Jonatahan A. Rapo
Outcast
Vladimir Egorov
Memoir
Challange
P.198

1. Vladimir has had enough. His father has come back home again drunken and has beaten his mom and Vladimir to the final extent. After being through broken arms, unexplained bruises and cuts. He has had enough. While still weak from treatment on his burnt arm (a result of his father) he decides that enough is enough. While his father is beating his mother, Vladmir comes up behind his father with a heavy pot and whams His father across the head. To his astonishment, Vladimirs mother, becomes outraged at this and knocks Vladimir unconcious with the pan. Luckily he wakes up before his father and runs off into a cold Russian night.
2. This book is very depressing. It takes place in a remote region in Russia. Vladmir has been living a life of despair and pain. His father has a major alcohol problem while his mom spends all the money the family has extravagating herself and on heroin. This causes the family to lose meals and to face bankruptcy. It is a very moving story and I am enjoying it.
3. A theme I am seeing in this book is dreaming. Vladimir dreamt of living a normal life and being able to leave his dreadful environment. He wanted to help his mother with her drug problems and his father with his alcoholism.
4. My favorite character is Nikolai. Nikolai is Vladimirs best friend. He met Nikolai in school. Nikolai was also beat by his parents but not to the extent of Vladimir. He joked with Vladimir, calling him a rotten banana when he came to school. Although a very awful thing to say, it was Vladimirs only escpae from his everyday depression.
5. My least favorite character is Vladmirs father. His name is never mentioned in the book andneither is his mothers. Vladimirs father always finds a new way to torment Vladimir and his mother. He makes them "entertain" him or else they get punished. Through this entertainment, Vladimir got himself a 2nd degree burn on his arm. His father is just beyond anything that deserves the chance to live.
6. I think that now that Vladimir has rnun away, that he will probably go to a orphanage and plead for them to take him far away. He will most likely not tell the police to keep his location a secret. Since he wrote the book he will probably be adopted by an American family and be sent to come live here.