One of the many symbolic parts of this book is the sport of baseball. In the boys’ childhood days, Jimmy stole Sean’s baseball glove from his bedroom. Jimmy and Dave’s lives were very different from Sean’s. They lived in sketchy apartment complexes referred to as “the Flats”, whereas Sean lived in “the Point”, which was for people who received a decent income. Nonetheless, Jimmy’s family could not afford nice things like baseball gloves. Jimmy had mixed emotions about stealing the glove: “Jimmy took the glove and he felt bad about it. Sean would miss it. Jimmy took the glove and he felt good about it. Sean would miss it” (Lehane 18). He is also angry at Sean for hitting Dave in the street and chickening out on stealing a car. Jimmy is concerned
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The car was driven by two younger men claiming to be police officers, and they approached the three boys in the street when they were ten years old. Sean and Dave were fighting in the street and the policemen claimed they were going to take Dave to the station to answer some questions and then take him home. Dave, however, went missing for four days, and the men portraying themselves as cops were never brought to justice. The car tore apart the friendship between the three boys. Sean and Jimmy still wonder how different their lives would be had either of them got in the car instead of Dave. Sean, to this day, recalls the apple scent of the car, the dark shade of brown, and the excessive amount of garbage in the back seat. Sean does not understand how they were oblivious enough to believe it was actually a police car and unfeigned policemen. The car incident also scarred Dave for life. He was molested and everyone knew he was in emotional shock: “Even though they found him alive, the kid’s damaged goods. Never going to be the same” (Lehane 26). Dave returned to the Flats after missing for four days. Citizens were overjoyed at first, but the excitement soon subsided. Dave was teased at school and called inappropriate names, including “freak boy” and “Queer”. The three boys ceased to address the car situation once Dave returned, but it still haunts them to this very
The car was driven by two younger men claiming to be police officers, and they approached the three boys in the street when they were ten years old. Sean and Dave were fighting in the street and the policemen claimed they were going to take Dave to the station to answer some questions and then take him home. Dave, however, went missing for four days, and the men portraying themselves as cops were never brought to justice. The car tore apart the friendship between the three boys. Sean and Jimmy still wonder how different their lives would be had either of them got in the car instead of Dave. Sean, to this day, recalls the apple scent of the car, the dark shade of brown, and the excessive amount of garbage in the back seat. Sean does not understand how they were oblivious enough to believe it was actually a police car and unfeigned policemen. The car incident also scarred Dave for life. He was molested and everyone knew he was in emotional shock: “Even though they found him alive, the kid’s damaged goods. Never going to be the same” (Lehane 26). Dave returned to the Flats after missing for four days. Citizens were overjoyed at first, but the excitement soon subsided. Dave was teased at school and called inappropriate names, including “freak boy” and “Queer”. The three boys ceased to address the car situation once Dave returned, but it still haunts them to this very