Pay It Forward...

Introduction For this book report I chose to read the novel "Pay It Forward" by Catherine Ryan Hyde. I have heard a lot about this book after it first came out, and when the movie that was based upon this back came out I decided to read it. The book is fictional, however it deals with the grim every day reality of the current North American life. The story happens in a typical rural American town, at our time. The main characters are: Trevor, a young boy, his mother Arlene and his handicap teacher Reuben St. Clair. The boy lives in a harsh reality of growing up without knowing his father, while his mother fights with poverty and alcoholism. One day his teacher gives the entire class an assignment; he gives them an assignment to think about an idea that will revolutionize the world... and that's where the story begins. The book is written in the form of diary, taken from diaries of many characters that we meet during the course of the story. The book is very sentimental, and yet realistic.

Summary One day Trevor comes to school, and finds a new teacher. The teacher is black, which is somewhat of a shock to Tevor, as he and his mother live in a small rural town where you don't meet many black people. In addition to it, he is badly scarred, and lacks one eye. In response to Trevor's inevitable question, Reuben answers that he got his injuries in Vietnam. In short time Reuben and Trevor get very attached to each other, no matter that their races, ages and backgrounds are different. They talk a lot about "things" like Trevor calls them. "Things" are everyday and more important problems. Trevor knows enough about them; his father left him and his mother a few years ago, and since then his mother is battling against poverty and alcoholism and even has two jobs. Reuben also had more than enough problems in his life; as a brilliant young man with a promising career and a girlfriend that loved him very much he got sent to Vietnam. From Vietnam he was transported back to USA