What do you think of when you hear the word hero? Courage, perseverance, bravery? Well, in the book Orbiting Jupiter by Gary D. Schmidt published in October of 2015, I learned that heroes come in all shapes and sizes.
The book is told from the point of 12 year old Jack who lives a quiet sheltered life on his parents' farm in Maine until his family takes in a foster kid named Joseph. Joseph, a normal looking black haired 14 year old with a past of hurt and abuse, became a father at 13 and was sent to a Juvenile Detention Center. Broken and sad, Joseph's one dream is to be reunited with his infant daughter, Jupiter. Jack's life is changed by seeing his school, town, and life in general through Joseph's eyes. When Joseph starts seeing hope in …show more content…
Joseph tells Jack and his family of his daughter’s mother, Madeleine. How his dad was a plumber and went to Madeleine’s house, where Joseph met Madeleine. They became friends, and then more than friends. Joseph tells Jack that Jack’s the only person who’s had his back other than Madeleine. He tells Jack how she was the only happiness in his life, how he felt when he learned that Madeleine’s parents forbade Joseph from seeing her, and how he really did love her.
“And that's when I started crying. Crying like a kindergarten kid in front of everyone. Crying because Joseph wasn't just my friend. I had his back. And he had mine. That's what greater love is.”
I believe this passage reflects the theme of the book – love is when you have someone's back and they have yours. You're willing to do anything for them, even if it means putting yourself in danger. You don’t care about anything else as long as it keeps them safe.
The passage really made me think about how much Jack and Joseph changed each other’s lives. At first they were complete strangers, but they grew to have such a strong bond. The fact that they’re willing to do anything for each other really shows that they loved each other. I think this is moment in the book where Jack really realizes how much they mean to each other. He realizes how much they depended on each other and how much they loved each
The book is told from the point of 12 year old Jack who lives a quiet sheltered life on his parents' farm in Maine until his family takes in a foster kid named Joseph. Joseph, a normal looking black haired 14 year old with a past of hurt and abuse, became a father at 13 and was sent to a Juvenile Detention Center. Broken and sad, Joseph's one dream is to be reunited with his infant daughter, Jupiter. Jack's life is changed by seeing his school, town, and life in general through Joseph's eyes. When Joseph starts seeing hope in …show more content…
Joseph tells Jack and his family of his daughter’s mother, Madeleine. How his dad was a plumber and went to Madeleine’s house, where Joseph met Madeleine. They became friends, and then more than friends. Joseph tells Jack that Jack’s the only person who’s had his back other than Madeleine. He tells Jack how she was the only happiness in his life, how he felt when he learned that Madeleine’s parents forbade Joseph from seeing her, and how he really did love her.
“And that's when I started crying. Crying like a kindergarten kid in front of everyone. Crying because Joseph wasn't just my friend. I had his back. And he had mine. That's what greater love is.”
I believe this passage reflects the theme of the book – love is when you have someone's back and they have yours. You're willing to do anything for them, even if it means putting yourself in danger. You don’t care about anything else as long as it keeps them safe.
The passage really made me think about how much Jack and Joseph changed each other’s lives. At first they were complete strangers, but they grew to have such a strong bond. The fact that they’re willing to do anything for each other really shows that they loved each other. I think this is moment in the book where Jack really realizes how much they mean to each other. He realizes how much they depended on each other and how much they loved each