Limiting Beliefs

Carmen, who is the main character in my book faces a life of pressure and pain. Her life, like many other teen aged girls, involves her stressing out about fitting in and what other people think of her. Unfortunately for Carmen she is really overweight, but her goal is to find a group of friends who will except her for who she really is. Her mother is always pressuring Carmen to go on diets that are healthier but Carmen demands that since she is almost 17, it is time for to her make decisions on her own. In the book, Carmen's greatest limiting belief is her appearance and it is holding her back on many things. When she moves to a knew school she has to lie and pretend to be someone she isn't because she feels that none will like her. Throughout the book, Carmen's feelings and opinions change and her habits of fitting in with her surroundings alternate and peer pressure starts to kick in. Things Carmen use to love like reading and chocolate slowly fade out of her life, but now bullying kids and shopping play a new role in her life, two things that she would never do at her old school. Now when Carmen's mother seems to nag at her for being overweight, she can now block out all the negative comments and just stay positive.

If I had the opportunity to talk to Carmen I would tell her to just be herself and not to change who she is for others. She will be happier if she surrounds herself with individuals who are accepting of her for who she is rather than those who are judgmental.  "Let the world know you as you are, not as you think you should be, because sooner or sooner or later, if you are posing, you will forget the pose, and then who are you? This quote states that we can all try and put on a fake act and try to be something we are not, but that act will only take us so far. Sooner or later we will get caught up in the act and become confused as to what our real identity is. 

Hero

In my opinion, I think that a good hero in my book, Tweaked, would be a boy named Ryan. Qualities that make Ryan a heroic character are that he has become independent, and sees the difference between the right and wrong. Even though all of Ryan's friends adapted the habit of drugs as a part of life, he was strong enough to resist the temptation and go his separate ways. He went out by himself and tried to seek help, while the rest of his friends thought it was too late and gave up;  not only on themselves, but their parents and friends too. Some words to describe Ryan are determined, dedicated, and strong willed.

A quote to relate how Ryan is a hero is, " Ryan is out of rehab. Jack tells me his parents are keeping a pretty tight rein on him since he got out, and he has strict orders not to socialize with any of his old friends. Because his mother knows the manger of the local grocery store well, she was able to get him at job bagging groceries for the summer."

This Quote shows that Ryan is a hero because he is really trying to improve, and is stepping out of the dark side. He is straightening up by getting a job, and is trying to quit talking to his old friends. For someone who has been an addict for so long, it was hard for Ryan to become a better person, but so far he has suceeded.