around the grip, placingthem over Shawnsprints like littlebrother holding bigbrothers hand again. Unlisted storyboards can be shared via a link, but otherwise will remain hidden. Any literary elements can be conveyed through characters, setting, dialogue, plot, or a combination. This is only the first part of Wills journeyonce he reaches the lobby, his plan is to avenge the death of his older brother, Shawn, who was shot the night before in what was likely a gang-related incident. Uncertainty is a dominant theme in Long Way Down. Teachers may opt to lower the security if they want to allow sharing. I couldnt see himas anything lessthan my brother, Instant downloads of all 1715 LitChart PDFs She adds to his growing doubt by asking him, What if you miss? (p.142), a possibility that Will hadnt really considered before. that I didlike he told me,like Buck told him,like our grandfather toldour uncle, like our uncletold our dad. The nighttime was a recurring idea that really intrigued me. Detailed explanations, analysis, and citation info for every important quote on LitCharts. A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality study guides that feature detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, quotes, and essay topics. Olson, Maxwell. Tell me if youve read Long Way Downand if you have any other thoughts on it. Prologue Quotes. Shawn, however, refuses to answer, letting Will writhe in the agony of not knowing what to do. Shawn is the embodiment of Wills pain, his death the catalyst to why Will is in the elevator in the first place. Detailed explanations, analysis, and citation info for every important quote on LitCharts. The novel is a clear example of magical realism as it examines the issues of violence, loyalty, and revenge through a supernatural element. (including. Jason Reynolds, Long Way Down. Shawn begins to softly [snot] and [hiccup] like a little kid, tears pouring from his eyes (p.291). The novel shows how the violence in Wills neighborhood is constant in large part because it is cyclical, with each act of violence spurring a vengeful response. In the climactic scene with Shawn, Will wants the mute ghost of his brother to tell him if he is duty-bound to kill Riggs. After carrying out his revenge on his brothers killer, he had no peace. Just as Buck started the cycle of violence in Shawn by teaching him The Rules, he starts doubt within Will. It is Wills encounter with her that is the beginning of the seeds uprooting. The same goes for Buck, Shawns mentor who died a few years ago, as well as for Uncle Martin, who was killed before Will was born. LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Long Way Down, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work. In the elevator, Will comes face to face with the ghosts of Buck, Pop, his Uncle Mark, Shawn, and Dani, a childhood friend who was accidentally shot and killed as an eight-year-old. When recounting Shawn's shooting, Will casually details how he initially reacted to the sounds of gunshots as though it was any other shooting. The book Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds is a unique free verse poetry book. A chopper. A cannon. Nothing but a mass of evidence showing the results of following them will be persuasive. Ultimately, Will ends the novel in a far more vulnerable place than he began, fearful of what will happen if he tries to carry out what he believes is his duty. 111 lessons. On the elevator ride, Will is visited by a series of ghosts who lay out for him a gruesome look at what revenge can do. copyright 2003-2023 Study.com. Descriptions say why examples are significant. What Will learns in the elevator is that this story is far more complicated than just that of two menPop and his killerseeking revenge. Then he begins to tell Will how he really died, and in doing so, unpacks a number of important elements. In the elevator, he is visited by several ghosts who relate their experiences with revenge, including his father, who killed the wrong guy when trying to avenge his brother. I'm a writer and blogger who enjoys writing in a variety of genres. Complete your free account to request a guide. Long Way Down tells the story of Will, a 15-year-old boy riding the elevator in his apartment building down to the lobby. At only fifteen, Will assumes this responsibility as though it is a rite of passage into manhood. And the only one who could have fired Shawns gun was Shawn. Thanks for exploring this SuperSummary Study Guide of "Long Way Down" by Jason Reynolds. walking me to the store,teaching me how todo a Penny Drop. He doesnt say anything to Will, but actions speak louder than words. Never ironed out. The first character that Will encounters is Buck, the only big brother Shawn had ever had (p.86) and the one who taught [Shawn] The Rules (p.93). Most storyboard cells help to show the symbols but some storyboard cells are difficult to understand. In his narration, Will attempts to put forward this fearless persona, bringing attention to the fact that most readers might assume someone would be terrified to realize they are stuck in an elevator with a ghost. As such, his idea of what a man should be is informed by the examples set by Shawn and Buck, who in turn learned from Mikey and Uncle Mark. Also.the audiobook is just an hour or so long! She had been shot and killed at the age of eight. To unlock this lesson you must be a Study.com Member. You'll also get updates on new titles we publish and the ability to save highlights and notes. A biscuit. Buck represents the beginnings of doubt in Will. Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds | Summary & Ending, Unwind Book Series | Unwind by Neal Shusterman, Beah's A Long Way Gone: Themes & Discussion, On the Sidewalk Bleeding by Evan Hunter | Summary & Themes, The Outsiders by S.E. It is written in poem form, so it can be considered a verse novel. Wills interest in anagrams may be because they remind him of his bond with Shawn same letters, different words, somehow still make sense together, like brothers (p.37). He asks Will, Why are you here? (p.167). As Will says, after Shawns death, crying / is against / The Rules (30). Rather than Shawn's death being the end of something, it is simply the next domino to fall in a sequence set in motion decades earlier. -Graham S. Would not have made it through AP Literature without the printable PDFs. In the form in which they appear to Will, they have continued to grow and change as though they were living. In Jason Reynolds' novel ''Long Way Down,'' published in 2017, a young man seeking revenge for his brother's death is visited by ghosts during an elevator ride. Long Way Down also explores the concept of truth. [] I thought about this when the man withthe gold chains got on and checked to see if theL button was already glowing. Plus, get practice tests, quizzes, and personalized coaching to help you The nighttime had wormed its way into him. Print Word PDF. Though Reynolds has said he no longer crochets to unwind, he used to be an avid crochet hobbyist. Finally, I found Wills fascination with anagrams interesting, especially since there are five (maybe six) anagrams scattered across the book. Its heavily implied that the nighttime is a metaphor for the collection of dark emotions that can overcome a person after someone they love has been killed. Will doesnt know her, but she knew him. Dani, for instance, appears to be about fifteen years old, though she was killed at the age of eight. The timescale of the main narrative is therefore exceptionally short, and Will periodically reminds the reader of how little time has passed. Despite the front he puts up, Will's fear gradually surfaces, and it becomes apparent that he is more affected by disturbing things than it would be 'manly,' in his view, to admit. His question gets Will to begin reevaluating his decisions, but his confident you aint got it in you is what truly hits Will. Will didnt know that Shawn had ever actually USED his gun. I love Jason Reynolds voice! date the date you are citing the material. Its like a teacher waved a magic wand and did the work for me. Indeed, the narrative traces the chain of violent acts connected to Wills decision to avenge Shawn: Will intends to kill Riggs for (presumably) having killed Shawn, Riggs killed Shawn for having killed Frick, Shawn killed Frick for having killed Buck, and so on. Most important, however, are Wills reactions to the questions and thought experiments that the ghosts pose: its clear that hes never been asked to think about these questions before. Because of this, he chalks Danis disapproval and line of questioning up to her not understanding the Rules, rather than thinking of it as an important question he really should answer. succeed. And the Rules in Will's neighborhood state that you have to take revenge when someone in your family is killed. Read a summary of the verse novel, find an in-depth analysis of its plot, and understand its ending. Will is the novel's narrator and protagonist. The cycle of violence is the strongest theme that Reynolds book explores. When hoping to flirt with Dani, Will admits to this chain of influence, saying that Dani brushing his hand is "the perfect open for me to flirt or at least try to do my best impression of Shawn, which was his best impression of Buck." A piece. Reynolds doesnt explicitly tell us. This depiction of the ghosts serves to underscore the wasted potentialthe stolen timeof those whose lives are cut short by violence. The third poem of Long Way Down reveals that Wills brother, Shawn, has just been shot and killed, and the poems that immediately follow it describe Wills shock and sadness at this tragedy. You'll also get updates on new titles we publish and the ability to save highlights and notes. Everyone on the elevator with Will is dead, offering advice from the perspective of experience. The questions and admissions of Pop and Dani force Will to contend with the possibility that the Rules dont work as well as theyre supposed totheyre no guarantee that an avenger is going to exact revenge; they simply guarantee that someone is going to die. Everyday violence: The novel shows the prevalence and cyclicality . This is only the first part of Will's journeyonce he reaches the lobby, his plan is to avenge the death of his older brother, Shawn, who was shot the night before in what was likely a gang-related incident. This Study Guide consists of approximately 48 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more - everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of Long Way Down. I was only three.And I dont remember that.Ive always wanted to. Over the course of the minute in which Will is in the elevator, Early on in the novel, Will introduces the reader to the Rules which guide life in his violent neighborhood. He shows Will what its like to be on the other side of the barrel, whats it like to be afraid for your life. Frank killed Buck. Detailed explanations, analysis, and citation info for every important quote on LitCharts. his face was wetwith tears he wasntsupposed to crywhen he was alive. What You Need And What Happens Next in This Movie. In a world that forbids men to weep, not even for their fallen brothers, Will cant find a way to cope. 10 likes. T he main themes in Long Way Down are everyday violence, the rules of masculinity, and the passage of time.. However, The Rules are restrictive, stating that a man must not cry and therefore show fear or weakness. A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality study guides that feature detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, quotes, and essay topics. Complete your free account to request a guide. Will, however, speaks with a casual indifference to things that would normally frighten people, such as a nearby shooting that provokes the routine reaction of ducking for cover and then counting bodies. Loyalty and Revenge. Reynolds builds on this central theme with the introduction of several ghosts of people who have died from gun homicide. Additionally, Will meets the ghost of a man named Frick, who Will is shocked to discover murdered Buck. Will Hollomans biggest struggle is trying to find an outlet for his grief. , the Rules, he used to be about fifteen years old though. 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