Reading Response 5: 19 Minutes, by Jodi Picoult
While reading the book 19 Minutes, by Jodi Picoult I am beginning to think that maybe Josie can remember if she tries, she just doesn't want to. I noticed how she was reacting whenever people mentioned the trial or the shooting, how opposed she was to even talk about whatever happened on the day of the shooting, and the fact that she becomes uncomfortable, and a little sad, but mostly just uncomfortable around the topic of the trial. Then, I also began to think about why would Josie lie about remembering the shooting, and pretend she didn't?
I began to think that Josie could remember the shooting if she tried to, but doesn't want to, when she was talking to her mom about the trial. Her mom, Alex, began trying to talk about it and Josie immediately curled up on her bed and told her mom she was tired and didn't want to talk. This would normally not be strange with Josie and Alex because their relationship is not very tightly knit, except recently Josie and Alex had been talking a lot more about there feelings, making it strange that Josie wouldn't talk to Alex about the shooting. Also, this shows me that Josie would rather avoid the topic, which is strange because you'd think that maybe it would help her heal and get better, and made me wonder why isn't she talking about the shooting? Another thing is that Josie is a little less sad and more uncomfortable, which I think shows that she may be lying about not being able to remember the shooting and is just acting strange because she knows that she is lying and possibly feels a little bit guilty.
After it began to become clear to me that Josie was most likely not trying to remember, or at this point, maybe even could clearly remember what had happened, why would she pretend she didn't. I think that if Josie simply did not want to remember she may have lied because she was once friends with Peter and always felt bad about his being bullied, she may not have wanted to have to live with picturing him shooting and killing her friends and the people she loved. I also think that she could have not wanted to have to be forced to relive the day her boyfriend died before her eyes and re experience that nightmare. I also think that if Josie does remember clearly, I think she may lie because maybe while she and Matt, her boyfriend, were in the locker room she believes that if she had acted differently she could have saved Matt and is worried that people would blame her, and also that she might blame herself.
In the book 19 Minutes, I think that Josie either does not want to remember what happened, or does remember and is pretending not to. I made this conclusions based of of her actions towards other characters and backed it up with reasons of why she would llie to everyone about remembering the shooting.
Hi Maddy! So when I read this I totally though of in Pretty Little liars how Emily got drunk that night and totally forgot the whole night. I think that part of why she couldn't remember is because she was afraid to be guilty of stealing ali's body. I also think that a lot of times there are things in your life that you want to shut out because they bother you or have an impact on you. I think that if Josie admitted it to herself that she knows what happened, everything would change.
ReplyDeletegreat response! :)
I agree with you. She probably doesn't want to remember anything- from her ditching Peter when they grew up to what happened at the school. She knows that it was mostly her fault what happened, and in the end the whole mystery about her boyfriend was her fault, and she didn't want to be blamed for everything. She's ashamed of everything that happened. Great ideas, and awesome post!!!!!! :)))
ReplyDeleteI feel like if she is blocking what happened out, she's not doing it consciously. I think that because of the traumatic event that just took place in her life she's mentally not able to handle the fact that she killed her boyfriend, so her brain is blocking it. If she had known that she did it-consciously at least-she would have had a much worse reaction than she did when woken up after the shooting. I don't think she would have been able to function with the guilt. I don't know if she knew what she had done all along, but if she did, I don't think she remembered it until the very end.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Sophie. Some people want something to have not happened so much, that they just block it out of their minds. They want so badly for it to not have happened, that they sort of erase it. That day was such a horrible day for Josie that she just was not able to cope with it. Sometimes, it is easier for people to deal with things by tryng to forget and avoid them rather then confronting them. I think that she blocked that day out of her mind, until she literally could not remember it.
ReplyDelete