Men of Stone

Ben- awkward, doesn’t make volleyball team, can’t talk to the girl he likes, Ben tries to become a ‘man of stone’,
Claude- likes Kat,
Aunt Frieda- separated from her son
Beth- cook
Mad- actress
Joni- painter
Jacob- Aunt Frieda’s son
Fish-
Stan- went missing/ran away, police can’t find him, detentional center, was trying to work up the guts to call home, beat up a man because was bugging him about not get off the phone,
-grow in self-confidence and self-knowledge
-scattered household
The most influential part of Men of Stone is bullying. There are many instances in which Ben struggled with being harassed by the school bully, Claude, which led him to make changes in his life. His struggles and experiences help accomplish figuring out what kind of person he wanted to be.
Ben was struggling emotionally and socially to make sense of his life. When Aunt Frieda comes for a visit, Ben is less than thrilled, but when she shares stories of her past in Russia they develop a bond that will change Ben’s future. Aunt Frieda’s husband was arrested by Stalin Agents for refusing to join the Communist party. These ‘Men of Stone’ imprisoned her husband for many years and sent for their son Jacob to be taken away and raised by another family. Aunt Frieda faced the Men of Stone with quiet courage and was reunited with her family. This taught Ben that non-violence isn’t cowardly and that there are other ways to deal with his battles with Claude. But when Claude and his two followers beat Ben unconscious, the only thing that came to mind was getting revenge. He took up boxing and was almost ready to give Claude a taste of his own medicine. He soon realized that when Claude stops picking on him he’ll just start on someone else and there will always be someone for Claude to bully. Aunt Frieda’s wisdom and patient understanding influenced Ben to change his way of thought.
Ben went through many different situations that changed his life. The main person who had an impact on