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Post by nyyfan20 on May 24, 2010 10:58:31 GMT -5
Do you believe that there is a deeper reason for the conflict between Ben and his father other than disagreements over the trip, and if so, how is it shown when Ben stays on his own on the beach?
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Post by Floyd on May 24, 2010 11:16:16 GMT -5
I think that Ben has a loner personality, but at the same time has the need to feel accepted. Though he loves his brothers, he constantly runs off to be by himself. When he runs off to the beach, I see it more as a cry for attention, some way to get attention. He feels like because he is the oldest, he will not receive the same attention as Gerry or Dylan. By running off, Ben thinks his father will notice him more when he actually is around.
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Post by Ashley on May 24, 2010 14:17:14 GMT -5
I agree with Floyd's statement that Ben has the need to feel accepted. The second paragraph of chapter 13 is insightful to Ben's feelings; when he suddenly dove into the water because he father told him to at the end of chapter 12, he definitely did not have a plan, as he later claimed. However, we wanted his family to believe that he did: "If they were watching, they would see that I didn't look back, that I new where I was going, that I had a plan." I think he felt that, since he was the oldest, he should be the smartest or most responsible, and that his father didn't believe he was meeting those standards. Of course his Dad would have more conflicts than he would with Dylan and Gerry, because those two are barely old enough to produce a valid argument. Ben wants to prove that even if his father doesn't want him around, he can manage on his own and make his own decisions.
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