The Goodness of Matt Kaizer

background

the brief summary

The story "xxxx" tells about ....

characters

Matt Kaizer,

setting

sixth grade

opinion

themes

the story reflects some problems of the main character: .....

Conclusion

Main arguments

Main body

scene 1: The conflict between expectation and reality - Why did Matt want to be baddest of bad instead of being a good boy?

Matt has a problem: he likes to do bad stuff.

"the baddest of the bad was Matt..."

2 features

He thinks "there was nothing good about him at all"

His father is a minister.

Matt's father is a great man, so everybody will naturally expect Matt to be at least as good as his father, which gives him great pressure; so he rebel.

scene 2: What was Matt's attitude? How did he behave? What kind of person was Matt? Was he really the baddest of the bad? according to all the details showing

The gangs asked Matt to see a dying man, Mr. Bataky.

Matt's reaction shows he knew it was inappropriate.

The gang dared him with the calling of "a minister's kid", and he accepted immediately.

"Matt could not resist a dare." "Always taking up the dare and going you one worse."

Matt bought flowers, meaning he had good influence from his parents.

" ‘That's what my mother did when my aunt was sick.' “

Matt's way of talking to Mary Beth was polite, calm, persistent, and with good excuse.

When Mr. Bataky saw Matt, he mistook the boy as an angel. (appearance of Matt)

Matt was scared and ran away.

scene 3: What's the meaning of angel?

conversation between Matt and his father.

Matt was waiting for a lecture but his father said it was wonderful.

Mr. Bataky wanted to see the angel, which is Matt, again, because he had a bad, sinful life， and he wanted to confess.

Matt said he was not an angel, while his father admitted that he never said Matt was. (Does the 2 angels here have the same meaning?)

The goodness inside makes a person angel.

Matt still refused, so his father dared him.

scene 4: confidence vs convincing & influence; peer pressure - What was the purpose of the gang's existence?

Matt went to Mr. Bataky again, and this time the gang followed him. (This time, who influenced whom? )

Mr. Bataky took Matt as an angel and confessed a lot of bad things he did.

Matt kept the secrets. (What kind of person was Matt?)

"Angels cannot tell secrets." (What does it mean?)

Matt began to doubt if he was really good inside, since Mr. Bataky thought so, and his father the same.

"My father is always saying that too. "

The gang still tried to assure Matt that he was bad, but this time Matt became confused instead of being convinced. (Matt always convinced himself, he didn't need others to assure.)

It went on the whole week, and made Matt believe more and more that he was an angel; what was more, he changed.

"wasn't so grubby, clothes weren't torn, wearing a tie, hair cut short and combed." "' he is beginning to think he really is an angel.'"

Matt finally convinced himself an angel and was going angel on the gang, which destructed the gang.