Dark Literature and Censorship

Chris Crutcher's Deadline is a piece of "Dark Literature" that has been censored and even banned in some schools. Dark literature is real life experiences, usually evolving teens and problems with early adulthood. In the book, the main character has around one year to live since a deadly disease is found in him. When he lives out his bucket list live style, he discovers many problems of his town and people he has gotten to know. His girlfriend has been raped by her uncle when she was young and is raising her child in secrecy. His mom is an alcoholic who has trouble with maintaining her life. He has befriended the town's alcoholic bum who was once a priest. All these problems are very personal and can be related to teens who read the book, making it a difficult but inspiring read. Despite its strong contents, it helps readers come up with an understanding that everyone has a troubled past or is facing some sort of trouble. Teens more than anyone think that this relates to their lives the most. Schools have acknowledged this and have encouraged many students to read the book. However, since there is some language and situations that some find disturbing or unsettling, some schools have banned the book, leading to the argument of censoring it. Though some language is pretty rough, it hits the reader straight on and confronts the point directly, which is an excellent way in proving Crutcher’s point about the problem with racism, relationships, and most importantly, deciding to keep something from someone or telling the truth.

One Year to Live

If I was told by a doctor that a terrible virus was running rampant through my body, and that I had one year to live, I would travel to the places I have been and re-visit past memories/ friends. For the first month or two, I would travel to Cochranton, Pennsylvania. There, I would visit and tell the terrible news to my dad's side of the family and then I would catch up with my friends who went to Cochranton High School with me. After walking through the woods of my old house there, I would take a plane down to Orlando, Florida. There, I would go to Downey Christian School and take in the memories of one of my favorite schools that I have been too. I would inform my friends and teachers the news, but then recall all the great memories I shared down there. Spending a couple of weeks in Orlando, I would then travel to Upstate New York, to the small riverside town of Harrisville. Since I had lived there longer than Cochranton and Orlando, I would spend two months there. I would spend most of my time at my house spending time with my dad and step-mom. I would take long walks with my two favorite dogs, Sherman and Max, through the dense pine forests of our property. I would visit my old high school with all my friends and teachers there. I would attend my small church family and have relaxing Sunday mornings. Then moving back to Ohio, I would spend time with my mom's side of the family and visiting all my friends. For the last couple of months I'd have left on Earth, I would write a huge story of my life in a book that I would have saved for my future family too read.
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The Usless Tunnel

Though the tunnel itself was almost meaningless as symbolic in "Through the tunnel", the boy himself and the struggle with training and going through itself is very symbolic. In the beginning of the story, Jerry is going to a family beach with his mom. Though he is a only child and at the age of 11, he is very dependent of his mother and almost is childish in his curiosity with the more dangerous other beach. When visiting it, he encounters older boys swimming there, and desperately tries to hang with them and get their attention, which he fails at and cries about it. Then he discovers the tunnel that the boys were swimming through. He tries holding his breath and training to swim through it, while doing this he becomes more and more independent from his mother. At the end of the story, he barely manages to swim through, and has finally accomplished what he trained for. He sees the older boys on the beach, but doesn't want to be around them. This is very symbolic because it shows Jerry becoming of age. From a boy who needs his mother for security and shelter, he becomes almost a man when he finally swims through the tunnel, which was the journey of him becoming a man.

Super-Huge Mustard

As I wandering around the enormous aisles of Sam's Club, something very large and yellow caught my eye. I stared dumbstruck and was in awe as the glorious, three pound tub shinned its magnificence upon me. While soaking myself in its holy light, my life flashed before my eye with this marvelous product. I saw myself standing in a baseball stadium, a hotdog in one hand, the large tub of goodness between my knees. Then I see myself using the tub everyday on things I eat; hamburgers, fish salad, bologna sandwiches, fries & cheese, beans with chili, turkey with salami, rice and ground meat, and meat loaf. After that, I saw myself laying on the couch, in a dark room lighted by candles. A movie is running on the TV, and I am covered by a cozy blanket. The large tub of mustard lay on my chest, and I was eating out of it with a large spoon.



I shake out of my fantasies of the Super-Huge mustard and I am back at the aisle. I must buy this, no matter the cost! I glanced at the label of the hub, ready to make my move. Two-hundred forty-nine dollars and ninety-nine cents, a respectable price for a product of that stature. I frantically open up my wallet but was horrified by the most grizzly of sights. All I was in possession of was four dollars, and a lonely nickel. A single tear ran down my check, and my fumbling hands drop my wallet to the ground. My dream would not come true today. All is lost. I stared at the relic of yellow gold in front of me for several hours until the store closed. The drive home was quiet and long. The sun was down and a light drizzle of rain made a very melancholy mood. I slumbered back into my house and sit down on the couch. As I flip on the television, a commercial for the Super-Huge mustard appeared instantly. Even there in the blackness of my room, I was engulfed by the bright yellow light of the mustard. I break down, and flip off the switch and head for the kitchen. Opening my refrigerator, I see an empty spot between the cabbage and the leftovers of last night's dinner. That was the empty throne that could of have been filled by the yellow container of greatness. I let out a great sigh, and with the last of my strength I drag myself up the stairs to the bedroom. I am too lazy to take off my clothes or get under the covers of my bed, and lay there silently observing the ceiling.

Street Lawyer III

John Grisham's The Street Lawyer reflects many topics and issues concerning homelessness and poverty. The story follow's a man named Michael Brock, a successful lawyer in D.C who works at a firm named Drake and Sweeney. After a homeless man takes him and several others hostage at gun point in his firm, Mike sees the huge struggle of the homeless in his own city and ends up changing his ways to help the homeless.


Towards the end of the book, Michael shares the same views as the homeless man, named Mister, at the beginning of the book. They see that the rich, usually the white population including Mike himself, don't think twice in helping the poor and helpless in need. Veterans, such as Mister, don't even get the attention they deserve, even when they are homeless themselves. Mister and Michael share the same view that the differences of the classes hurt both alike and no-one is helping one another out.


Entering his new job to help the homeless in the Street Clinic he made with Mordecai, one of his first clients was a crack addicted woman named Rudy. Ruby represents the homeless in many ways. She is addicted to the drug cocaine, which like many of the homeless, is one of the many problems they face in their struggle to survive out on the streets. She comes to the street firm for help on her case, which many of the homeless do not take advantage of however.


With this in mind, homelessness and lower classes are well defined then the upper classes of D.C. Michael was included with the upper, white class that lived in the nicer parts of the city. People such as Mister (though white himself) lived in the lower side and more dangerous parts of D.C, usually the blacks and lower classes of people who did not have enough money to support basic living conditions. This is a huge problem in the dividing of the upper and lower classes of D.C, and can be the same with cities around the world. Men like Michael need to see and understand this problem and try everything in their power to change this.

End of the Street Lawyer

Many conclusions can be made by reading the end of the Street Lawyer. We follow a middle aged man named Michael who lives in Washington D.C. He was once a very successful lawyer for the firm Drake and Sweeney, made more than enough money, and had a everything set up with him. This all changed when a homeless man, named Mister, came into the firm and took Mike and several other lawyers hostage. After the whole ordeal, we see several changes in Michael. He takes for notice in the homeless in his community and sees the difference life quality between the homeless and himself. He then becomes involved with helping homeless in shelters with a public lawyer named Mordecai Green. This then leads him to quit his well paying job at his firm, divorcing his wife because their relation was not going well, and helping Mordecai step up a legal law firm that is assessable to everyone, including homeless clients.


Predictions can be made of how Michael's life will be after reading the story. Since he is determined to help people in need in legal cases, especially the homeless, he will continue to work at the new firm of 14th Street Clinic. Working there, he will become more and more like his companion Mordecai, more eager in cases and volunteering in shelters. Though his pay is lower than that of his old job working at Drake and Sweeney, his new life style is one of helping others no matter how expensive or hard it is.


Earlier in the story, Michael helps a woman addicted to crack named Ruby with her case. At the end of the story, Mike bonds with her by taking her and his new lover Megan on a vacation to reflect on their lives. Taking this into thought, with the help received from Michael and a well needed vacation, Ruby will recover from her addiction by the therapy classes Michael paid for. As of Megan, Michael will probably marry her because they are into helping the helpless and share many of the same goals, not like Brock's old marriage with Claire who did not care about what he did. He ends up running his own Street clinic with his friend Mordecai, finds a new lover with common interests, and helps countless others including Ruby in their cases.


John Grisham, author of the Street Lawyer, made a pretty clear message, or theme, to his story. The theme is: Do what is right, no matter the cost. Michael Brock not only quits a well paying job and his marriage with another successful person, but he leaves behind his old live all together to help people in need, in this case the homeless in legal cases. He has to change his lifestyle all together to accomplish this, but to him it is the right thing to do, which he starts to enjoy towards the end of the book. Even though he left his old life behind, a new life has begun for him.


Response: Homelessness is a problem that needs to be solved around the world, but until then, people need to help others in need in every way they can. Much like the fictional character John Grisham created to bring this problem to light, Brian Davis, a man who helps homeless in Cleveland, does the same thing. He helps the homeless the ability to sell newspapers and allowed them to have a chance to earn money. By giving this opportunity, he saved many lives by providing them money to buy food, clothes, and a chance to help themselves in a productive way.

Street Lawyer 2

This is blog two of The Street Lawyer, we are around half ways down with the book. Two these point, several key events have happened so far. One, Michael left his firm to work with Mordecai. This is grossly important because this represents Mike changing his life styles and leaving everything behind to represent and help the homeless. This is a big shock to his bosses, co-workers, and his wife, as they think he is going through a mid-life crisis and has no idea what he is doing. However, Mike knows exactly what he is doing, and decides to leave he now boring job. Another key event is the breaking up between Clare and Michael. Even though they both knew the divorce was coming, but it hit fast and quick when Clare announced it shortly after Mike leaving his firm for good. This holds many dilemmas for Mike, for now he is jobless and homeless, and even comments that he himself is now homeless. He is tied up with work with Mordecai, helping around with shelters, attending the funeral for a homeless family he cared about, and dealing secretly of how Drake and Sweeney may of been involved with the deaths of the homeless family. Michael's life has been very haptic and busy, but he does it to help people in need because of his talents in the firm. With everything that has been going on with Mike, he is now working with Mordecai in their new street firm, and though it is a less-paying job then his old job, he does it for the common good for people in need.