Make The Right Choice
Alex said that he hated his dad in the book “Eleven.” The book “Eleven” by Tom Rogers is about a boy named Alex that was turning 11 on 9/11 when the two twin towers in New York fell down because of a plane crash. On Alex’s birthday, he went to school while he was mad at his parents for not getting him a dog for his birthday. Since the plane crashed into the twin towers, everyone had to go home from school. When Alex was on the bus he found a stray dog and wanted to bring it home. He was nervous about how his parents were going to react but he wanted the poor, little stray dog so bad. Alex’s mom called him and said that he had to go right home and watch his sister and got told to not put on the tv. He remembered that his mom worked at the hospital and his dad worked at the twin towers at the World Trade Center. He was so scared that his parents wouldn’t come home and that his last words to his dad were, “I hate you.” A theme in the book “Eleven” is always love and be thankful for your parents because there is a chance that when they leave, you might not be able to see them ever again.
When Alex went to school on his birthday, he was mad at his parents because they didn’t get him a dog for his birthday, but after he found out what happened that day, he was scared to death that he would never see his parents again. On page 170 it states, “NO! You can’t tell me what to do! You’re not Daddy!” Then she burst into tears and buried her head in the pillow. “I want Daddy… ” she wailed. Alex felt totally overwhelmed. He sat on the edge of the bed, nervously bouncing his leg and holding his ears in frustration. He wanted to run away. He wanted Nunu to stop crying. He wanted his dad to come home. He wanted everything to be back to normal” (Rogers Pg 170). Alex learned to always love and be thankful for his parents because when they leave you might not ever be able to see them again in your life.
Alex learned that whenever his parents leave, he should be loving and always end off with a good note for a reason. On page 180 it says, “Behind him, a key slid into the front door. Alex spun around. The door swung open. And there stood his mom. She took two steps into the room, then stopped short, taking in Alex and the banner and the TV news in the background, and she knew he knew everything. “Oh, Alex,” she said, as she pulled him into her arms and started to cry” (Rogers Pg 180). Alex learned to always end off on a good note and show love to his parents because Alex could have never seen his mom again but luckily Alex’s mom was safe and everything was ok.
Alex’s Dad was at the Twin Towers when the disaster happened. The day before that Alex told his dad that he hated him because he wouldn’t get Alex a dog for his birthday. Alex regretted that sentence immediately because there was a chance Alex would never see his dad again. On page 185 it states, “Alex flung open the front door. The Man in the White Shirt broke into a wide grin and threw his arms open. Alex leapt onto his father’s chest. He wrapped his legs around his dad’s back and buried his face in his neck and hung on like he’d never let go. Alex’s mom came running onto the porch right behind him and threw her arms around both her guys. Squeezed between them, Alex felt warm and safe for the first time all day. Together, they rocked back and forth in silence. They could have stayed that way all night. Alex wouldn’t have minded” (Rogers Pg 185). Alex felt terrible that there could be a chance that the last words he said to his dad in his life were, “I hate you” but Alex was lucky and his dad came home safely. Alex learned that you should never say that to your parents and that you should always be loving and kind to your parents because they love you to death.
You should always be thankful and love your parents because they love you so much and would do anything to save you. Imagine if you went to school one day and you were mad at your parents like Alex was the day of September 11. If the last thing you said to your parents was “I hate you” that would be the first thing on your mind forever. Alex spent the day remembering his attitude he had toward his dad the last time he spoke to him. He regretted this all through the book because he felt that if he never saw his dad again those would be the last words he ever spoke to him. He tried that day to make up for it by making deals with the universe so that he would see his dad again, however this is not how you can change things. You can never take back hurtful words that you have said. Remember the next time you leave your house and you are angry with your parents turn around and kiss them goodbye because that could be the last thing you say or do.