Cool? Identity, drugs, & Fitting In
~My first thoughts~
What does it mean to be "cool"? How important is it?
To be cool is how others perceive you and what you choose to wear
As well as social interactions (Humor, gossip, ect.)
As well as social interactions (Humor, gossip, ect.)
Gerald doesn't worry about being cool. He is focusing on keeping Angel safe, and making sure that they have a good life. He doesn't really have money to buy expensive items either. He can't take so much time to focus on appearances and behavior, he has to think about Angel and worrying about Jordan and always contemplating. He also cares about basketball, and he doesn't really care about what others think of him. I personally don't think being cool is important because it is all about what you think of yourself not what others think of you. Gerald doesn't think about being cool and does think its important, he doesn't have time to think about it he has more important things to do.
What does it mean to fit in and why is it so important?
Being fit in means doing what teens do these days like wearing all the cool stuff, buying all the new stuff that come out, breaking some rules, not doing something weird, and maybe smoking, and other stuff. Fitting in is so important because if someone isn't fitting in, they get made fun of, and everybody talks about that person because they don't fit it and and that person feels left out and gets made fun of almost everyday. Gerald doesn't think about fitting in either but he does fit in and he is a good basketball player and that is part of fitting in is playing a sport. As well as in the story, when Kiana and Angel are in the car it says "She seemed so happy to be normal."
What's the advantage of being around people who have similar outlooks and interests?
One advantage of being around people who are like you is that there are less arguments. If they like the same things as you there are a lot less to argue about. It's good to be with people like you because they'll understand. You can talk to them because they are likely to have experience, or will at least understand. In Forged by Fire, Angel and her friend, Kiana, are very alike. They have similar interests and Angel is always able to talk to Kiana, about her problems and Kiana listens and comforts her.