In the novel Harris and Me, Gary Paulsen informs the reader about Me and Harris, a vastly different pair of cousins who meet up when Me is forced to moved to Harris's farm because his parents are abusive alcoholics. At first, Me is very reluctant to Harris’s schemes and does not know him very well, but through intense situations, they become close friends. It is only after these circumstances where they get to know each other when they begin to become even closer than friends. In fact, they become a family, not just by blood, but by close personal relationship. Me begins to truly belong on the Larson farm. Me and Harris are not alike in the slightest, but they begin to rub off on each other, and compliment the latter’s personality well. Through
…show more content…
Many difficult situations arise, such as the time Harris and Me decide to venture into the barn to have a smoke, and Me ends up getting kicked in the groin very forcefully, and then blacks out. When he awakes, the whole family is caring for him, because he means a lot to them even though they do not know each other very well yet. Also, when Harris decides to fool the love of Me’s life, Elaine Peterson, that he is mentally disabled, Me decides to get revenge. He fries Harris’s genetals by tricking him into peeing on an electric fence. Harris only does this for Me’s dirty pictures, and when Me is about to hand over the pictures, Louie snatches them. Harris is in extreme pain, and even though it hurts him for a while, they begin to laugh after the incident. It is odd the how two boys can come from being awkward and uncomfortable around each other to cracking jokes at others expense. Months later, when Me climbs up in Louie’s loft to look for his dirty pictures, he finds something remarkable- a model of himself, meaning that he is know a member of the Larson Family. In fact, he thinks to himself “I was somebody, a part of this family. I belonged”(Paulsen 111). This shows how little time it takes to become become a family if the family truly loves each …show more content…
There is not a single moment in this period of time where the two can not be found froclicikng together, scheming a new stunt, or just enjoying each others company in general. Me becomes very accustomed to Harris’s mindset, and begins to stop trying to convince him not to do such dangerous things, and just lets Harris be Harris. For example, when Harris decides that maybe if he hooks up a washing machine motor to a pedal bike, he will have a functional dirt bike or motorcycle. Me, having a general knowledge of science and common sense, knows that this will not work, but lets Harris try instead of ruining his fun. Although the idea fails quite miserably, Me is there to pick Harris up, (literally and figuratively) and comforts Harris by telling him he was doing at least 100 miles an hour when he crashed. Behavior like this brings them very close, and when it is Me’s turn to leave the farm, this becomes even more evident. When Me is being driven away in the police car, Harris runs up, stops the car, and says “‘You don’t got to stay gone, you know……..You can talk to them gooners and tell them that you got to come back here’”(Paulsen 153). Harris was crying fanatically, and Me starts to cry as well, and this shows just how much of a family member Me has become to the Larson
Many difficult situations arise, such as the time Harris and Me decide to venture into the barn to have a smoke, and Me ends up getting kicked in the groin very forcefully, and then blacks out. When he awakes, the whole family is caring for him, because he means a lot to them even though they do not know each other very well yet. Also, when Harris decides to fool the love of Me’s life, Elaine Peterson, that he is mentally disabled, Me decides to get revenge. He fries Harris’s genetals by tricking him into peeing on an electric fence. Harris only does this for Me’s dirty pictures, and when Me is about to hand over the pictures, Louie snatches them. Harris is in extreme pain, and even though it hurts him for a while, they begin to laugh after the incident. It is odd the how two boys can come from being awkward and uncomfortable around each other to cracking jokes at others expense. Months later, when Me climbs up in Louie’s loft to look for his dirty pictures, he finds something remarkable- a model of himself, meaning that he is know a member of the Larson Family. In fact, he thinks to himself “I was somebody, a part of this family. I belonged”(Paulsen 111). This shows how little time it takes to become become a family if the family truly loves each …show more content…
There is not a single moment in this period of time where the two can not be found froclicikng together, scheming a new stunt, or just enjoying each others company in general. Me becomes very accustomed to Harris’s mindset, and begins to stop trying to convince him not to do such dangerous things, and just lets Harris be Harris. For example, when Harris decides that maybe if he hooks up a washing machine motor to a pedal bike, he will have a functional dirt bike or motorcycle. Me, having a general knowledge of science and common sense, knows that this will not work, but lets Harris try instead of ruining his fun. Although the idea fails quite miserably, Me is there to pick Harris up, (literally and figuratively) and comforts Harris by telling him he was doing at least 100 miles an hour when he crashed. Behavior like this brings them very close, and when it is Me’s turn to leave the farm, this becomes even more evident. When Me is being driven away in the police car, Harris runs up, stops the car, and says “‘You don’t got to stay gone, you know……..You can talk to them gooners and tell them that you got to come back here’”(Paulsen 153). Harris was crying fanatically, and Me starts to cry as well, and this shows just how much of a family member Me has become to the Larson