Reflections on Black and White

     "How do you want people to remember you?  I wrote that people should remember I was a good person.  That I watched out for my family and friends and never bothered anybody.  And that I tried my best at everything I ever did" (Volponi, pg. 115).  Marcus Brown, the African-American protagonist in Paul Volponi's Black and White, struggles with these thoughts as he composes an essay on how he wants to be remembered by his high school.  This inner conflict supports an idea mentioned in chapter 3 of the text, Young Adult Literature in the Classroom:  Reading It, Teaching It, Loving It.  The author of that chapter, Barbara Samuels, states that self-identity is a major theme in young adult novels.  Marcus's turmoil stems from the fact that he was arrested and indicted for being an accessory to a shooting.  How can he be thought of as a good person when he has committed a crime?
     While reading this novel, I found myself caring more about Marcus than Eddie, his best friend and the shooter in the aforementioned crime.  Often, I found myself silently yelling at Marcus to roll over on Eddie so that he would receive a lighter punishment.  After all, Eddie was the trigger man and committed the more serious offense; the only advantage he has is that no witness can clearly identify him.  Marcus finally loses his cool with Eddie and explodes at him, "We got in this mess together.  But it's just me paying for it.  And I haven't complained one f-ing inch about it.  And all you want to know from me is how clean I can keep you" (Volponi, pg. 124-25).
     This exchange brings to mind how bad decisions not only affect the immediate moment, but create a ripple effect.  Because Marcus accepts a plea deal for lesser jail time, he forfeits a college scholarship.  That in turn directly affects his family - no college scholarship equals no chance to play professional basketball.  This realization translates into his mom and sister continuing to live in a small apartment and his mom continuing her work as a seamstress.  Meanwhile, Eddie is still allowed to play on their high school basketball team and keep his college scholarship.  Eddie's story does end on a vague note.  The reader isn't quite sure what will happen with Eddie's court case, but he still hasn't made any sacrifices like Marcus has.

     I teach 6th and 7th grade in an affluent middle school, and I would probably steer my older students toward the novel.  While they probably could not identify with characters' conflict of not having money to buy top line sneakers or money for senior class activities, they would understand the idea of making poor choices.  In my 6th grade class, we read Touching Spirit Bear by Ben Mikaelsen and decision making is a popular discussion topic when we analyze the protagonist, Cole Matthews.  I like to emphasize the idea that today's decisions are tomorrow's realities, and that's why it is important to realize how deeply consequential your choices are.  After all, the choices you make will determine how people will remember you.