“Think of an idea for world change and put it into action”(Ryan Hyde 43). This simple concept drives the entire plot of Catherine Ryan Hyde’s novel, Pay It Forward. Trevor McKinney is the protagonist, struggling to complete this extra credit assignment, prompted by his teacher Reuben Saint Clair. Trevor comes up with an idea that he calls Pay it Forward. He would help three individuals and ask them to help three others, and continue spreading this pattern exponentially. Theoretically, this movement would grow exponentially and allow for many people to be helped by someone. Trevor’s first attempt was with Jerry, a homeless man who he tried to help get back on his feet. Next was his teacher Reuben who he wanted to set up with his mother, who
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Reuben’s prompt to Trevor and his classmates resulted in his entrance into a man vs. society conflict. He was just one 12 year-old boy attempting to fix the problems of the world. Though Trevor would not be the one helping every individual, he worked extremely hard to help Jerry get a job, find Reuben someone to marry, and to clean up Mrs. Greenberg’s gardens. “I’m gonna have to keep that garden real nice. And the cats! Geez! I just thought. Somebody’s gonna have to keep feeding all those wild cats”(86). Even after the death of Mrs. Greenberg the project was not over to him, she would want the gardens to be trimmed and the cats feed, so that is what he did. Someone else it may have just been an extra credit project, something another student did not have time for, Trevor took the challenge and tried to fix the problems of society. He trusted in the goodness of people, that they might actually keep their word and better the lives of others. Even at a young age, parents are always teaching their children about kindness and sharing, and the unfortunate truth is that adults do not always following their own advice. People do not always help one another even though everyone has something they can give. This sort of challenge could only be started by someone like Trevor. He was optimistic about the hearts of people. Though the outlook of people keeping their word and spreading the kindness they promised is hard to be sure of, it was
Reuben’s prompt to Trevor and his classmates resulted in his entrance into a man vs. society conflict. He was just one 12 year-old boy attempting to fix the problems of the world. Though Trevor would not be the one helping every individual, he worked extremely hard to help Jerry get a job, find Reuben someone to marry, and to clean up Mrs. Greenberg’s gardens. “I’m gonna have to keep that garden real nice. And the cats! Geez! I just thought. Somebody’s gonna have to keep feeding all those wild cats”(86). Even after the death of Mrs. Greenberg the project was not over to him, she would want the gardens to be trimmed and the cats feed, so that is what he did. Someone else it may have just been an extra credit project, something another student did not have time for, Trevor took the challenge and tried to fix the problems of society. He trusted in the goodness of people, that they might actually keep their word and better the lives of others. Even at a young age, parents are always teaching their children about kindness and sharing, and the unfortunate truth is that adults do not always following their own advice. People do not always help one another even though everyone has something they can give. This sort of challenge could only be started by someone like Trevor. He was optimistic about the hearts of people. Though the outlook of people keeping their word and spreading the kindness they promised is hard to be sure of, it was