Summary:
A biography of the author Jerry Spinelli and an analysis on the meanings and morals of some of his works, including Maniac Magee, Crash, and Loser. All three books strongly depict Spinell's moral of accepting people for who they are.
Spinelli's Moral of Equality
Eric T. Tran
Golden Elementary School
April 14, 2006
Abstract
This report exposes the meanings and morals of some of Jerry Spinelli's work. Maniac Magee is about a boy who wants a family and doesn't understand why East and West side is so different. He befriends many people in this story, but never gets a family. Crash is about a boy who is acting on other people's intentions and soon is pressured to reveal his true self. Loser is about a boy, Zinkoff, who does and acts of his own accord. He is not spoiled, but he doesn't understand other people.
Intro
In his books, Jerry Spinelli shows how being accepted is important. Perhaps, with events and behaviors of characters, Jerry Spinelli can strongly depict his moral of acceptance. These events and behaviors are most evidently shown through his books, Maniac Magee, Loser, and Crash.
Life of Jerry Spinelli
Jerry Spinelli, who was born on February 1, 1941, is the author of many young adult books. Maniac Magee won the Newberry medal in 1991, along with Wringer, his 1998 Newberry.
One aspect of his life that helped him become an author was when Dr. Winters had put a finger in Spinelli's mouth. This is in Maniac Magee. For Maniac always licks Mrs. Beale's finger after she ices his favorite cake. Dr. Winter's finger went into Spinelli's mouth when he was four. Another important part of his life that was displayed in Maniac Magee was Mrs. Seeton's whistle. It was a simple to note job that brought every Seeton to the dinner table.
Perhaps, his best inspiration started when a foot ball game in high school ended. He went home and wrote a poem. This poem was published several days later. It was called Goal to Go:
Goal to Go
The score stood 7-6
With but five minutes left to go.
The Ace attack employed all tricks
To settle down its stubborn foe
It looked as though the game was done
An Eagle stopped him on the one
When an Ace stepped wide 'round right.
And tumult filled the night.
This is just two verses from the poem that inspired Jerry to become a writer.
Crash
Spinelli's theme can be best shown through his use of events. This will be proved by events and symbolism.
Crash is about a boy who is trying to be the best. Ho soon meets Penn Webb, a dorky Quaker that moved into the "garage" down the street. Crash learns to get along with Webb, playing pranks on him throughout the year. Soon Crash gets bored and doesn't bother him any more. Then Mike Deluca moves in and then Crash and Mike began playing pranks on him again. Soon, Crash sees his inner self and is forced to choose which side he's really on. Jerry Spinelli (1996, pg. 60) writes:
"It's a stupid picture, actually. Something like that should be kept private. Everybody who sees it laughs. I usually don't look at it. This time I did. On the glass that covered it. Some mysterious person had crayoned a mustache over my toothless grin. I put spit on my finger and rubbed it off."
Jerry Spinelli wrote this to show that Crash was hiding behind a mask since Webb moved into Pennsylvania. Now, he is finally coming out. He was trying to be in charge. Like Jane Forbes says on pg. 86," but you're just pathetic. You have a big mouth. You bully people around. You don't care a bout anybody's feelings. You're just a big, dumb, obnoxious, jockstrap!" Jerry Spinelli wrote this because he wanted to show the difference of being yourself, and being famous. In this part Jane Forbes is insulting Crash, but later on in the story, they are friends. Jane's hate in the beginning of the book changes which shows how everybody is equal, because anybody can befriend anyone. More proof can be shown through symbolism and events.
When Crash sees Deluca pumping water into Penn Webb, Spinelli (1996, pg.127) writes:
"Mike was firing away sogging Webb from head to toe, and Webb was standing there taking it, like the day he refused to have a water gun fight with me. I could tell when mike was missing high: the shots would ping off the stop sign. Was Mike right? Was I a dud? Why wasn't I hooting with the rest of them? Why wasn't I grabbing the gun and pumping a couple of rounds into the victim myself? In fact, I did feel like grabbing the gun, but I felt like shooting Deluca than Webb."
Spinelli wanted to show that Crash is trying to be himself. When Crash was unsure about himself, He befriends Webb and ditches Deluca. This part in the book helps readers understand more fully about Spinelli's theme of equality. If Crash can befriend Penn Webb, then Crash can befriend anybody, because before he used to hate him.
Because of symbolism of the picture of Crash and the event that started to trigger the change, Spinelli successfully shows readers everybody is alike.
Maniac Magee
Maniac Magee was written by Spinelli because Jerry did not understand the difference between blacks and whites. Spinelli's moral of acceptance also goes along with this book and will be proved with events and character behaviors.
Maniac Magee who was found by Grayson, an elderly man were talking in a diner. Grayson had been reluctant to black people all his life. Now Maniac Magee opens a whole new way of seeing blacks. Spinelli (1990, pg 87-88) writes:
Grayson had a way of jumping into a subject without warning; it was during Maniac's dessert that he abruptly said, "Them black people, they eat mashed potatoes too? "Maniac thought he was kidding, and then realized he wasn't. "Sure. Mrs. Beale used to have potatoes a lot, mashed and every other way." "Mrs. Who?" "Mrs. Beale. Do you know the Beales of 728 Sycamore Street?" The old man shook his head. "Well they were my family. I had a mother and a father and a little brother and sister and a sister my age, and a dog. My own room, too." Grayson stared out the window as if digesting this information. "How about meatloaf?" Grayson's uncertainty for blacks has gotten to show how much he knows of them. Spinelli's moral of acceptance is very important in Maniac Magee. If one were to learn to ride a bike, reluctance and ignorance can prevent one from knowing how fun it really is. Another piece of proof can be shown through more events.
One more event comes when an old man yell at Maniac Magee for being at the black end. Spinelli (1990) writes, the sheep lie not with the lion, It knows it own kind" This means that maniac, not understanding the difference between black and white and is nice to both is picked on and judged by his color. His not being accepted in this story drives him to one family after another, desperate to find a home.
Loser
Finally in this book, shows perhaps the best evidence of his determination of how everybody is the same. Symbolism is one type of proof that will be shown.
Zinkoff believes that everybody and everything is the same and he doesn't notice the hate coming from Hobin or the curiosity of Bonce. During a football game Zinkoff wants to play but the sides are even. Bonce, opening a new life to Zinkoff, picks him. Spinelli (2002, pg 218) writes,
"But this kid won't back off, and his stare is hitting Bonce like a football in the forehead. In those eyes Bonce sees something he doesn't understand, and something else he dimly remembers. It occurs to him that he wants to ask the kid what it was like, those seven hours. He thinks he might be able to see them in the kid's eyes but he cannot."
This shows that Zinkoff is like every other kid except that he hasn't been given a chance to prove it, nor will he know that time. Like animals and humans. All humans act differently and are unpredictable. Some humans will care for animals and others will kill. Bonce is like an animal unsure of what Zinkoff has in his mind and eager to find out. Another piece of proof can be found through symbolism.
When Zinkoff prays at the end of the day he expresses his feelings about his first day at school and his belief about stars. Spinelli (2002, pg 27) writes"
At this time in his life Zinkoff sees no difference between the stars in the sky and the stars in his mother's plastic Baggie. He believes that stars fall from the sky sometimes and his mother goes around picking the like acorns. He believes that she has to use heavy gloves and dark sunglasses because they are so hot and shiny. She puts then in the freezer for forty five minutes, and when they come out they are flat and silver and sticky on the back and ready for his shirts." This shows Spinelli's moral of equality. The stars in the sky represent different color and different races and Spinelli uses this book to bring them together.
Conclusion
Of all of his books, Spinelli exposes this lesson to show us that every body is the same. In Loser, symbolism is shown to reveal his lesson and in Crash, events. Maniac Magee uses events and symbolism.
This is the complete article, containing 1,548 words
(approx. 5 pages at 300 words per page).
