Enter your email address to subscribe to my site and receive email notifications every time I post new content. A hammer And as a kidI always figuredhis heartwas forreal brokenlike an arm or a toy, wouldve been totell Buck how importantthat soap was. Uncertainty. The first character that Will encounters is Buck, the only big brother Shawn had ever had (p.86) and the one who taught [Shawn] The Rules (p.93). The first anagram we are introduced to has been hastily scribbled on his wall, reading: SCARE=CARES (p.36). The moral that can be learned from this section is that "Treat others the way you want to be treated." date the date you are citing the material. Dani was Wills childhood best friend and was killed as an eight-year-old when someone missed their intended target and accidentally shot her instead. "But if the blood inside you is on the inside of someone else, you never want to see it on the outside of them.". LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Long Way Down, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work. Bigger huh. Teacher Editions with classroom activities for all 1715 titles we cover. Here, Ill be quickly analyzing each character and what they bring to the elevator. While they don't explicitly discourage him from getting revenge, their questions provoke Will to rethink his commitment to The Rules. A strap. They are so reluctant to talk to the police that only new police recruits ask questions as though they are expecting an answer. The man is Buck, a man who used to be like a big brother to Shawn, the man who gave Shawn the gun Will now carries, and a man . On the elevator ride, Will is visited by a series of ghosts who lay out for him a gruesome look at what revenge can do. 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?) It happens in an elevator teenaged Will is on his way to take revenge for the murder . Detailed explanations, analysis, and citation info for every important quote on LitCharts. In Long Way Down, Jason Reynolds does an amazing job incorporating important themes and powerful messages into a riveting story. I found a number of recurring symbols that either represented an idea and/or added to the books themes. Uncle Marks parting words are chilling. Frank killed Buck. 20 comments. 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. Long Way Down Jason Reynolds. While Will sees it as a signal to follow Rule #3, its awkwardness actually serves to draw attention to the wrongness of tracking Riggs down and killing him to avenge Shawn. This is why one bullet is missing from Wills gun. His question asks Will if he is going to follow through with killing Riggs, and thus follow the ghosts into death when someone comes after Will. Teachers and parents! Instant PDF downloads. But each of the ghosts presents, in its own way, the futility of revenge. The last date is today's He knows who hes after. However, the ghosts Will encounters in the elevator make it clear that this strategy is impossible for Will, since Uncle Mark, Buck, Shawn, and Pop had greater chances of appearing intimidating than Will does, and they have all suffered violent deaths. Creating notes and highlights requires a free LitCharts account. Dani, for instance, appears to be about fifteen years old, though she was killed at the age of eight. Thanks for exploring this SuperSummary Study Guide of "Long Way Down" by Jason Reynolds. "Long Way Down Themes". Buck tells Will to check that the gun is even loaded. Themes. Everyday violence: The novel shows the prevalence and cyclicality . Will didnt know that Shawn had ever actually USED his gun. Instant downloads of all 1715 LitChart PDFs Will's true vulnerability is exposed when he pees himself in fear, when he cries over his uncertainty about killing Riggs, and when he seems to want nothing more than to hug the people he has lost. The novel follows Will's stream of consciousness. The elevator in which Long Way Down takes place is a symbol of the restrictions Will feels as he tries to right the wrong of his brother's death. Download the entire Long Way Down study guide as a printable PDF! The ones that I want to highlight are the middle drawer, the nighttime, and Wills use of anagrams. Like. Then he begins to tell Will how he really died, and in doing so, unpacks a number of important elements. Will and Shawn, p. 319-320. A biscuit. Two things began to turn Reynolds onto literature and poetry: rap music in the form of Queen Latifahs album. The timescale of the main narrative is therefore exceptionally short, and Will periodically reminds the reader of how little time has passed. When Shawn found out, he stuck to The Rules (p.267). This is important because when Will plays along, he realizes he cant imagine shooting Riggs. Plus, get practice tests, quizzes, and personalized coaching to help you The ghosts in the elevator are definitely one of the highlights in Long Way Down. However, the surety Will begins the elevator ride with is steadily worn down by the ghosts who challenge him to reconsider his decision. Comment. Find related themes, quotes, symbols, characters, and more. Not affiliated with Harvard College. As compelling as Danis question might be to the reader, Will doesnt truly begin to question the righteousness of what hes doing until he comes face to face with Pop, who was killed when Will was three, and therefore isnt someone Will remembers. -Graham S. Below you will find the important quotes in, Would not have made it through AP Literature without the printable PDFs. Not only is this a disturbing image that really nails home the actual death of a child, this is a turning point for Will. Multitasking. As a member, you'll also get unlimited access to over 88,000 What You Need And What Happens Next in This Movie. At only fifteen, Will assumes this responsibility as though it is a rite of passage into manhood. Theres so much packed within these two simple words. Knew. 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. Long Way Down suggests that while love for and loyalty to ones family (whether biological or chosen) can be admirable, these convictions can also manifest violentlysomething the novel suggests is an incredibly dangerous and unacceptable way of defending loved ones. A cannon. Then, they'll create a spider map illustrating what they found! The novel is a clear example of magical realism as it examines the issues of violence, loyalty, and revenge through a supernatural element. Riggs probably killed Will's brother, Shawn, the day before yesterday. The book opens with, Dont nobody believe nothing these days (p.1) as Will tries to convince the reader that the events in the book actually happened. This depiction of the ghosts serves to underscore the wasted potentialthe stolen timeof those whose lives are cut short by violence. 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. Storyboard cells do not help in understanding the symbols. Indeed, the narrative traces the chain of violent acts connected to Wills decision to avenge Shawn: Will intends to kill Riggs for (presumably) having killed Shawn, Riggs killed Shawn for having killed Frick, Shawn killed Frick for having killed Buck, and so on. Enrolling in a course lets you earn progress by passing quizzes and exams. Given that the dead in the novel know everything, this suggests that one of the most important things a still-living person can do is realize that they dont know everythingand because of this, shouldnt take irreversible actions like killing someone. As a young man living in a community rent apart by gang violence, Will feels obliged to put up a tough, brave front in the face of danger. PDF downloads of all 1715 LitCharts literature guides, and of every new one we publish. By the end of the novel, Will faces the question of whether he is going to be the one to stop the cycle of violence that claimed Shawn. [] I thought about this when the man withthe gold chains got on and checked to see if theL button was already glowing. Detailed explanations, analysis, and citation info for every important quote on LitCharts. Just as Buck started the cycle of violence in Shawn by teaching him The Rules, he starts doubt within Will. I was only three.And I dont remember that.Ive always wanted to. online is the same, and will be the first date in the citation. A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality study guides that feature detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, quotes, and essay topics. Struggling with distance learning? Most storyboard cells help to show the symbols but some storyboard cells are difficult to understand. Never ironed out. I said,after listening tomy father admitwhat I had alreadyknown, wouldve been totell Buck how importantthat soap was. 2 pages at 400 words per page) View a FREE sample. Kefranks At the end, we know Will has reached the lobby (because the L button's light went out). Copyright 1999 - 2023 GradeSaver LLC. 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. This is just how I interpreted the book. Long Way Down also explores the concept of truth. It is a follow-up to the Long Way Round of 2004, when the pair rode east from London to New York via Eurasia and North America. However, after Shawns murder, Will realizes that manhood has unexpectedly arrived early for him: he must, per the Rules of conduct in his community, avenge Shawns death by killing Carlson Riggs, who he believes is Shawns killer. PDFs of modern translations of every Shakespeare play and poem. The clearest symbol of vulnerability in this novel is crying; it is the first Rule, and the act that most clearly expresses weakness. This is the last anagram that he makes in the book and really demonstrates how much his encounter with Frick changes things. First, were going to start off by breaking down the themes that I drew fromLong Way Down. Though Reynolds has said he no longer crochets to unwind, he used to be an avid crochet hobbyist. He shows Will what its like to be on the other side of the barrel, whats it like to be afraid for your life. Or perhaps he is trying to show Will that its okay to break The Rules. So sad. He was killed for killing the man who killed [Uncle Mark] (p.203). Create your account. Will doesnt know her, but she knew him. LitCharts Teacher Editions. All storyboards and images are private and secure. resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss thenovel. Long Way Down Summary. They will also appear in Google search results. It is a bit of a long post, so in Bucks words, Might as well relaxits a long way down (p.97). it was like the wordcame out and at the same timetime went in. This is only the first part of Wills journeyonce he reaches the lobby, his plan is to avenge the death of his older brother, Shawn, who was shot the night before in what was likely a gang-related incident. Will is seeking revenge for his brother Shawn's murder. At two seconds past 9:08 a.m., Buck enters the elevator on the seventh floor. While its important to not diminish the importance of the relationship between Will and Shawn (Shawn is the reason Will plans to kill someone, after all), the fact that it was just the two of them and their mother speaks to the fractured nature of families in Wills community, which partially explains the importance of loyalty to that community. No Snitching. From the creators of SparkNotes, something better. Learning them is a rite of passage for all men, and they are passed on from father to son and from older to younger brother. A chopper. Hey there! Anagrams are how Will finds connections within what he knows. This is linked to The Rules, which have been passed down for so long that Will cant even name who came up with them in the first place The Rules have always ruled. Will also understands how mentorship was important to Shawn himself, who learned how to be a man in the world from Buck, who himself stepped in to be a mentor when Shawn's and Will's father was killed. his face was wetwith tears he wasntsupposed to crywhen he was alive. 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. Have students create attractive posters to display their ideas. Even the thought of shooting hurts him, which brings us back to Bucks you aint got it in you (p.101). Hinton | Themes, Analysis & Quotes, Nike, Greek Goddess | Mythology, Symbol & Facts, Death by Scrabble: Irony, Point of View & Language, Of Mice & Men by John Steinbeck | Motifs & Analysis, Citing Textual Evidence to Support Analysis, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie | Summary & Themes, A Dip in the Pool by Roald Dahl: Summary, Theme & Analysis. Uncertainty is a dominant theme in Long Way Down. The same goes for Buck, Shawns mentor who died a few years ago, as well as for Uncle Martin, who was killed before Will was born. 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. T he main themes in Long Way Down are everyday violence, the rules of masculinity, and the passage of time.. They're like having in-class notes for every discussion!, This is absolutely THE best teacher resource I have ever purchased. 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. Yet every act of revenge only leads to another, thus furthering the cycle of violence, and Long Way Downdoes a fantastic job of hammering this idea in. Creating notes and highlights requires a free LitCharts account. Past present future forever (p.174). Shawn introduced Will to the concept of loyalty by introducing him to the Rules, which are three rules that govern life in their neighborhood. Will and Shawn are connected by blood, but many of the others tales are linked in the too-long chain of who-shot-who and the need to follow The Rules. 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