Response

The story "Sucker" is very interesting. It's about a 16 year old boy in what seems to be a dystopian setting, and his relationship with his younger cousin, Sucker. I say this story is in a dystopian setting because of how much they talk about buying cigarettes, and everyone who does buy them is way to young to be able too. Other rules or social norms bring up evidence that this is a dystopian story too but the cigarettes are what really caught my attention. My first time reading this story, and the other stories, I noticed that once you really pay close attention to every word the author wrote, you see how much symbolism there really is.

In sucker I feel the symbolism is in the two boys and their personality changes. At the begging sucker is an innocent 12 year old who idolizes the main character, Pete. Throughout the story their relationship changes A LOT. During the time that Pete is dating his crush the two boys relationship is close and loving, when before it was timid and rather tense. At the end of the story after Pete was broken up with and went through pain, he yells at Sucker, and then Sucker hates Pete. Pete feels sorry for what he said to Sucker. I feel that this relationship symbolizes that of a boy and his inner consciousness. When growing up your child self (Sucker) is very open to accepting new information from the outside world (Pete). As time grows on and you find, lets say a love interest, the whole world seems so happy and wonderful, just like Pete and Suckers relationship. When you experience some sort of pain, you shut everything out, and realize that the world isn't as pretty as you thought it was. I think near the end of the story Sucker symbolizes ones true self after being exposed to what the world has to offer, which in turn makes him angry, and possibly violent.

Reading:

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