Sharon Draper's Tears Of A Tiger
Summary
Tears of a Tiger is the first book in Sharon Draper's Hazelwood High trilogy. The novel begins with a brief newspaper article about a fiery automobile accident in which one Hazelwood High student, Robert Washington, was killed. The article also notes that Andrew (Andy) Jackson was injured in the wreck and that he had been drinking and driving. The next chapter consists of a flashback locker-room conversation between Andy Jackson and Robbie Washington from the night of the accident. The boys are excited about the basketball game that they just completed and discuss their plans for after the game. Andy mentions his girlfriend Keisha to Robbie and Gerald, another Hazelwood High student, and then the boys talk about the beer that they have chilling in Andy's trunk. Gerald declines to go with the boys, citing his abusive stepfather's strict rules.
After the crash, the Hazelwood High community struggles to cope with Robbie's seemingly senseless death. Keisha, Andy's girlfriend, calls …show more content…
Draper switches from newspaper excerpts to letters to dialogue to class assignments to phone calls, making it possible to view the aftermath of the tragic crash from a variety of complex perspectives. Thematically, Draper explores and undermines stereotypical views of the African-American teen. One of Andy's teachers has low expectations and cannot believe that Andy could do so well on a test. Even Andy tries to live up to what he thinks an African-American male in high school should be: an athlete who jokes around in class and does not care about his grades. Throughout the novel, Draper provides positive examples of African-Americans who are successful and admirable—Andy's psychologist and many of Andy's friends—to show Andy that he can expect more from
Tears of a Tiger is the first book in Sharon Draper's Hazelwood High trilogy. The novel begins with a brief newspaper article about a fiery automobile accident in which one Hazelwood High student, Robert Washington, was killed. The article also notes that Andrew (Andy) Jackson was injured in the wreck and that he had been drinking and driving. The next chapter consists of a flashback locker-room conversation between Andy Jackson and Robbie Washington from the night of the accident. The boys are excited about the basketball game that they just completed and discuss their plans for after the game. Andy mentions his girlfriend Keisha to Robbie and Gerald, another Hazelwood High student, and then the boys talk about the beer that they have chilling in Andy's trunk. Gerald declines to go with the boys, citing his abusive stepfather's strict rules.
After the crash, the Hazelwood High community struggles to cope with Robbie's seemingly senseless death. Keisha, Andy's girlfriend, calls …show more content…
Draper switches from newspaper excerpts to letters to dialogue to class assignments to phone calls, making it possible to view the aftermath of the tragic crash from a variety of complex perspectives. Thematically, Draper explores and undermines stereotypical views of the African-American teen. One of Andy's teachers has low expectations and cannot believe that Andy could do so well on a test. Even Andy tries to live up to what he thinks an African-American male in high school should be: an athlete who jokes around in class and does not care about his grades. Throughout the novel, Draper provides positive examples of African-Americans who are successful and admirable—Andy's psychologist and many of Andy's friends—to show Andy that he can expect more from