Boy 21

I am currently reading Boy 21 by Matthew Quick. It starts out with a main character named Finley, who lives in a run down neighborhood called Bellmont, and is one of the very little population of white kids living there. He is one of the best on his basketball team. A lot of his life changes when he meets Russ Washington, otherwise known as Boy 21. Boy 21's parents has just been murdered and now he is in a state where he thinks he is from outer-space. There are a lot of things that Finley has on his mind everyday, and they could be life or death too.

One thing that Finley is worrying about is if he will keep his starting position at point guard. Because of Boy 21, who is supposed to be a basketball phenom, Finley might have to be his backup. Finley is not a star on his team, but basketball might be his one ticket out of his town and this year is his last in high school. Boy 21's parents were murdered, which is the reason why he moved to Bellmont. Even while he was getting the information about that from his coach, Finley couldn't help but think about if he will lose his spot. Finley's thoughts come after his coach gives him this situation. "And even though Coach is talking about the aftereffects of a murder, I'm ashamed to admit that I immediately begin worrying about my starting position. It's like being told I have cancer and might need a part of me removed-the part called starting point guard." It shows that even though this kid has been through a lot, Finley still has to think about himself more than Boy 21.

Another thing Finley has to worry about constantly is his surroundings in his neighborhood and at school. Finley is a white kid in a basically all black school, and all black neighborhood. He even adopted the nickname 'White Rabbit'. After he got that nickname people started giving him their carrots on their lunch trays everyday. Finley did not like it at all, but they still do it anyways. The only reason why him and his girlfriend are safer than anyone in his neighborhood is because of his girlfriend's brother, Rod. Rod made a promise after a scary incident that no one would lay a finger on them ever again. The person that assaulted Finley and his girlfriend was found unconscious, swollen and bruised, his braids cut off, and his head shaved. Since then no one has wanted to mess with them. I think if Finley becomes friends with Boy 21, Boy 21 will have to suffer like him, or they will become outcasts in the school.

The last thing that Finley is thinking about is the mental state that Boy 21 is in. Boy 21 thinks he is an alien from outer space and all he talks about is the constellations and the galaxy like an alien. He knows everything there is to space. I think lots of people in the school will feel weird about him. If I were in Finley's position, I might think it was a joke, which was one of Finley's theories. The thing the Finley was surprised about was that his coach chose him to be friends with Boy 21. He didn't don't why he would be a good match for Boy 21.

In conclusion, Finley has to worry about things in his everyday life that make things harder for him. That includes his starting positions, his neighborhood, and Boy 21's mind state.