pp. 17-33 Summary and Analysis

The discussion of the author's childhood continues. There were few kids his age so he spent most of his time with the adults. There was violence in the neighborhood and a lot of anger and frustration. People dreamed of a better life but there wasn't much passion in what they did.

Some people escape this kind of life through the classroom. The author attended St. Regina's but doesn't have many memories of his school days. He does remember having problems with grammar and math and would daydream in class as a result. Rose liked science as a result of a chemistry set he received as a Christmas gift. He would read the science book in the meager St. Regina's library. His interest in writing developed in high school. A family friend began to drive him to the public library...