YAToczekLENS6

David Toczek Michael Sherry April 12, 2011 One of the most revealing themes of Paul Griffin’s, // The Orange Houses //, is the idea of escape. This theme is universal to people of all ages and backgrounds. Everyone escapes the harsh realities and monotonies of their everyday life in one way or another. I think this is an important theme of the novel which young adults can connect with in that they can identify with the youths in this novel trying to find their own identities. For mostly every young adult, growing up is an awkward process riddled with anxiety, ups-and-downs, and pressure from any and all directions. The lesson plan my group drew up in class for // Orange Houses // focused heavily on this idea and I thought that others including my own group members had a lot to offer on the subject. Although it appears to be a daunting task to incorporate into a lesson plan, the idea of escape could have overwhelmingly positive results in students. Not only does it reflect upon real life situations that students may be struggling with, but it also shows them that there are ways to deal with these situations positively and that everyone has problems to cope with as well. Having come through young adulthood unscathed, I think it is very important for young adults to have others to share their struggles and their joys and successes with. Griffin’s characters struggles reveal the stark realities which young adults face and the spectrum of ways in which to cope. Jimmi turns to drugs, but also escapes through artistic means, which helps to release pent up anger or sadness into something positive. Fatima and Tamika also escape through poetry and music. Everyone uses things like these to express themselves without vocalizing their problems or concerns to others. This internalization and escape allows these characters to go somewhere else and realize that they are not alone and that there is a way out. I think students could create many forms of escape or identify ways in which they escape. Even if the students do not want to reveal just what it is they may be escaping from, the recognition of it can help them to understand that they do not have to be victims to anything around them they do not want to be controlled by.