Revised reading response

Talal Basit                                                                                                                                 1/4/14                                                 Reading Response  

 I just finished the book "Flight" by Sherman Alexei. "Zits" the main character travels back and forth through time in a violent search for his true identity. This all occurs after the big shooting that Zits caused in the bank, Zits gets shot in the head but "survives" which leads to the travelling back and forth in time. While reading the book I noticed some themes that came up as I progressed through the book. Adolescence ,violence and shame.

  Zits progresses through a change in adolescence. Zit was a troubled kid who would constantly be getting into fights, however through the course of events in the book Zits begins to change. By the end of the book Zits is ready to accept who he is. He is no longer Zits but now he is Michael, and now he has a real family. But I'm beginning to think I've been given a chance. I'm beginning to think I might get un-lonely. I'm beginning to think I might have an almost real family...Michael. My real name is Michael. Please call me Michael."

  "I get into arguments and fistfights with everybody. I get so angry that I go blind and deaf and mute.”  Zit starts off as a very angry and violent kid. One reason why I believe that Zits is really violent is because he is constantly moving from one place to another taking his anger out on everyone around him. Zits's has seen firsthand violence through "flight". After experiencing the violence he realizes that he is unable to change anything, he realizes that the violence had dire consequences. And by realizing how violence affects those around him he realizes that the way he's living is wrong and he's got to change something.

  Zit is overwhelmed with shame, and much of his journey lies in overcoming that shame. He is mostly shamed by his appearance, dominated so much by his acne that he names himself for it. However, he makes little effort to change his appearance because he does not feel worthy. He is more deeply shamed, over the pain of his father's betrayal and of the sexual abuse that made him feel unlovable, which he put up in response to that shame. Ultimately, what Zits learns is that he must accept his shame as a part of himself, realizing that every human battles different degrees of shame, so that he can open himself to the possibility of hope.

In the end Zits aka Michael finds out who his real family is, and understands why his father left him. After travelling through time, seeing and experiencing all the action and violence that has been portrayed throughout the course of the book Zits realizes his mistakes and changes who he is and starts his life over.  This relates back to the themes Adolescence, violence and shame is what created Zits and it is effective in the story.