Shattered - An Interactive Book Report

CHARACTERSChapter 1  Protagonist: unknown name  15 years old  Has rich family  Dresses in expensive clothes  Is in Grade 10 and is volunteering for his civics and careers course  Not excited about his new volunteer job, regrets choosing The Club (thinks it is a joke) and doesn’t have the right intentions (wants to get the car his dad promised him and doesn’t want to back out to show his teacher he is not a quitter)  Laid back/procrastinator – doesn’t take school seriously  Hates people who are always trying to figure out everybody, esp. people who do have you figured out  Is disrespectful towards homeless people – calls them bums  Persistent – perseveres when the bullies try to steal his things  Homeless Man: unknown name  Has a “gritty” beard with “a few days growth of greying”  Dressed in a large, dirty, green parka with a green hat (pulled low on his head)  Not greedy, but nice and caring – said “there’s not enough money in any wallet to make me hurt another human being” and even told the protagonist to put away his wallet to protect him  Has an accent  Friendly, brave, strong, well-spoken, polite, has good manners, perfect posture – presents himself well  Strict – believes and demands justice – even if it means getting violent with the wrong doers  Straight-forward/honest: o Ian: “I don’t know what would happen if you hadn’t come along” Jacques: “I have a pretty good idea” (+ other e.g. on p. 16) Page | 1

Chapter 2  Ian Blackburn (protagonist):  Honest  Considerate – covers his feelings to not hurt people  Scared & intimidated easily  Calculative, cautious, worried and thinks before he speaks – doesn’t want to embarrass himself or say something stupid and worries about what people think of him  MacDonald (Mac):  Wears an apron  Shorter than Ian  Stocky  Nose: bent out of shape (been in many fights)  Hair: grey and thin  Face: lined and weather-beaten  Looked 60+ years old  Doesn’t like do-gooders – just do your work and go – this is “not a social project”  Determined, Joker, Nice, Caring, StrictChapter 3  Ian Blackburn:  Very rich family – they have a housekeeper  Honest to himself  Still regrets not starting volunteering sooner  Christian, but not serious about religion – celebrates Christmas and Easter only and says that religion is boring (“boring me with another sermon”)  Cautious – doesn’t want to offend anyone  Curious – asks a lot of questions  MacDonald (Mac):  Nice, caring, wise – homeless people stay back to talk to him and he gives good advice Page | 2

 Hard-working, passionate, determined, kind, considerate, nice – is the executive director, the chief cook, the bouncer, and the bottle washer, and even sleeps there! The Club is his place/house!  Not generous in compliments  Believes that The Club is where he is supposed to be (p. 33)  Can be serious at times and funny at others  Is Christian – believes in God and that he is everywhere  The Club is his missionChapter 4  Ian Blackburn:  Smart, but doesn’t try  Still doesn’t care about school  Doesn’t have a good relationship with his mom  Mrs. Watkins:  Seems to know just what to say or how to say it to stop students from drifting off too often  Can be sarcastic  Knowledgeable, intelligent, and gives good advice  Thinks that Ian volunteering at the soup kitchen is noble  Thinks Ian is very intelligent and has potential, but doesn’t try  Ian’s Mother:  Very sophisticated – puts everything in computer terms and not ‘human terms’  Very knowledgeable about computersChapter 5  Ian Blackburn:  Rude, disrespectful and rebellious towards his mother  Detests his father because he is too busy all the time  Wants to make his mom mad: “She was obviously mad. Good.” (p. 47)  Doesn’t ever do what his parents want him to do, unless he has no choice. (p. 51)  Determined to continue working at The Club because his mother doesn’t want him to even though he doesn’t want to himself Page | 3

 Closer with Berta than his parents – can’t imagine her not being around, and trusts her and also likes her because she doesn’t judge him and offers sincere and soft-spoken advice. She also spent more time with him than his mother and knows him better.  Can’t get his mind off ‘The Club’ and it seems unreal to him  Learned and matured from his experience with getting mugged, so he dresses in ‘bad’ clothes this time he goes Ian’s Mother:  Thinks Ian should have chosen a more pleasant and better part of the town to do his hours (p. 44)  Likes things proper, precise, tidy and organized  Wants Ian to dress properly  Ignorant, doesn’t understand the homeless people world – thinks Ian is being dramatic when he says the homeless would bash him over the head for money and his clothes  Always busy with travel, business meetings, and social things  Drives in a very expensive Mercedes Ian’s Father:  Very wealthy  Too busy and too important: has a landscape company cut the grass, rake the leaves, and shovel the snow, and a company take care of the pools, and another one wash the windows  Always busy with travel, business meetings, and social things Berta:  Ian’s nanny when he was a baby, and housekeeper and organizer now  Lives in an apartment in the basement of Ian’s house  Takes care of Ian’s family’s day-to-day business of running their household and cooks  Is always there for Ian and knows him better than his own mom – spent more time with him than his mother  From Guatemala  Has an accent  Has a soft, gentle laugh  Always seems to know which questions to ask and which ones not to ask  Trustworthy  Non-judgemental & offers good advice Page | 4

 Mac:  Patient  Friendly  Sarge (the homeless man):  Fair (p. 56)  Walks with his back as straight as a rod - looks more like he is marching than walking  Was in the armyChapter 6  Ian Blackburn:  Doesn’t like riding roller coasters or watching scary movies  Believes his parents don’t care – “They’d never know and wouldn’t care to know.” (p. 59)  Loves Berta  Proof he thinks/worries what people will think of him: p. 62  Still disrespectful towards the homeless  Berta:  Speaks Spanish  Smart and considerate  Understands Ian  Trustworthy – Ian can “count on her” (p. 60)  Mac:  Has “seen lots of things… maybe too many things” (p. 64)  Gives good advice, esp. concerning dealing with the homeless  Sarge:  Has been on the streets “around here” for about a year and a half  Lives in Shelby Park – in the woodsChapter 7  Berta:  Wise, intelligent, knowledgeable Page | 5

 Kind  Loyal  Acts like she is Ian’s mother  Responsible – didn’t let Ian’s parents drive because they were drunk  Knows a lot about the homeless and what goes on (how they’re killed, etc.)  Ian’s Parents:  Stay out late and drink oftenChapter 8  Ian Blackburn:  Acts completely different in school compared to out on the downtown streets – acts very tough in class (incident on p. 82)  Has a lot of potential, but doesn’t try  Character development: shows respect towards homeless people. Says “the term in mentally ill” to a disrespectful classmate.  Mrs. Watkins:  Encouraging – encourages Ian to do better and tells him that she knows he can and has the potential and is also hard on him (p. 86). Also encourages him to interview Sarge: “Don’t try to – do it!” (p. 86)  Honest – tells Ian the truth and doesn’t sugar-coat it  Nice – nice to Ian  Caring – cares about IanChapter 9  Ian Blackburn:  Caring towards Berta, wants to protect her  In contrast to before, he doesn’t want to disappoint Mrs. Watkins (p. 89)  Doesn’t know what he wants to be, but certainly doesn’t want to follow in the footsteps of either of his parents (p. 94)  Angry at his father for always being at work – thinks that he really doesn’t have to be gone so often and that he could spend more time with him and his family if he wanted  Ian’s Father:  Is a business man – a very busy one Page | 6

 Mac:  Proof that he hates do-gooders: p. 87  Berta:  Gentle and kind  Sarge:  Was a special ops in the military  Trained in many things, including unarmed combat  Thinks there is a need for people to become part of the military and that it is a career that involves honour and is a job where you can help people  Was in the military for almost 24 years  Decided to join the military because his father and even grandfather were in it – he grew up on army bases.  Has a wife – it was hard on her with him being away all the time (was usually gone for 3 or 6 months +)  His father told him that he must go into this not expecting ever to be thanked (by the government, civilians or army) – “He said no one would ever recognize the nature of sacrifices that I would make.”  Stationed in bases all across the country which was hard for him because he had to leave behind friends  Was part of peacekeeping missions  Says it is very hard, people get injured and die, and he has lived it and seen the deaths and injuries  Believes there is a very thin line between war and peacekeeping (p. 95 – 96)  Was stationed in Bosnia, Yugoslavia, Haiti, the Middle East, and Rwanda for peacekeeping missions  Got upset when Ian didn’t know about the great tragedy in Rwanda and even leftChapter 10  Ian Blackburn:  Curious – researched Rwanda and even said: “Now that I knew more about the country I had to know about what had happened there.” Page | 7

 MacDonald (Mac):  Not worldly and even said: “I only know what happens around here. I don’t watch the news, except to get the weather, and I only read comics and sport sections in the papers.”Chapter 11  Ian Blackburn:  Determined – when he starts something he wants to finish it. He even skipped school just to interview Sarge.  Really loves Berta – willing to do anything to make her happy (p. 105)  Likes being in Berta’s car more than his parents’ fancy cars  Believes that there is nobody like Berta  Character development: was dressed down again with metal bar in sleeve (learned from mistakes)  Berta:  Mother-like – really cares and worries about Ian (p. 106)  Knowledgeable/worldly – knows about the Rwanda incident  Sweet – even towards Ian’s parents  Does everything for Ian’s family and keeps it together  Berta’s car: little, bright green with brighter spots of orange rust on the back fender  Ian likes being in Berta’s car more than his parents’ fancy cars  Sarge:  When remembering and talking about Rwanda his whole body started shaking  Family is originally from Montreal if you go far back  Has seen a lot of dead bodies  He knows there must be a Heaven because he has seen Hell, here and in Rwanda (e.g. river clogged with dead bodies) (p. 121 – 122)  He is seeing HellChapter 12  Ian Blackburn:  Loyal – got angry when one of his classmates called Jack (Sarge) a bum.  Character development: used to call him a bum, but now doesn’t and won’t let other people call him one Page | 8

Chapter 13  Ian Blackburn:  Caring – wants to take the large, faceless, anonymous statistic of the number of people who died in the Rwanda Genocide and know at least one person who made up those numbers – he needs to not let them just be a statistic, he felt that he owed it to them  Anxious – got really scared after reading about and seeing a picture of a boy who was in the Genocide – had trouble sleeping because he couldn’t stop thinking about it and even went to check the doors to make sure they were locked  Berta:  Always made sure that the doors were sealed up as tight as a drum - was almost paranoid about things like thatChapter 14  Ian Blackburn:  Once again dressed down  Character development: recognizes some of faces of homeless people (before he did not know anyone)  Berta, Mrs. Watkins, Jack, Mac, and Ian’s parents keep telling him to work harder because he has the potential – admits “I just don’t work hard enough.”  Jack:  Even though he has saved thousands of lives in Rwanda, he still feels bad about the lives he couldn’t save – the hundreds of thousands of lives  In the beginning his greatest fear was that he would be killed and at the end it was that he wouldn’t be killed (p. 145)Chapter 15  Ian Blackburn:  Character development: knows a lot of the homeless people who visit the Club now and smiles and shakes their hands (before only used to think about the diseases on them)  Opens up to Mac – trusts him Page | 9

 Thinks more of Mac when he finds out he was an alcoholic because he thinks “To fall down is one thing, but to pull yourself back up again, that took something special.” (p. 149)  Caring – wants to help Jack  Character development: will still show up after his 1 hr that is left is complete  MacDonald (Mac):  Used to live on the streets and was a drunk (or alcoholic) and changed after his drinking buddy died from too much alcohol consumption (p. 149)  Gives good advice – tells Ian “You can’t make the horse drink. You can make something available for someone, but it doesn’t mean they’ll use it, take it, or appreciate it. You can try, but be prepared for a no as well.”  Has respect for IanChapter 16  Jacques:  Says he will never forget about what happened in Rwanda  Is a French Canadian  Believes that the war in Rwanda could have been stopped, but the UN didn’t give enough supplies because they were racist (p. 158 – 159)  Says that for evil to triumph good men must do nothing – they tried and wanted to do something but weren’t allowed to and weren’t allowed to leave – they were forced to watch  Body shook and cried – kept saying “We tried. We really tried. We did our best.” – they saved people but all they can remember are the countless victims who became statistics  Tries to understand the numbers by comparing the genocide with 9/11: the amount of people that died from Rwandan Genocide is like the amount of people who would have died if the planes crashed into the towers 265 times… impossible to comprehend  Noble, strong, powerful, but has just become a victim of RwandaChapter 17  Ian Blackburn:  Anxious/paranoid and is having trouble sleeping because of Rwanda’s incident Page | 10

 Opens up to Berta  Didn’t want to hear Berta’s story about the Death Squads in Guatemala because he was already having enough problems getting the Rwandan Genocide out of his head  Doesn’t want Berta to leave Canada and go live in Guatemala  Berta:  Good listener – listens to Ian  Kind, has a big heart – supports 7 foster kids  Treats Ian like a son “I have eight children. The seven in Guatemala and one here.” (p. 165)  Was part of the civil war in Guatemala (more on the war on p. 166)  How she got to Canada: Death Squads visited her house and she hid in a closet (like dad said) and later found her family gone and her house destroyed (p. 167) then she went to her neighbour (like her father told her to) and he took her to a man in the village who arranged for her to escape (first to Mexico and then to Canada)  Her family didn’t leave Guatemala beforehand because her dad was an editor and because of the influence their family had, he thought they would be safe and he said it was his country and he couldn’t just abandon it. (Her dad spoke out about the issues and his beliefs and now Guatemala has democracy.)  Encourage – tells Ian he is strong and that she is proud of him because he goes down to the Club and helps out the homeless  She feels that the only way to free herself from her sad thoughts is to go back home and live there, but instead (right now) she does what she can. She sends money to the seven children. Says: “It is better to light a candle than to curse the dark.”Chapter 18  Ian Blackburn:  Character development: He is strong/brave now – said he would use the metal bar up his sleeve if he had to (before he was too scared)  Responsible – doesn’t take the wine from Jacques when he offers it to him. Instead he says, “I’m only fifteen. I’m too young to drink.”  Caring – tries to help Jacques change Page | 11

 Jacques:  Started drinking at 12 – his parents let him have a little glass of wine over dinner  Believes that he can’t change – that he is shattered and that nobody or nothing can put his pieces back together and even if his life could be put back together again, it would never be the same – like a shattered glass – what was inside of him is gone for forever and cannot be replacedChapter 19  Ian Blackburn:  Doesn’t go to church that often – only twice a year – during Easter and Christmas  Is wearing a tuxedo  Overthinking – can’t get his mind of Jacques and all the other violence and tragedies in life (e.g.: Rwanda, Guatemala, Yugoslavia, etc.)  Wonders if God is everywhere, how come he hadn’t shown up in Rwanda?  Is very tall  Was completely different from everybody else in the church, but felt he was welcome and belonged – his church hardly gave him that feeling  Berta:  Is Catholic  Cares about Ian – wants him to meet Eduardo and talk to him  Loves Ian so much – talks about him in her letters to Eduardo  Eduardo:  Old and small  Has an accent  Uses a cane  Runs the orphanage  Shoemaker - repairs shoes, but only for the children of the orphanage. Says: “It’s important to take care of their soles and their souls.”  Humble – downplays what he has done  Saved Berta’s life  Is visiting Canada to visit people who were saved (from the Death Squads), but still wishes that more could have been saved – just like Jacques but is twice his size, has an accent and is not a soldier, but a shoemaker. Page | 12

 Knows that he did all he could, but before, he grieved and could not get beyond the sadness for those people for years, but in the end did get past it.  Got past it thanks to many things and in many ways. E.g.: o Time: He needed time to think, to distance himself from the memories o Helping others: He says “it is a gift to the giver to help others” o Faith/God’s love: he never lost faith and God’s love o A story a beggar on the streets told him (p. 184)Chapter 20  Ian Blackburn:  Caring – immediately leaves to go talk to Jacques after hearing Eduardo’s advice  Knew what he wanted to say, but didn’t know if he could make the words come out right or maybe they won’t even make the difference, but he knew that if he didn’t try, he’d regret it his entire life  Believes that Jacques is strong enough to make it back  Thanked Jacques for everything  Berta:  Really wants to help Ian – willing to leave the church where her life savior Eduardo is, just for him  Eduardo:  Kind – hosts events in court yard to raise funds for the orphanage  Wise – sees right through and into people (p. 186 – 187)  Gives Ian a blessing before he leaves to see Jacques  Believes that everyone needs help, even the ones doing the helping  Jacques:  Feels like he is a failed soldier  Can’t get rid of his bad memories  Regrets not saving more people  Was put out to pasture and was given a medical discharge  Would have given up his life in a second to save the victims from the Rwandan Genocide  Thinks his life is over  Changes after hearing Eduardo’s story Page | 13

Chapter 21  Ian Blackburn:  Turning 16 today  Quick witted/good sense of humour  Considerate – will pretend to be surprised for his ‘surprise’ birthday party to make his family happy  When making his birthday wish he thought of Berta – the most important thing to him – he wanted her to be safe and happy and enjoy her time in Guatemala and come back if that’s what she wants  Afraid Berta will decide to stay and not come back, buy if she does decide to stay, he says: “I’ll be happy for Berta… I’ll be okay.” Sacrifices for her. Really loves her!  Character development: done and passed civics. Will get a car as well, but will continue volunteering at the Club. Says: “Funny, I’d started coming down here to get a car. Now that car was going to help me keep coming down here.”  Was given a chip by Jack as a present to show him that he has been dry for two weeks  MacDonald (Mac):  Nice, considerate – got a birthday cake for him  Took more than a few tries to quit drinking  Thinks Jack would have never had a chance of quitting drinking without Ian  Wouldn’t have bet even a nickel on Ian returning back to the Club before – but now has learned that even long shots sometimes work out  Berta:  Has gone south to Guatemala  Has been gone for two week and will be gone for the whole summer – ten weeks (2 1/2 months) in total  Jacques:  Character development: o Is in a treatment facility to help him stop drinking o Hasn’t drank for 2 weeks  Ian’s Parents:  Character development: They care about the homeless. They donated $2000 to ‘The Club’. Page | 14

SETTING ‘Shattered’ takes place in this day and age time, the 20th century. The time periodis important because, firstly, homelessness is a current issue. It affects millions of peoplearound the world and in North America, with the numbers increasing. Secondly, peoplecan relate to the story more because it is set in present time. The readers can seethemselves in Ian, Berta, Jacques, and in the other characters, as the technology and lifestyle is the same. This also helps the story emphasize the fact that, just like Ian, ordinarypeople can make a difference, or like Berta be a victim of genocide, or like Jacquesbecome homeless. Thirdly, the number of homeless people has significantly increasedin the past few decades and a contributor to this is the fact that life in this day and agehas become very fast-paced and busy. Most people do not take time to spend with theirfamily, meet new people, or simply just reflect. Relatively compared to previousgenerations, this generation has busied themselves in making money rather than friends.In the olden times, people lived in small towns, life was slow and everyone knew eachother. If someone was going through a hard time, everyone would know and somewould even help. Unfortunately, in today's society, one doesn't even notice the beggaron the street and bother to ask how they are doing, let alone their neighbor. Therefore,it can be seen that time is very important in the story. The place where the story is set is downtown. ‘Shattered’ is listed as Canadianfiction and is written by Eric Walters, a Canadian. Thus, it seems that it is set in Canadadue to the author’s Canadian background. The story could have also been set in theUnited States, where the homeless rates are even higher. Therefore, the ‘downtown’aspect is the more important part of the setting. It is important because, firstly,downtown is where most people, including the homeless, live and ‘Shattered’ is abouthomelessness. Secondly, because the story takes place in downtown, where more peoplelive, it can relate to more people overall. Apart from seeing themselves in the charactersbecause of the time period ‘Shattered’ is set in, they also see themselves in the charactersbecause of the place. Thirdly, downtown is where life is the fastest and busiest. It is alsowhere many of the homeless people live and are often ignored. If ‘Shattered’ took placein a small town or in the less dense areas of a city, where life is slower and more peopleknew each other, it would make homelessness which a big issue, seem small, as it wouldonly be portraying the areas in which homelessness is much lower. Consequently, theplace proves its importance in the story through the points mentioned above. Page | 15

PLOT: STRUCTURE ClimaxRising Action Falling Action ConclusionIntroduction TriggerIntroduction:  Ian Blackburn is a 15-year-old boy, who comes off as a regretful and disrespectful procrastinator. His family is very rich. He has no siblings. His father is uninvolved in his life and his mother does not understand him. Ian is a student who is currently taking his grade 10 civics class. His main priority is to pass the course to get the car his father promised him. He is on his way to ‘the Club’ to volunteer for civics class and is regretting procrastinating as it caused him to be left with the only option of volunteering at a soup kitchen for the homeless.Trigger: Ian is jumped by three large older teens on his way to the clubRising Action:  Jacques saves Ian from the muggers.  Ian volunteers. He meets and learns about the homeless and their lives.  Ian is assigned to interview a person from the military. He interviews Jacques and finds out more about him.  Ian’s attitude towards the homeless changes.  Ian researches and learns about the Rwandan Genocide.  Ian learns about the Death Squads in Guatemala.  Ian tries to help Jacques. Page | 16

Climax:  Jacques refuses Ian’s help and yells that he is ‘shattered’ like glass.Falling Action:  Ian meets Eduardo, who advises him on Jacques case.  Ian helps Jacques accept his past and convinces him to visit a treatment facility to stop his alcohol addiction.Conclusion:  Ian turns 16 and gets a car for his birthday. He continues volunteering at ‘the Club’.  Jacques visits a treatment facility and stops drinking for two weeks (so far).  Berta goes to Guatemala, planning to stay for ten weeks.  Ian’s parents donate $2000 to ‘the Club’. Page | 17

PLOT: CHAPTER SUMMARIESChapter 1 The main character is on his way to his volunteer interview at The Club (ahomeless person soup kitchen). His family is very rich and he is only going therebecause he needs to complete his 40 hours of volunteer work for his civics class to passand also get a brand new car from his father on his birthday. On his way to the soupkitchen he cuts through Shelby Park and meets a homeless man. Later, he gets jumpedby three teenagers, but is rescued by the man he met earlier.Chapter 2 Ian arrives at the club and meets MacDonald. Mac explains Ian his job to himand tells him to just do it and not ask the homeless too many questions (Mac: “this isnot a social project”). Before Ian Blackburn (the main character) tells Mac that he isonly volunteering to pass his civics class, Mac thinks of Ian as a useless do-gooder.When Ian tells him it is only for civics class, Mac very pleased). Ian works and is exposedto different homeless people.Chapter 3 The homeless leave and Ian helps Mac clean up and put things away. He findsout that no one else helps Mac and that The Club is actually his place (house). Ian alsofinds out where the food comes from.Chapter 4 Ian goes to school the next day and in class they talk about whether Canadabelieves in war, about peacekeeping, and about Lester B. Pearson, the Canadian primeminister who founded the peacekeeping missions.Chapter 5 Ian argues with his mother, she drops him off at The Club and he works. First,he helps Mac unload food from a delivery truck. Then, he meets a crazy homeless man. Page | 18

Finally, he meets the homeless man who saved him in the park. He finds out that hisnickname is “Sarge” and that he was in the army. Ian asks Mac to tell him more aboutSarge, but Mac offers a deal: Ian has to tell him what happened between him and Sargeand then he will tell him Sarge’s story. Ian agrees.Chapter 6 After Ian and Mac clean up, they decide to go on ‘rounds’ in the homelessterritory, where Mac goes out, tells homeless people about ‘the Club’ and homelessshelters, and makes sure they are awake during freezing temperatures so that they don’tfreeze to death. While out, Ian calls home and asks Berta to pick him up after he isdone. During the rounds Mac and Ian tell each other what they said they would duringthe deal. Then, after they meet a few homeless people, Ian asks why none of them goto a homeless shelter, to which Mac explains to him that either they are banned or don’tlike the mean and crazy people in it or how it is so crowded. They also go to a camp inShelby Park where many homeless people, including Sarge live. Until finally, they leavewhen it starts to rain. Overall, throughout the night, Ian is exposed to many differenthomeless people.Chapter 7 Mac walks Ian to a fairly busy intersection to be picked up by Berta. While waitingfor her, Ian looks at all the expensive cars driving by and wonders how some peoplecould have so much and others so little. Soon Berta came in Ian’s mother’s car and Iantells her about the rounds and Berta tells him about how the homeless are killed.Chapter 8 The next day Ian goes to school and they continue talking about Canadianpeacekeeping and how there is a thin blue line (p. 79), etc. The teacher also assigns anextra credit assignment (mostly for Ian) in which one has to interview a person fromthe military. Finally, Ian tells his classmates about his placement at the end of the class,as the teacher requested. He gets various reactions. Page | 19

Chapter 9 At The Club, Ian works out among the homeless men, cleaning off tables,topping up the drinks, and handing out some extra buns and apples (that would go staleif not eaten), instead of being behind the counter serving food. This is because the jobis taken by sweet lady volunteers from a church (money also comes, etc.). Later, Sargeshows up and Ian interviews him. The interview abruptly ends when Sarge decides toleave after Ian tells him he doesn’t know about the great tragedy that happened inRwanda.Chapter 10 At the club after Sarge gets mad and leaves, Ian goes to the kitchen where heasks Mac about what happened in Rwanda, to which Mac replies he doesn’t know.Later, at home, Ian looks for information about a tragedy that happened in Rwanda inhis geography textbook and then on the UN website, when he couldn’t find anythingin the textbook. To his surprise, he finds out that 800,000 people were killed in the civilwar that took place in Rwanda and realizes why Sarge was so angry. Ian also can’t believehe didn’t know anything about the horrible genocide.Chapter 11 It starts off as Ian in the car (with Berta) on his way to the park even though it isa school day. Berta originally does not want to drop him off at the park, but when Iantells her that he is doing it for school to get bonus marks, she falls for it. Next, at thepark, he goes through the trees and goes to the camp site. There he meets Sarge andboth of them apologize to each other; Ian for not knowing and Sarge for getting mad.Ian continues his interview, but tells him he isn’t doing it for school anymore and thathe just needs to know. After, Sarge takes Ian with him to go eat Montreal Bagels. Ianfinds out that Sarge’s name is actually Jack. When they get to the store, Jack goes to theback and opens up the dumpster and takes out a bag of bagels. At first, Ian refuses, buteventually gives in, as to not be rude, and to his surprise, he discovers that they aredelicious even though they are a couple of days old. They continue to talk about Rwandaand Jack goes on to tell Ian about his trouble with getting over what happened inRwanda and what he sees. Page | 20

Chapter 12 Ian takes a bus, commuter train, and then finally a taxi to get back to school bynoon and his civics class. As soon as Ian enters the class, and Mrs. Watkins finds outhe is done his interview, she asks him to give an oral report on it. Ian talks about Jackand about Rwanda. His class is shocked when they find out because they can’t believethey never heard about it before. Next, when the class finds out that Jack is homeless,they are shocked and can’t believe that an ex-soldier is homeless and even call him abum. Ian becomes very mad and, which is contrary to how he was before. He says “he’snot a bum”. Then, his class goes on to talk about homeless people, genocide, and aboutthe statistic quote and good prevail quote.Chapter 13 At home, Ian is once again researching about Rwanda. He has come to arealization that information that does not involve numbers, facts, and figures is hard tofind. He wants to know something about somebody who was killed in Rwanda becausehe cannot just let them be statistics. He checks from site to site until he finds a story ofa boy who was a witness of the genocide in Rwanda. After reading the story Ian is leftshaking and terrified. He does not fall asleep for a long time. He feels anxious anduneasy so, he finally gets up to check to see if the back door is locked (even thoughBerta seals them tight every night). Finally, he drinks some milk and checks the rest ofdoors.Chapter 14 Ian is outside and is on his way to the club. On his way, he meets Jack. They talkand Jack is shocked to find out how Ian is barely passing because he is a very smart kid.Ian admits that he is not working hard enough, so Jack tells him that without workinghard you cannot get anywhere. They continue talking and Jack decides to escort Ian tothe club. On their way they talk about Rwanda and finally when they arrive at the Club,Jack leaves, denying Ian’s offer to let him enter the Club before it is open to help. Beforeleaving, Jack tells Ian how his biggest fear was dying in the beginning and at the end itwas not dying. Page | 21

Chapter 15 At the Club, Ian lets the homeless people in and greets them. He looks for Jackas he has not seen him for a week (since their last conversation). There are also twoother ladies from the church helping. Ian talks about Jack to Mac who tells him he’sprobably not coming as he is feeling ‘under the weather’ and that Jack started drinkingearly this morning. After hearing this, Ian gets worries that it might be his fault becausehe keeps talking about Rwanda, Jack’s bad memories. So, he talks to Mac in privateabout whether people can come off the streets and can stop drinking. Mac tells him yesbecause he has done it himself (through a treatment facility), but warns him that it israre. After hearing this Ian he asks Max if he can go talk to Jack (even though it isalready late). Ian also confesses to Mac (after he asks) that he only has 1 hour ofvolunteering left, but will continue to do so anyways. Finally, in the end Ian leaves theClub to meet Jack in the park.Chapter 16 At the park, Ian meets Jack who is drunk and sleeping. Ian hesitates but thenwakes him up and they start talking. Jack wakes, and admits to him that he has beenthinking about Rwanda lately. Ian also finds out that Jack’s real name is actually Jacquesand that he is a French Canadian. He goes on to talk about his past (his mother) andhow his memories of Rwanda are sealed into his mind. He also tells Ian about how theUN would not supply them with enough men or equipment, or give them permissionto do what they knew had to be done, and how it was all because of racism (p. 158).They didn’t care because who cares – they’re just black people who will die from aidsanyways. The Edmunde Burke quote is also explained (p. 159). Ian realizes that Jacquesstill cannot get over his past; that he is just another victim of Rwanda.Chapter 17 Ian is at home and it is night. He wakes up from a nightmare. He is terrified andregrets asking and finding out about Rwanda. He thinks that there was no point ingaining the knowledge because it would not change anything anyways; it only made itworse for him. Ian knew he would not fall asleep, so he goes down, checks the doors,then goes into the kitchen where he meets Berta. They drink chocolate milk and Bertatells him about the disappeared, even though he says that she does not have to talk Page | 22

about it (he is too scared). Ian finds out about what happened to Berta and how herfamily ‘disappeared’ because of the death squads from a civil war in Guatemala. Shealso reveals to Ian how she feels that going back to Guatemala for forever would helpher free herself of her nightmares about the disappeared, but she reassures him that thatwill not happen now, but maybe someday. She also tells Ian that she does what she canto help by sending money and by sponsoring seven children.Chapter 18 Ian heads to the park to Jacques to talk to him. They meet, but Jacques smells ofalcohol. Ian tells Jacques about treatment facilities, but Jacques replies with a flat outno. Jacques gets angry at Ian and tells him that he doesn’t understand him, that he can’tbe fixed and that he will never be the same because he is shattered, and walks away.Chapter 19 Ian is at home, it is a Sunday morning, and Berta wakes him up to go to churchto meet someone special and talk to him. At first Ian resists, but then gives in. They goto church and Ian is the only non-Spanish person. Even at church, Ian thinks aboutRwanda. Later, he meets Eduardo, Berta’s savoir, and asks him about how he got overhis past and regret of not being able to save more people from the death squads. Hesays gives advice and starts telling the story.Chapter 20 Right after hearing Eduardo’s advice and story, Berta drops him off at the park.Ian finds Jacques and they talk. Jacques tells Ian about how he is planning to move tothe West Side because it’s warmer there. Ian reminds him you can’t run from yourselfand they start talking about Rwanda. Ian tries to tell him he tried his best, but Jacquesreplies by saying thank you, but he can’t forget. He talk about his medical discharge andpost dramatic stress disorder. Ian tells him sacrificing his life will not make up for thepeople that he did not save and tells the story. Ian ends by telling him to not let himselfbe another casualty of Rwanda. Jacques is convinced and Ian and him go to Mac toorganize choose a treatment facility for him. Page | 23

Chapter 21 Ian is at the club with Mac. They are joking around. Mac surprises him with abirthday cake and a present from Jacques: a chip from Jacques showing he has beensober for two week. Ian’s parents also donated $2000. Berta is in Guatemala and willbe gone for 10 weeks. Ian thanks Mac for everything and says that he could not havedone it without him, but “who can”? Page | 24

THEME A major theme in ‘Shattered’ is acceptance. This theme becomes apparentthrough an analysis of man vs himself, man vs man and man vs society conflicts in thestory. Firstly, through the analysis of man vs himself conflicts it can be seen that Ianhad to accept his ignorance. He did not know about the Rwandan Genocide or theDeath Squads in Guatemala, but after finding out about them and researching them, heaccepted his ignorance by saying, “I didn’t even know anything about it. Nothing” (p.104). This shows progress in Ian’s character as he found his ignorance difficult to acceptbefore. Jacques also had to accept his past and help. ‘Shattered’ partially centered on hispast and his regrets. He was regretful that he was unable to save more people from theRwandan Genocide. He even turned to alcohol to take his mind off it, but in the end,thanks to Ian, he was able to overcome his regret and past. He accepted Ian’s help anddecided to go to a treatment facility, which is indicated when Ian says, “He reached upand took my hand and I helped him to his feet” (p. 194). This shows that Jacquesaccepted Ian’s help. Berta also accepted that one cannot always fully solve the problem,but can be part of the solution. She accepted that the Death Squads killed her familyand that even though she cannot solve the problem, she can help the people living inGuatemala, as indicated when she says, “Instead I do what I can. I send money. I helpin my small way” (p. 170). All of the above mentioned show that the major theme in‘Shattered’ is acceptance. Secondly, the man vs man conflicts in ‘Shattered’ also supports the theme ofacceptance in many ways. Ian had to accept the fact that even if you give someoneadvice, it does not mean that they will take it. It is their choice and you cannot force iton them. This can be seen when he was trying to help Jacques with his alcohol addictionand his past, but Jacques would not accept it and was becoming very angry. So, insteadIan decided to lay back a bit on the advice and tried to be gentler, rather than forceful.In the beginning of the story, Mac also advised him on this topic by giving him anexample, “You ever heard the expression you can lead a horse to water, but you can’tmake it drink?” (p. 151). Furthermore, ‘Shattered’ also shows the detrimental effects ofnot accepting in man vs man relationships. The teenage boys, who tried to mug Ian,show people not accepting their societal difference. They did not want to accept thatthey were they were not as privileged as Ian; they were jealous. They attempted to mugIan to use his things to show they are high-class/privileged or at least keep Ian from Page | 25

having something they did not have. This idea of intolerance can be applied to a biggerlevel leading to disastrous results as illustrated by the Rwandan Genocide, a civil war,caused due to people not accepting the opinion of others. All of this shows that theman vs man conflicts in ‘Shattered’ contribute to the theme of acceptance/lack thereof. Lastly, the man vs society conflicts also add to the theme of acceptance. The manvs society conflicts become important because Ian had to accept his privileged life. Inthe beginning, he believed that his life was very hard (because his parents do not givehim much attention) and he felt that no one understands what he is going through.Later on, when he learned more about the homeless, especially Jacques, he realized hislife is not that hard. He even said, “He was seeing Hell” (p. 168), when he found outabout how traumatized Jacques is because of his experience in the Rwandan Genocide.Also, Jacques had to accept the systematic unfairness of the world: that people measurethe cost and benefit of everything in purely monetary terms, and that racism still exists.He and his fellow soldiers tried their best to help save people in the Rwandan Genocide,but they were unable to due to the UN not sending enough supplies and men to helpbecause of racism and the small economic benefit. He accepted that although hundredsand thousands of people were dying, the cost and benefit was still measured, and movedon from his past. Similarly, Mac had to accept that sometimes sub-optimal outcomesare a better choice. He wanted the homeless to go to homeless shelters during the coldto keep them from dying, but had to accept that they would not. He accepts this byoffering them cigarettes instead, because even though they were not the best option, itwould keep them from freezing to death in the cold. Therefore, it is apparent that theman vs society conflicts in the story support the theme of acceptance in many ways.Consequently, it can be seen through an analysis of man vs himself, man vs man andman vs society conflicts that acceptance is a major theme in ‘Shattered’. Page | 26

LITERARY DEVICESLiterary Device Quote Page NumberMetaphor She is such a snake. 150Hyperbole I’ve been here a thousand 128Onomatopoeia times before. 65Simile It fell in the puddle with a 18Analogy plop. 86Personification They stood unmoving, as 18 still and silent as statues.Foreshadowing My father, he’s like a rock. 150 Their eyes were locked onImagery the ground, staring at their 188 feet.Allusion I could arrange a detox bed 156Symbolism in a day or two. 188 Part of me didn’t want herSituational Irony to let go. She drove away, 141 leaving me on the sidewalkPun in front of the park. 180 This place is like Hell.Verbal Irony It was strange how this 33Paradox little line of bushes and 135Oxymoron trees divided two worlds. 138Synecdoche It was strange to be given 156Metonymy advice about working hard 45Pathetic Fallacy from a man who was living 89 in a tent… It’s important to take care of their soles and their souls. Gee, thanks, what an honour. They treat us as if we are nobodies. He’s seriously funny. Coke? I see about 20 heads. I pulled my collar up against the cruel wind. Page | 27

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