grandpa died first and then his grandma died a while later from cancer. Reefs’ grandma was the only person that has ever showed him love. He has been to many foster homes since and he has never stayed long in each and now he is currently with, The Barkers. His friends are Bigger, Scar and Jink. They all hang out at a pit which is a closed down hotel used for partying. One day, they were hanging out at the pit and some Scotia Demolitions can come with their measuring tapes to try and rebuild this hotel and sell it. They were angry with the idea of their hang out place being destroyed, so they vandalized their truck. The demolitions saw and started to chase after them. Reef ran all the way to the overpass and threw the stone which hit Leeza. After that he was sentenced to North Hills Group Home, a place for troubled youth for 12 months.
Reef - Quotations
Three quotations that best represent Reef are: “Jesus, Scar, whaddya want me to do? Visit her? Hold her hand? What’s done is done … Ain’t nothin’ I can do about it now. Even if I wanted to. Which I don’t.” (Aker 36) This quote was basically Reef telling Scar to stop wondering about the girl that got hit by the stone. It shows how Reef doesn’t really care/regret any of the mistakes he has made.
“Yeah, well, thought Reef, that’s because you Ph.D. in Postal Delivery don’t include Reef’s handy Life Lessons for Dummies. Like Life Lesson Number One: What don’t kill you makes you stronger. That’s what his grandfather used to say. When he wasn’t drunk and cursing his … grandson for every breath he drew.” (Aker 49) This second quote is basically Reef thinking about telling Karl, his foster dad at the moment, about the girl that he nearly killed. Karl kept telling him how lucky he got for nearly killing the girl and that if you had killed the girl, the judge would be probably thinking of a worse punishment, etc. It shows how Reef doesn’t care about anyone else’s opinion on his actions, but his own.
“Reef watched as her lips moved, but he no longer heard what she was saying. Words, words, words. Meaningless, like the “KEEP OUT” signs on The Pit. His whole life has been a “KEEP OUT” sign.” (Aker 59) This last quote is when Reef is in the courtroom being announced what he did, the witnesses, etc. It shows how Reef doesn’t care what else he gets in his life; his life is already enough screwed up as it is.
Reef - Interview
Fortunately I got a hold of Reef before he had to go to North Hills. Here is a short interview I got with him. (MM = Michelle’s Magazine) (R = Reef)
MM: Mr. Kennedy! Mr. Kennedy! Now since you seemed so lifeless in the court while the judge was talking about what you did, what is motive for getting up every day and dealing with this kind of stuff?
R: Well… to tell you the truth, my motive if my grandma… I mean she got up every day and had to deal with me and her alcoholic husband, I mean, she was the most hardworking person I ever saw… She never gave up, especially in the evening, when grandpa comes home drunk and I had to take baths, I mean I HATED baths when I was a kid, but she managed to keep it all under control. That’s why whenever I wonder about even continuing my journey in life, I always think about her.
MM: Ahh.. very touching Reef.. Never knew you had a soft side. Now is it just your grandma or do you have a specific goal you want to achieve before you die?
R: Aha... Thanks... I hope that’s a compliment. Well my goal is to be as strong as my grandma, so she can see whaddya great boy she’s raised. Also, my other goal is to show love to someone, well I mean I love my friends but yeah… my grandma was the only person that has ever showed me love, and it feels nice… it feels like you’re needed on the earth, and I want to be just like her. She’s my only role model.
MM: Wow… That’s nice. Well do you value anything right now?
R: No... I don’t value anything in life right now. Well other than just my friends, Scar, Bigger and Jink… No… my family is dead, and I rarely talk to my foster parents.
MM: Oh.. Well let’s look on the bright side now, what are your interests?
R: Well when I have free time, I collect stones, smooth stones. Since I get carsick easily my grandma got me a stone when my grandpa pulled over and that was the first stone my grandma gave me, and she told me to grip it tightly and then I didn’t feel like I had to throw up anymore. Those were the times she also talked a lot about my mom… We spent hours collecting stones, sorting them, it was one thing that I loved doing.
MM: Aww… That’s so nice! So I’ve noticed you talk a lot about your grandma and grandpa, what’s with them?
R: Umm.. Long story short, my grandpa is an abusive alcoholic… Hate that guy. Then there’s my grandma, ha ha, total opposite! She caring, gentle, nice… she’s the nicest lady you’d ever meet!
MM: What about your parents?
R: Well my mom and dad died when I was small, so I went to my grandparents and yeah... Anyways I gotta go… Bye.
Leeza -Character Analysis
Leeza is 17 years old, and had one older sister. Her older sister, Ellen, was on the honour roll, basketball team, student council and in the lead in two of the drama productions, but before she graduated she had gotten cancer and died. Leeza is short for Elizabeth. Her real name is Elizabeth Morrison. Leeza has a step dad who is usually busy. Her mom is very supportive and protective of Leeza. Leeza usually hung out with her sister’s friends when she was around, but when Ellen had died, Leeza didn’t have many friends of Ellen’s calling her over, some friends asked her how she was during school, but nothing much more than a small conversation. One day, Leeza was volunteering at a Silver Meadows, while she was coming home, she had though she saw someone waving to her from above. So she waved back. Unfortunately no one waved at her. Someone was however there. He threw a stone onto the busy highway and unluckily it was Leeza’s car that had gotten hit. Leeza was then put into a coma. She had awakened later on and basically needs help to recontrol her body (ex. sitting up straight).
Leeza - Quotations
Here are three quotes that best represent my character: “Don’t cry, Mom, Leeza intended to say, but her mouth wouldn’t manufacture the words properly” (Aker 42) This quote is basically after Leeza wakes up from a coma and sees her mom and Leeza knows her mom is thinking, I already lost one daughter, I’m so happy I didn’t lose this one. This quote shows how Leeza knows what’s going on around her quickly/ she is a fast thinker.
“Someone did this? Leeza thought. To me? An image swam out of her memory. Someone waving. At her. Someone did this? The image shimmered, fragmented, dissolved.” (Aker 45) This quote is when Leeza woke up from a nap after she had woken from a coma, and she overheard her mother and the doctor talking about the guy that put Leeza here. This quote shows how Leeza doesn’t think anything bad usually happens to her because she never did anything bad to anyone else, why should she be the one to get hit by that stone.
“Uh… Anybody die?” Leeza said nothing for a while, listened to the moaning that filtered through the doorway from the somewhere down the hall. The, “Just me”, she said. (Aker 72) This quote is when Leeza met her roommate, Brett. Brett asked where she was from, what got her here, etc. This quote shows how Leeza feels, she feels that she is now dead because she lost all her hair, she needs help just to get out of bed and she won’t be walking for a while. She feels that she’d rather be dead than here.
Leeza - Interview
Fortunately I got a hold of Leeza in the hospital in her room. Here is a short interview I got with her. (MM = Michelle’s Magazine) (L = Leeza)
MM: Hey there Leeza, I was wondering if I could get a few questions with you.. Would that be alright?
L: Sure… I’ve got nothing else to lose.
MM: Okay, well what’s your motive for getting up every day?
L: Well I do I for my mom… She’s already lost one person in her life… I mean it was so sad to see her without Ellen, and I can’t let her down. I’m the only daughter she has left.
MM: Aww.. That’s nice! Do you have a goal right now? And did you have a goal before you got here?
L: Aha! One question at a time! And yeah my goal right now is to get on my feet and start walking by the end of this month. My other goal before I got… here was to help people as much as I can in hospitals, like volunteering. My sister died in a hospital that was low on staff, and I don’t want anyone’s life to be taken away simply because there was a shortage of staff.
MM: That’s so sweet! Do you value anything in life?
L: Yeah I do! I value this necklace my sister made me; it was that whenever she wasn’t around, I would always have her near me, to help me through the hard times. She gave it to me right before we found out she was diagnosed with cancer.
MM: Oh okay. Do you have any interests or hobbies?
L: Well I like to read… I like to volunteer at hospitals; well you already know my reason, but yeah… I’m pretty much a really kind of boring person aren’t I?
MM: No no! Not at all! So tell me a little about you sister? I mean you two seem so, alike!
L: We’re not alike, trust me! Well my sister was on the basketball team, she was on student government, she was on honour roll, and so many more clubs. My sister was like super woman… Everyone loved her. Then... she got cancer. I didn’t think cancer would get to her that fast, but she was gone within a flash… I miss her. (Tear rolls down) I don’t mean to sound impolite, but could you please leave?
MM: Oh yeah! Of course! Thank you for your time.
