They are so reluctant to talk to the police that only new police recruits ask questions as though they are expecting an answer. Reynolds also emphasizes the importance of mentorship with Will's strong desire to commit to The Rules, the only remaining guidance he has from Shawn, who in turn inherited them from Buck and Mikey and Mark. BEEF. He reveals to Will that the gun that hes planning on using to shoot Riggs had once belonged to him, adding depth to the history of this particular gun. (I found this mildly confusing because where I live, the penultimate level is generally called level 1, but here, its level 2.) Instead, the men he encounters demonstrate what has happened to them as a result of following The Rules. 2023 eNotes.com, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Finally, I found Wills fascination with anagrams interesting, especially since there are five (maybe six) anagrams scattered across the book. Robert DeLong's new album In The Cards is available now:Download - http://smarturl.it/inthecardsStream - http://smarturl.it/InTheCardsStreaminghttp://robertd. Long Way Down thoroughly explores the theme of revenge. Shawn introduced Will to the concept of loyalty by introducing him to the Rules, which are three rules that govern life in their neighborhood. As the man who murdered [Buck] (p.244), he explains that he had shot Buck by accident because he had been scared. The cycle of violence is the strongest theme that Reynolds book explores. While a young student, Reynolds grew frustrated by what his teachers assigned him to readhe found that he couldnt identify with the characters or get interested in books that seemed to have little to do with his lived experience. After clicking "Copy Activity", update the instructions on the Edit Tab of the assignment.). It is Wills encounter with her that is the beginning of the seeds uprooting. Even then, the author does not, in this work, offer any alternative code of behavior. Like. The nighttime was a recurring idea that really intrigued me. it was like the wordcame out and at the same timetime went in. Detailed explanations, analysis, and citation info for every important quote on LitCharts. Therefore, the very fact that Will is still willing to arm himself and avenge Shawns death suggests that Will prioritizes his loyalty to the dead over his loyalty to the living, even if the living will be the ones who get hurt. Chapter-by-chapter summaries and multiple sections of expert analysis, The ultimate resource for assignments, engaging lessons, and lively book discussions. In the climactic scene with Shawn, Will wants the mute ghost of his brother to tell him if he is duty-bound to kill Riggs. Long Way Down Summary. Find related themes, quotes, symbols, characters, and more. A strap. In the elevator, Will comes face to face with the ghosts of Buck, Pop, his Uncle Mark, Shawn, and Dani, a childhood friend who was accidentally shot and killed as an eight-year-old. Illustrate instances of each and write a short description that explains the example's significance. So strange to say. In this activity, students will identify themes in Long Way Down and illustrate examples from the text. He gets on the elevator, seventh floor, stoked. It happens in an elevator teenaged Will is on his way to take revenge for the murder . Its possible hes disappointed in Will for following in his footsteps. Best summary PDF, themes, and quotes. gets inherited like a trunk of fool's. gold or a treasure map leading. 912 reviews 13.8k followers. Here, Ill be quickly analyzing each character and what they bring to the elevator. My students love how organized the handouts are and enjoy tracking the themes as a class., Requesting a new guide requires a free LitCharts account. Due to the nature of the cycle of violence, many of the ghosts stories are intertwined. The way the content is organized, A concise biography of Jason Reynolds plus historical and literary context for, In-depth summary and analysis of every chapter of, Explanations, analysis, and visualizations of, Reynolds grew up in Oxon Hill, Maryland, an unincorporated suburb of Washington, D.C. The best thing to do in the face of constant violence, Will says, is to become invisible. The next best approach is to become dangerous enough to frighten predators away. Went downinto me and chewed on everythinginside as ifI had somehowswallowedmy own teethand they weresharper thanId ever known. Struggling with distance learning? Wills father, Pop, was killed when Will was a toddleras much as Will wants to remember Pop, he doesnt. 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. Our, "Sooo much more helpful thanSparkNotes. T he main themes in Long Way Down are everyday violence, the rules of masculinity, and the passage of time.. Frickthe man whom Shawn killed, and who was undergoing his initiation into the same gang that Riggs belongs to when he killed Buckdoesnt recognize Riggss description, which suggests that its likely Riggs didnt kill Shawn to avenge Fricks death. Definitions and examples of 136 literary terms and devices. Prologue Quotes. You'll be able to access your notes and highlights, make requests, and get updates on new titles. When Dani was killed, Will remembers seeing her with her mouth, open. Written by Beah in the United States after he returned to civilian life, the narrative gives real-life insight into how children can be coerced to commit terrible acts of war. Download the entire Long Way Down study guide as a printable PDF! Themes. And understandably, this isnt a conversation Will wants to have at all, let alone take seriously. 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, At 15 years old, Will is on the brink of coming of age, even before his brother Shawn is shot and killed. Happiness in Brave New World: Quotes & Analysis, Timeline of Night by Elie Wiesel | Chronology, Context & Analysis, 12th Grade English: Homework Help Resource, 9th Grade English: Homework Help Resource, AP English Literature: Homeschool Curriculum, American Literature Syllabus Resource & Lesson Plans, Romeo and Juliet by Shakespeare: Study Guide, Create an account to start this course today. The clearest symbol of vulnerability in this novel is crying; it is the first Rule, and the act that most clearly expresses weakness. Jason Reynolds' new novel Long Way Down is focused on a moment of decision. So sad. The Question and Answer section for Long Way Down is a great Through this, he is able to deliver a compelling yet intense tale about the cycle of violence and its terrible consequences. The theme arises early in the novel when Will states that his brother Shawn was killed two days earlier. They are simple, as the blurb explains: No crying. Composed by Masafumi TakadaVocals by Gary NumanLyrics:Find myself withinDarkness twisting me aroundThere is nothing I can doThis world doesn't spinIt just tu. The novel follows Will's stream of consciousness. And thats not just because shes the only female ghost. In fact, the Rules make it hard to figure out ones target, given the no snitching rule. Will Holloman. Refine any search. Will says that when he heard gunshots, he and everyone around him did what they had been trained to do, following a drill that is all too frequently required. When Will tells him about Shawns murder, Uncle Mark encourages him to imagine what hell do once he gets off the elevator and play it out like a movie (p.175). This is important because when Will plays along, he realizes he cant imagine shooting Riggs. Will's father and brother both engaged in acts of revenge and may have lost their own lives in consequence. When Will sees Shawn crying, his tears . Refine any search. So Mikey represents Will if he kills Riggs. 2 pages at 400 words per page) View a FREE sample. Below you will find the important quotes in Long Way Down related to the theme of Grief, Fear, and Cycles of Violence. The ghosts in the elevator are definitely one of the highlights in Long Way Down. You'll also get updates on new titles we publish and the ability to save highlights and notes. When they were eight. Reynolds doesnt explicitly tell us. Shawn begins to softly [snot] and [hiccup] like a little kid, tears pouring from his eyes (p.291). Buck, Will finds out, is who gave Shawn the gun before Will took the gun. succeed. The Rules are short and simple: no crying, no snitching (which Will defines as talking to the police), and revenge, which Will says means, If someone you love / gets killed, / find the person / who killed / them and / kill them. Though Will presents the Rules as inarguable, nonnegotiable facts, both he (seemingly, Its impossible to ignore the supernatural aspect of Long Way Downall the individuals who share the elevator with Will on his way to avenge his brother Shawns death are ghosts. This is why one bullet is missing from Wills gun. The family Will has left then, is his mother and, until the day before the novel begins, his big brother Shawn. Given the way in which Will talks about his loved ones (especially his male family members), its easy to see that his family is fractured. Students can explore by identifying these elements themselves or in an " envelope activity ", where they are given one or more to track . Before Will can register it, Mikey pulls Wills gun from his waistband and [puts] it to [Wills] head (p.224). The author can choose to leave the storyboard public or mark it as Unlisted. Created by the original team behind SparkNotes, LitCharts are the world's best literature guides. Reynolds builds on this central theme with the introduction of several ghosts of people who have died from gun homicide. Instant downloads of all 1715 LitChart PDFs You'll be able to access your notes and highlights, make requests, and get updates on new titles. A cannon. I couldnt see himas anything lessthan my brother, Instant downloads of all 1715 LitChart PDFs His use of symbolism through ideas, objects, and characters to convey his themes adds so much depth to the story, making it even more hard-hitting than it already is. Wills determined to believe that he can pinpoint the blame on Riggs, but deep down, hes not sure if this belief is truth, as implied with the brackets (parentheses?) A fifteen-year-old Black teen, Will has grown up in an unnamed impoverished neighborhood with a high incidence of gun violence, drug abuse, and gang activity. Tom Odell - Long Way Down (Official Audio)New album "Best Day Of My Life" out 28th October 2022Pre-order or pre-save album now - https://ffm.to/bestdayofmyli. Mixed into Will's determination to abide by The Rules and avenge his brother's death is a strong sense of moral obligation to make sure Shawn's killer suffers consequences. The ubiquity of violence has led Will and the others in his neighborhood to develop various survival strategies. Will takes its off-centeredness as a sign to set things straight (p.48). Danis death, then, not only killed herit inducted Will into the cycle of violence and emotional repression that led him to his current state, in which hes considering taking anothers life so he can stay true to the Rules. In the absence of a biological father or stand-in father figure, Shawn played the most important role in Wills life, showing him how he needed to behave and teaching him how the world works, just as Buck did for Shawn. There are Rules, and the Rules must be followed. Uncle Mark quietly corrects him: its never the end (p.194), coming back to the cycle of violence and the consequences of following The Rules. (These instructions are completely customizable. Thats what fifteen-year-old Will has shoved in the back waistband of his jeans. "My students can't get enough of your charts and their results have gone through the roof." Detailed explanations, analysis, and citation info for every important quote on LitCharts. Its like a teacher waved a magic wand and did the work for me. Perspective and Reality Theme Analysis. Descriptions clearly say why examples are significant. Or, you can call it a gun. Over the course of the story, Wills interaction with the other characters continues to place doubt on the assumption that Riggs shot Shawn. LitCharts Teacher Editions. Detailed quotes explanations with page numbers for every important quote on the site. What do you think of the way it tackles the cycle of violence? Complete your free account to request a guide. You'll also get updates on new titles we publish and the ability to save highlights and notes. As the other elevator occupants gradually expand Wills understanding of the events leading up to Shawns death, the novel makes it clear that loyalty and love motivated all of these killings. Storyboard cells do not help in understanding the symbols. This is just how I interpreted the book. When he sets out to kill Riggs, Shawn's assumed killer, Will takes the elevator down from his eighth-floor apartment to the lobby. Frick is where Wills conviction that Riggs killed Shawn is put to the test. An unbroken chain that gets passed down and inherited (p.27), it weighs down heavily on Will, who has been heavily affected by it and has to decide whether or not to further it himself. 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. [] I thought about this when the man withthe gold chains got on and checked to see if theL button was already glowing. The ghostly figures from the past have a strange relationship with time. Regardless, Pop asks Will to consider what might happen if Will is also out to kill the wrong guy. Griefdeep sorrow caused by someone's deathis a major theme in Long Way Down. purchase. What You Need And What Happens Next in This Movie. Instant PDF downloads. Everyone on the elevator with Will is dead, offering advice from the perspective of experience. This confuses Will and, understandably, prevents him from recognizing her. As a member, you'll also get unlimited access to over 88,000 Get unlimited access to over 88,000 lessons. -Graham S. Below you will find the important quotes in, Would not have made it through AP Literature without the printable PDFs. Dani, of course, is living proof that success isnt guaranteedshes dead because someone else trying to follow the Rules made a mistake. Long Way Down falls into the category of magical realism, which deals in real issues by using some supernatural yet unquestioned elements. You'll also get updates on new titles we publish and the ability to save highlights and notes. And so it goes, the whole long way down, as the elevator stops on each floor, and at each stop someone connected to his brother gets on to give Will a piece to a bigger story than the one he thinks he knows. Our, "Sooo much more helpful thanSparkNotes. In order to deal with his grief, Will resorts to "The Rules," a set of dictates that discourage crying and encourage revenge as a means of coping with the loss of a loved one. date the date you are citing the material. How do you feel about symbolism in works of fiction, and where else have you seen it done well? This is the last anagram that he makes in the book and really demonstrates how much his encounter with Frick changes things. 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. Teachers may opt to lower the security if they want to allow sharing. Just as Buck started the cycle of violence in Shawn by teaching him The Rules, he starts doubt within Will. Teachers and parents! Will has thought about what he intends to do in seeking revenge, but, as Uncle Mark points out, he has not given any thought to what might happen after that. Jason Reynolds, Long Way Down. Will encounters three dead members of his own family who followed and passed on The Rules. for RULE. Will doesnt recognize her at first because the ghost he sees is older than he remembers Dani was Wills childhood friend. Dani is the reminder of Wills childhood and the seed for the cycle of violence to begin in him. By not doing so, Will would be labeled by his community as a coward, in addition to the trauma of losing his brother. 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