Still Can't See Nothin' Comin' Pages 67-130

Summary:

Mandy and Daniel’s relationship was extremely strong because they both comforted each other when the father went into a drinking rage. Unfortonaly, due to the father’s actions both Mandy and Daniel developed a drinking and drug habit as well. The two of them would meet up with Leslie, Philly and Jeremy, Daniels best friends, and they would all hang out drink and smoke a blunt (marijuana rolled up into cigarette form). June 1991, they would all go to the local bridge and smoke marijuana and jump into a 10 foot deep river. At this time Leslie and Daniel were dating and Mandy and Jeremy were showing a little more interest in each other. Daniel was not extremely jealous of this fact but he was hurt because he was used to Mandy showing him all the attention.

That same day everyone went to Daniel’s house to eat, and relax. Leslie left a short time later and Mandy and Jeremy went into Mandy room. Daniel and Philly was in Daniel’s room getting drunk when Billy entered and asked if he may join. Daniel did not want Billy to see him drunk so he told Billy no and to stay out of his room. Billy refused to leave and Daniel accidentally pushed Billy a little too hard forcing him to bump his head on the wall. Billy began crying because he was shocked and hurt that Daniel put his hands on him and flashbacks of the way his father acts when he is intoxicated ran threw Daniel’s head. Mandy had come out of her room at that point and was extremely hurt and disgusted with Daniel because he was beginning to turn into their father. The relationship between Mandy and Daniel was never the same. Mandy then became extremely depressed and began ignoring Daniel.

August 1991, Leslie tried to break the tension between Mandy and Daniel by bringing everyone, including Billy, to the bridge. Everyone was quiet until Mandy spoke speaking about how upset she was with the world and nothing can bring a smile to her face anymore. She then ran off and Leslie followed to comfort her. Daniel began to run after her to apologize and reassure Mandy that nothing has changed but Jeremy held him back. The boys then decided to jump into the river and Billy challenged Daniel to a race. Half way threw the race Daniel hears Leslie scream Mandy’s name and he immediately begins swimming back to her. Once on land he began running towards the screams and Philly tried to hold him back but Daniel fought threw and ran up the hill. Once on top of the hill he saw Mandy’s body laying in Leslie hands. Mandy had thrown herself in front of the train and died from the impact. Unsure of what had happened and hurt by the lost of his sister Daniel became upset and went threw denial. A few days later Mandy was buried but Daniel was upset because she was buried opposed to placed upon a tree like she always wanted. Things would never be the same for any of them after the death of Mandy.

Quotation:

" Hey! That's my sister. You can't have her!"(Marshall 127).

Reflection:

This quote was spoken by Daniel after the paramedics took Mandy away from the scene. At this point Daniel was hurt tremendously and was going threw denial. When I read this quote I felt as if Daniel interpreted the paramedics taking Mandy away as his sister that he loved so dearly, never being able to return to him. I believe that is the reason he was so upset at the fact they were taking her away. I can’t imagine how much guilt he must have felt because he was basically the main reason she moved in front of the train. She did not want to witness her brother become her father.

Being an older sister, I dread the thought of one of my siblings dying in that manner. No matter how upset Mandy was at Daniel she still loved him and I do not understand why she would hurt him the way she did. I could not imagine how hurt and empty Daniel must have felt during this time because I was even crying when I read about her death. Mandy was sort of the other half of Daniel and when she died he just went into self destruction. I think that is what happened to Mandy the day Daniel pushed Billy. She interpreted that situation as the death of innocent Daniel and she could not live with that void inside of her heart.

Still Can't See Nothin' Comin' By Daniel Grey Marshall Pages 1- 65

Summary:

The book begins in Medias revs with Daniel meeting Leslie at the bus station. He immediately recognized her and was astounded by her beauty. To Daniel, Leslie has always been beautiful but over the amount of time he was gone, it seemed as if she had grown even more beautiful. She had long sandy blond hair, with a bang that reached her nose and a pair of beautiful pale blue eyes. Daniel then followed Leslie to the car in which his little twelve year old brother, Jimmy was sitting. Immediately Daniel greets him and a simile appears on both of their faces. Soon after, Jimmy asked Daniel how long he would be in jail if he got caught. This question mad Jimmy feel uncomfortable and he began to swear and raise his voice, but soon after he realized that Jimmy was just a kid and it really wasn’t his fault. An awkward silence appeared and everyone was quiet. Breaking the silent, Leslie asked Daniel what he wanted to do and his response was to go to the lake. Once they arrived at the lake, they were immediately hit with feeling of sorrow because the lake reminded them of Mandy. Mandy was Daniel and Jimmy’s older sister and Leslie’s best friend. The Lake was her favorite place to go.

In a dream, Jimmy reminisces on the time that him and Mandy sledded down Suicide Hill. Suicide Hill was the most dangerous hill in the whole town because it was very steep, as if it was a vertical hill. Jimmy explains how the steepness of the hill made him feel as if he was flying. He would remember that moment for the rest of his life because that was the only moment in his life was he felt free. After the sled ride he and Mandy went to Leslie house because she wanted to meet Daniel. Once Daniel laid eyes upon Leslie he knew she would be the one he would fall in love with.

They were supposed to arrive home for dinner but Leslie and Daniel stayed at Mandy’s house until three in the morning. Figuring their parents were asleep, the two of them snuck into the house through the back in which they were greeted by their mother. Then their father came into the living room, drunk as always, and began beating on Daniel. Used to the pain and beating he received from his father, Daniel spit in his face because he felt as if there was nothing else that man could do to him. There was no type of reaction from the father except shock. Mandy then picked Daniel up and semi- carried him to his room. This was a ruin between the two, whoever was in better condition would carry the other into their room. As Mandy tucked him in and kissed him good night, Daniel realized how much he truly loved his sister. Soon after Mandy tucked him in, Daniel heard Mandy doors open and close and he then heard it open and close about an hour later.

Quotation:

" Me and you, Jim," she deckaed magnificently. "Me and you."

Reflection:

In this quote, Mandy is explaining in her own way that no matter how bad times might get she would always be there for him. Mandy was Daniel older sister and played that part well. Favoritism was shown towards their little brother and most of the time; Daniel and Mandy had to comfort each other. Their mother was not mentally strong and could not really help her children. All she could tell her husband was that the kids had enough.

I can relate to Mandy when it comes to being protective of you younger siblings because I am the same way with my two younger siblings. I have a great amount of respect for Mandy because she was physically abused and still had the ability to laugh and take care of her brothers. The relationship between her and Daniel brought tears to my eyes because I remembered that she had died. I could not imagine my life without either one of my siblings and I felt sympathetic towards Daniel because he had lost the only person whom he loved unconditionally.

When I thought about the scene in which Daniel heard Mandy door open and close twice, I assumed that her father was sexually abusing her. Daniel was also begging to explain the emotional changes that Mandy was going through and I think that she is being sexually harassed by her father. The night of Daniel’s beating, the father was more concerned about who Mandy was with instead of why she came home so late.