Recovering From Mistakes / Learning From Adversity

One of the primary themes in the novel is the ability for a person to recover from mistakes. Jack Gantos makes a series of mistakes throughout this autobiography, but instead of being beaten by them, he uses them to his advantage. In the beginning of the novel, Gantos finds himself unable to attend high school in San Juan, as he is unable to speak Spanish. He is also unable to hire a private tutor. Instead of simply giving up and not doing anything, Gantos takes the opportunity to go to work, learning a trade. Although this doesn't pan out as successfully as he would like, Gantos still uses his time to earn money, showing he is not the type to wallow in self pity.

One back in Florida, Gantos makes some very bad decisions that result in his loss of housing. Again, however...