Maggie Nelson
Mr.Hatten
English 10
18 January 2008
Top Ten List for Lock and Key
Here is my top ten list on Lock and Key by Sarah Dessen. The top ten list is not in specific order.
- One main motif in Lock and Key is Family.
I think family is a big motif in Lock and Key because the main character, Ruby, throughout the book is trying to figure out what exactly family means. To some it may mean the people you love but it also might just mean the people you live with and are stuck with for the rest of your life. At the end of the book Ruby decides that family, to her, is many familes created over time. Family of origin, the family we created, as well as the groups you moved through while all of this was happening: friends, lovers, sometimes even strangers.
- ˝Even if you do make tons of new friends, try not to forget where you came from˝ is a very important quote in this book.
I think that the quote above is very important in this book because in the book some of the main characters leave, come into new lives and they need to remember where they came from. It can also be a very important quote in life to remember if you’re ever leaving for a new start, don’t forget where you came from and who helped you to get to where you are now.
- The plot of the book is very important.
I think the plot of this book is important because it sounds like realistic life for a teenager. In the beginning, Ruby’s mother has many drinking problems and finally leaves without a word. When Ruby is found living alone she is sent to live with her sister and husband. She lives life with them and learns many things about life that she could have never have thought of with her old life.
- “Ruby,” he said. “What are you doing here?” I think is a very important quote in the book.
I think this quote is very important in this book because it is showing you how unexpected life can be. For Ruby, her mother leaving and moving in with her sister was something she did not have for her future plans. Even if your plans for the future do not go as planned, it doesn’t mean that you can’t make the best of it and that’s what Ruby did. I think it’s important because people who read this book need to know that life can be unexpected and they should not give up on their future.
- One main motif of the book is the past.
I think that the past is one of the main motifs of the book because they keep relating back to that subject many times. For some of the main characters, Nate and Ruby, the past is a harsh word for them to hear. They had had a very cruel past and throughout the book they are trying to make up for all of the childhood memories they missed as a kid. I think the word past is very important because the past affects you in how you deal and do things in your future.
- The word infamous is repeated many times throught the book.
I think the word, infamous, is a very important word used in the book because it describes many of the characters past. The word infamous means having a reputation of the worst kind. Ruby’s old reputation at school was not one that was worth braging about. She didn’t do well in school and she used to drink all the time. In the book, many of the characters wanted to forget their infamous pasts. I can use this in real life if I wanted to say to one of my friends, ˝You don’t want to have an infamous past, do you ?˝.
- One main motif in Lock and Key is Trust.
I think trust is a main motif in the book, Lock and Key, because the main character, Ruby, has a big trust issue. In the beginning of the book Ruby doesn’t trust anyone because of her mother drinking and her father leaving. When she starts her new life with her sister, Cora, and her husband, Jamie, she decides she is going to give her best effort in trying to start a new life. Throughout the book, Ruby’s trust grows tremendously and in the end her trust might just have saved one of her really good friends.
- The character, Nate, is important in the book.
I think that Nate is one of the most important characters in the book. It all started when Ruby meets Nate while she is trying to escape from her new life. Throughout the book Ruby and Nate have many flings and her love grows for him. He taught her many values of life and how to trust people better, including him, but after the incident with his dad she doesn’t know if she can trust anyone again.
- The main character, Ruby, is also important in the book.
I think that Ruby is a very important character in the book because she is the one the story is based on. Throughout the entire book Ruby learns many things to help her suceed in life, not just in school. She made many new friends and grew as a new family member. She learns how to suceed in everything she puts her mind too and while doing that finding a boy that cares about her very much.
- The character, Cora, is also very important in the book.
I think, Cora, Ruby’s older sister, is an important character in the book. Cora and Jamie married young and just after a few months living together they took in her little sister, whom she hasn’t seen for ten years. She helped Ruby settle in their house and she helped her with any problems Ruby was willing to share. I thought Cora was a great role model for her younger sister when she needed her most.
