At one point in someones life they feel like a outcast? Well that’s exactly how four seventh grade outcasts feel in the book The Misfits by James Howe. Addie, Joe, Skeezie, and Bobby, get the idea to run for student council in a third party in order to stop their ridicule in school. What will happen? Will they stop the names? Even though Addie Carle struggles with respect in beginning of the book, then learns to be more respectful.
Addie mainly doesn't respect her teacher Ms.Wyman and her principle Mr.Kiley. In the book Addie is refusing to say the pledge of Allegiance. She is giving a speech to the class about why she shouldn't have to say it and when her teacher tries to stop her by saying “ I think perhaps-” (pg 19) Addie completely cuts her off in mid-sentence, which is wrong because students should be respectful to the teachers at all times. On top of that when she goes to the office to talk to Mr. Kiley she practically forces him to excuse her from the Pledge which is also not respectful and it is kind of mean to interrupt someone in mid-sentence. She should do things like everyone else. It’s not really a big deal just because a pledge doesn't do what it says, doesn't me you don't have to say because your feel betrayed by something that was made 150 years ago. She shouldn't take things so personal. She also is disrespectful to DuShawn. She treats him like a prop. He is black, so that's why Addie asked him to run for president in her party. She is really naive about the whole thing; she doesn't realize that what she did is wrong. I think it is good that DuShawn tells her it is wrong. He says “ You wanted me to run for president because I'm black. And don't go telling me that's not true, I'm not stupid.” (pg 263) . I think that was good for her because she didn't see it as racist at all.
Later in the book Addie leans to be more respectful to everyone. A good example would be when she asked Bobby to do the speech because she likes to be in control and I think that that is a huge step for her she is coming down and that is good for her I think because she needs to calm down. In the book there is not a good example of how she is nicer to Ms.Wyman but I do imagine she is more respectful to her teachers. She learns to be nicer to DuShawn after he tells her what she did was wrong. she apologies for it and says sorry to him. Hes says its okay and then he asks her to the dance so now she is going to be really nice to him from now on. Point being that Addie through the course of the book worked out her problems and became more respectful.
I think James Howe did a good job with adding problems to each character. He added things that really made me wonder what it would be like to be one of the misfits. I think each struggled with a certain character trait and I think respect was a good choice for Addie. I think every one has or will encounter one of the problems portrayed in the book, whether it’s a weight issue, to being demanding or any other problems that the book proposed to the reading world. I would like to read this book later in my life because I think it would have more meaning to me in later years. I think The misfits is a great book for the whole family .
