Orion

10\12\11

Misfits Essay

    Many people have grown up following the phrase “Respect your elders”.  Respect is not only for your elders but for everyone.  The Misfits by James Howe is about four unlikely friends, Bobby, Joe, Addie and Skeezie going to Paintbrush Falls Middle School trying to make it through seventh grade.  Each of these major characters gets called names every day.  Addie gets called names because of her learning abilities and her height, Bobby because he is fat, Joe because he is gay and Skeezie because of his dirty ways and his great lack of manners.  Together they are the Gang of Five.  Everyone has their moments, and this time it’s Addie.  even thought she doesn't show respect early, she eventually leans how to be respectful throughout the book.

At first Addie doesn't show respect.  In class she doesn’t say the Pledge of Allegiance because she feels like the pledge is untrue and that she has a right not to say it.  This shows that she is being disrespectful towards her teacher by not participating in wh

at she is asking her to do.  Addie also argues with Mr. Kiley about his shutting down the Freedom Party and says, “This is so unfair...  it’s more than unfair, its not right!”  I think she is being disrespectful towards Mr. Kiley because by arguing with him she is questioning his authority and his knowledge.  I also think that she is not necessarily purposely trying to be disrespectful towards Mr. Kiley, she is just arguing about something she thinks is important and worth arguing about.  Addie also has a problem with calling people names.  When she gets mad or angry she takes it out on a person by using name calling,  for example:  “Morons!”, “Birdbrains!”, “Turkeys!” “Chickens!” (page 148 and 149)

Latter Addie shows respect.  Addie was being respectful to Bobby by giving him lots of compliments on his speech about the No-Name party like “You were brilliant Bobby!”(on page 257).  Earlier in the book Addie was being respectful to all the people in the school who get called names by helping to make the No-Name party, which was a third party in the student presidential election.  I think that if Addie is always respectful, she would be respected in return because you know that what goes around, comes around.  For example, Collin, a seventh grade student who goes to Paintbrush Falls Middle School is a  popular kid because of his kindness and his respect for others.  He is respectful and respect is what he gets back.

James Howe was able to convey the importance of Addie Carle through the change in respect.  Addie Carle doesn’t show respect to others then she eventually learns how to be respectful throughout the book.  I think that the phrase “What goes around comes around” is definitely true because if you are nice to someone, there is no reason for that person to be mean to you, only a reason to be nice, and this is what Addie Carle, from the Misfits, accomplishes. She accomplishes being respectful.