Flight review
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Upon reading Flight there are several characteristics I can assign to Zits thus far in the reading. This young man is an emotionally closed off, impulsive, foster child and juvenile delinquent who feels empowered through violence and acts out. Perhaps so he can be given attention to compensate for the emptiness he feels from being bounced from foster home to foster home after his birth father left him and his birth mother passed away. This young boy undergoes many life challenges as he faces a new foster home yet again- and decides to make more poor decisions that seemingly could cost him his life. These challenges however are presented in a way that shows the inner emotional and mental battle that is occurring within Zits. After the initial introduction; Zits is taken on a journey through time undergoing new experiences that prove to be a desperate attempt to reveal the conscious of Zits and his battle to discover himself. In the paragraphs to follow I will evaluate and assess Zits in accordance to several well-known theorists in order to create a biopsychosocial assessment of Zits development thus far in my reading.
Maslow- a theorist who is primarily known for his Humanistic school of thought. Believed that all human beings are good and have the potential to be the very best they can be granted they obtain basic human needs. Thus a hierarchy of needs developed that represents basic human needs which all humans must seek to fulfill in order to reach their full potential. In the first few chapters- it seems as if Zits main focus is on his basic human needs. After he leaves his new foster home and escapes from his new group home Zit’s and his new friend take shelter in an abandoned warehouse. They use garbage and old newspapers as furniture and hunt for food at night by looking through garbage cans. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs state that all humans desire physiological, safety, belongingness and, esteem needs before they can achieve self-actualization which is reaching ones full potential. However the focus tends to be place on one area at a time and a person may spend more time in one area and not necessarily look to moving onto more complex desires right away. Physiological needs are needed in order for a human to live- Zits is focusing primarily on obtaining his most basic as he lives homelessly with his new friend in the abandoned warehouse scavenging for food- these needs are being met for mere survival.
In the first chapters of the book, Zits seems to lack safety and security but it seems as though Zits does not show a large preference for safety or security. Perhaps he views safety in the respect that he can protect himself be it running away, or using violence as a defense mechanism so he can feel empowered and strong. Zits feels he can achieve security and safety through this way. According to Maslow’s theory the higher levels are not vitally necessary - although they do produce happiness, contentment, better health, and stronger relationships. Up until the third chapter Zits doesn’t show much of a focus on establishing further development beyond satisfying his most basic needs. However, as the book progresses on it appears that Zits begins to show a desire to find a sense of identity.
Though it seems at one point Zits had established meaningful and intimate relationships either with a previous foster care provider like Edgar- or his mother before her death. However it appears that there were no relationships expressed in the first few chapters that were satisfying and fulfilling. Until Zits meets his new friend in jail. Zits expresses that he is beginning to feel understood by Justice and the two are beginning to embark on a new companionship. He expresses affection for this new friend and begins to feel a sense of comfort and towards the end of the first chapters- feels loved by Justice. Apart from Justice, Zits feels as if he has no one who truly cares for him. These feelings would lead to Zits experiences of loneliness and thus is unable to obtain feelings of belongingness and love that is until his recent relationship with Justice is formed. When Justice comes into Zits life, Zits seems to feel a sense of hope that his loneliness is over and he now has someone he can confide in and be comforted by. This now seems to be the primary focus for Zits and his development. As the book progresses on other relationships are revealed as Zits embarks on his journey of self discovery through time. It seems as though several relationships presented are pleasing and meet Zits needs of belongingness and love. Such relationships include his FBI partner- and a loving family that “Hank” possesses, then when he is an Indian child - a loving father relationship. Other relationships are formed when he is in the US Calvary- he is respected. Though it appears that these vignettes are perhaps symbolic representations of what Zits desires most in life- as he experiences these flashes of who he is, who he might be , or perhaps who he wants or doesn’t want to be.
It seems that in the first few chapters in the book Zits has expressed his opinions of himself by telling the readers that he has accepted himself as a violent, broken teenager who feels empowered by violence. However, my assessment of these characteristics is that Zits uses them to mask his true feelings and thoughts about himself and his identity. It may be evaluated that Zits desires violence and pain in order to feel something other than absence and fear. He seems to have no true sense of identity and this reflects that he lacks self-worth and positive esteem. Considering Maslow’s esteem needs- Zits has not achieved this stage in development. As the book proceeds on important events happen that reveal to the readers that Zits in fact is very interested in obtaining a sense of self and discovering who he is. In fact, as stated previously these time traveling vignettes represent the true quest for identity that Zits is embarking on.
Abraham Maslow stated that we all have those resources within us, and whether we are healthy or unhealthy is not the main point of focus. The key is to recognize the abilities within ourselves and tap into them so that we can overcome negative circumstances or experiences and begin moving toward self-actualization. It seemed at first as if Zits did not want and wasn’t willing to move further in development in this way- he seemed rather unmotivated and had decided for himself that he does not wish to meet his potential. However, after the shooting at the bank- when Zits supposedly dies- he is sent on a journey to discovering himself, establishing morals, creating meaningful and important relationships as well as digging deeper into himself in order to truly find out who he is and what his potential may be.
Erik Erikson created a stage theory for psycho social development indicating that psycho social development is a lifelong process and that each stage of development has a life task required to overcome in order for each individual to move on in a healthy way. The first conflict in these stages of development that arises in infancy is trust verses mistrust. Though Zits doesn’t give specific details about his life prior to foster care; it seems as though he had established a healthy and loving relationship with his biological mother. It can be assessed that Zit’s was able to have his needs met as an infant consistently by his mother. This would lead to a successfully developed sense of trust and Zits would have felt safe and secure in the world. Perhaps, during his infancy these needs were met. It is hard to say for sure, because much of his past has not yet been uncovered within the book. It seems however that now these needs are no being consistently met for Zits as it seems he mistrusts many the people around him and feels safe only when he is in control. Living in the world of foster care- it seems as if Zits may feel that his caregivers are inconsistent, emotionally unavailable or rejecting and thus contributes to his feelings of mistrust. This failure to develop trust results in fear and a belief that the world is inconsistent and unpredictable perhaps this explains Zit’s desire to run, and fight.
The next stage of development in which Zits would experience would be autonomy verses shame and doubt. This stage of development typically happens during toddlerhood and is successful when children are offered opportunities to have independent and gain a sense of self control. Similar to the previous stage, it is difficult to obtain whether these opportunities were given to Zits as a toddler. Evaluating him thus far- Zits is an independent individual however not in a way that is beneficial to his development. In fact, his independence and unwillingness to accept the help of elders seems to be a leading cause to his impulsive and poor decision making. Though independence is present, Zits shows and even expresses a deep sense of shame. As he embarks on his journey of self-discovery- it seems that perhaps this shame is still present but Zits is making strides to overcome shame and instead find purpose though it doesn’t seem that he is consciously aware of this is happening.
Initiative versus guilt is the third stage of Erikson’s theory of psychosocial development. This stage occurs during, between the ages of three and five. As stated above it is difficult to determine whether this stage was achieved given the limited information provided about his earlier childhood. During the initiative versus guilt stage, children begin to assert their power and control over the world through directing play and other social interactions. Thus far in the book it seems as though Zits lacks initiative in his social interactions and often has negative social interactions with other people. Aside from his new friend, Zits has not expressed initiative and has seemed to have lacked a sense of purpose in his life. Failure of obtaining this sense of initiative results in a sense of guilt which Zits seems to possess. However, as his relationship with his new friend strengthens it seems as though Zits is showing an increase in his sense of initiative- however negative; it seems he feels his purpose is to now harm people in order to bring his parents back. After he shoots out the bank however- Zits sense of imitative increases as he searches for a sense of identity, purpose and even attempts to create meaningful relationships. Or at least he expresses the desire to have meaningful relationships.
Industry versus inferiority is the fourth stage of Erik Erikson's theory of psychosocial. The stage occurs during childhood between the ages of six and eleven. School and social interaction play an important role during this time of a child’s life Zits expresses a lack of desire for social relationships and eluded to the fact that his relationships with peers and others is rather negative. During this stage of development children are supposed to begin to develop a sense of pride in their accomplishments and abilities; Zits does not have these attributes. Perhaps because during this time of development Zits was bouncing around from foster home to foster home becoming involved in violence and crimes. Zits shows a limited sense of accomplishment and in fact describes himself as feeling pathetic and doomed- he feels destined as a criminal and juvenile delinquent. Zits lacks the motivation to obtain industry and may seem uninterested in accomplishing anything other than violence. . It can be assessed in the beginning chapters that Zits doubts his ability to be successful in life and therefore settles to possessing feelings inferiority that he tries to relieve through violence and harm upon others. However, as the book proceeds on and Zits undergoes what seem to be unconscious experiences in desperation to find himself- industry is being established. It seems now that this quest for self and identity and purpose has Zits living different lives that satisfy various needs for him. He experiences what it is like to be a well-loved, respected and honorable man thus eludes to the fact that this is Zits true desires and though he hasn’t quite figured out how to achieve this his unconscious is beginning to show that he desires to feel accomplished and this begins to pave the way for feelings of industry to be obtained.
The current stage of development in which Zits is battling with is identity versus confusion. This stage occurs during adolescence between the ages of approximately 12 to 18. Erikson states that teens need to develop a sense of self and personal identity. Zits displays an attitude of role confusion, alluding to a sense of poor self- confidence and his lack of identity. Zits shows an attempt to establish a sense of self, through violence and hostility. His attempts still seem to leave him feeling insecure and uncertain; despite his efforts to convince his audience otherwise. As his experiences time traveling occurs- it depicts an illustration of Zits true quest for identity that is occurring from the moment he was allegedly shot. The experiences that happen after shooting up the bank paint the picture that Zits is in fact struggling within this socioemotional stage of development in obtain a sense of identity. Through these experiences Zits is uncovering who it is he wants to be, and how he can make strides in becoming this person,
Sigmund Freud considers that the first years of life are critical to the development of sense of self and capability for becoming well adjusted. In order to assess the development of Zits I have analyzed some patterns in behavior that can be applied to Freud’s theory. Zits tells the readers about his father who left just after he was born. Based on evidence from Zits’ recollections and present behaviors this event happening so early in life can be looked at as possibly the main source to Zits anger and his immediate conclusion that nobody cares for him and thus leads Zits to act out based on this belief. It seems as though Zits also has established an emotional shield for himself though he blames that deficit on a past foster father- Edgar, it is more likely that Zit's pain traces back to his own father's failure. We see an instance of how this detachment ill-serves him with his newest foster family. He quickly decides that they do not care about him, and treats them with hostility, probably so he can justify running away. We see this being elaborated on more when Zits experiences what it is like to have a father as a child again. Through these experiences, it is apparent that each situation reveals to the reader true conflicts, perceptions and even desires that Zits has. When he experience what it is like to be embraced by a father- Zits is showing us that he longs to fill that empty place where abandonment from his father is present.
Zits has the tendency to act on impulses in order to satisfied a need for empowerment, though the choices he makes are poor and harmful to others and himself. In these first few chapters Zits is reflecting on events in which he has made impulsive decisions and choices. Perhaps this is to satisfy a need for attention whether it is negative or not perhaps to fuel his desire of being powerful. Zits is also selfish and don’t care what the negative consequences of his actions are on others. He does not care if he is harming people, as long as he can obtain his desires and needs. This evidence shows that Zit’s has an underdeveloped ego- and has tendency’s to rely on his Id in order to make impulsive decisions that are in fact self-destructive, in that he is not able to create healthy relationships with others or even himself. The superego is the aspect of personality that holds all of our internalized moral standards and ideals that we acquire from both parents and society - our sense of right and wrong. It seems as though Zits has a skewed view upon what is right and wrong because his desire to please himself and obtain satisfaction for himself take precedence over what is morally right. The superego provides guidelines for making judgments; Zits seems to disregard these judgments in order to satisfy his own needs. Zits has an undeveloped personality because he is unable to delay gratification of the id and neglects to find a balance. However as the book proceeds on and we embark on these time traveling vignettes with Zits it can be determined that Zits is beginning to establish a sense of control, and more awareness of his actions. He elaborates on his actions and what is going to happen or what has happened which shows an increase in awareness of self-control or lack thereof. Perhaps these journeys are helping Zits to find a balance between his unconscious and his conscious.
Carl Rogers is known for designing person centered therapy. His approach is described as a humanistic approach which focuses on human potential rather than deficiencies. If we consider the methods Rogers used in his therapies it could be beneficial to Zits development. Tackling this kind of therapy with Zits would be difficult at first, as he puts up a guard and seems to not have any motivation in bettering himself nor does he seem to care about the negative consequences of his actions and his influence on others. In Rogers therapy- Zits would be paired with a person who would act as his mentor and establish a positive relationship with Zits. This person should approach Zits and make it a priority to establish a companionship with him. Satisfying Zits primary need to not feel alone and misunderstood. If he had someone to speak to that was of positive influence perhaps he would find the desire within himself to make positive changes. This person could help Zits find strengths and solutions that might lead to a more satisfying life and reap more positive results.
If Zits worked with someone who utilized unconditional positive regard and worked alongside Zits instead of dictating to him- Zits might discover potential within him. Rogers believed that all humans have the ability to move past their own obstacles, or past mistakes and discover more healthier and productive ways of meeting their basic human needs. This type of therapy would be beneficial to Zits because there is no advice giving or confrontation in this type of therapy it is simply that a therapist becomes a helper and they assume the role of a facilitator. This guide is one who creates an atmosphere of safety conductive to the client exploring their inner wisdom and strengths. It seems as though one of Zits highest desires is to feel safe, secure and loved; this is expressed through his relationship with Justice. Perhaps if Zits had the influence and guidance of a positive mentor he would begin to see his potential and make changes accordingly. Whatever successes might be achieved along the way are to be seen for by the client which would enable a sense of empowerment; which seems to be a driving trait for Zits. Considering all the previous, it can be determined that Zits would benefit from using therapy methods developed by Rogers.
As the book proceeds on to expel upon Zits traveling through time and experiencing what it’s like to be someone else- it seems as though Zits is advocating for himself in an unconscious way. These experiences, which can be evaluated as unconscious efforts to self-discovery; can be applied to the ideas proposed by Rogers in that Zits is leading himself on a journey to discover himself, what is right, what is wrong, what his deepest desires are and how they can be achieved. These experiences are happening in order to Zits to make decisions to better himself, find himself and perhaps reach higher potential.
Bowen constructed the theory of human behavior that views the family as an emotional unit. Bowen concluded that emotional contacts between members of one’s family both extended and nuclear influence the definition of oneself. He developed 8 interlocking concepts that influence the balance of togetherness and individuality. In the first stage of Bowen’s theory, it states that families and social groups affect how people think, feel and act. If one’s self is less developed, then the more impact others would have on them. We can see this illustrated in Zits. As he journeys through these experiences, he struggles with a sense of identity- both literally and figuratively. It can be determined that perhaps these vignettes are a symbolic representation of Zit’s ongoing discovery of himself. Since Zits has not fully developed a sense of self he is easily influenced and shaped by those around him. Take for example Justice’s influence on Zits- because Zits so desires the feelings of belongingness and love- he is easily manipulated into doing whatever it may take to please or prove himself to Justice- even if that means acting immoral and hostile. Even as he moved through time and has experiences with new identities- he still finds himself falling subject to someone’s standards instead of his own; because he has not yet fully established what these standards are for himself. Bowen’s theory outlines other concepts that affect one’s emotional unit which is directly influenced by the family. In his next concept the nuclear family is introduced- which outlines that relationship patterns manage emotions and thus govern where problems develop within families. This too can be illustrated in Zit’s family system. As Zits recalls both present and past relationships he mentions the brokenness, anxiety, pain and conflicts that have occurred- all of these which have affected who Zits is- or lack thereof. These conflicts directly influence Zits’ interactions with others. Zit’s past leaves his desperate for love; which leaves him feeling vulnerable. However his past has also left him guarded and cold- which sheds light on why Zits has had many unsuccessful and problematic relationships. Perhaps if healthier, promising relationships are established, more positive outcomes can be explored. Bowen outlines that family projection processes occur and when relationships most negatively affect a child these children, like Zits- have a heightened need for attention, approval, difficulties dealing with expectations arise, the tendency to place blame occurs, impulsive actions rule in order to relieve anxiety or stress for the moment. These traits can be assigned to Zits- perhaps because he has limited perception of a healthy parental relationship. Zits can also be evaluated using Bowens 7th concept – emotional cut off. This means that people often attempt to manage their unresolved emotional issues with family members by reducing or cutting off emotional connections. For Zits; this is something he does often which stops him from creating new relationships in a healthy way. Perhaps this happened because Zits has lived his life mostly in the foster care system, experiencing abuse and other negative circumstances. As a result he keeps himself cut off emotionally from others and instead internalizes these issues. Societal emotional process within Bowen’s theory suggests that the emotional system governs behavior on a societal lever. This is absolutely true for Zits- as he struggles to find himself, he is unable to identify and emotionally bond with society- instead he is defiant, lost and confused. Perhaps as his journey continues, Zits will be able to foster positive relationships which would lead to a healthier, and stable emotional dynamic as these two factors are interrelated.
Bronfenbrenner developed the concept of Ecology – or person in environment models. He describes five different types of systems that explain how external systems impact human development. The micro system's setting is the direct environment we have in our lives. Including, family, friends, classmates, teachers, neighbors and other people who have a direct contact. The mesosystem involves the relationships between the microsystems in one's life. This means that family experience may be related to social experiences. For example, for Zits- who often feels pained and tormented by his past experiences with foster families- he may has shown a low chance of developing positive attitude towards new foster families. The exosystem is the setting in which there is a link between the context where in the person does not have any active role, and the context where there is active participation. The macrosystem setting is the actual culture of an individual. The cultural contexts involve the socioeconomic status of the person and family, ethnicity or race and living in a still developing or a third world country. For Zits- as he experiences time traveling he has found himself in various different cultural contexts including expiring what it is like to be young, old, Indian, and white. These various cultural contexts have proven to affect him mostly emotionally. The chronosystem includes the transitions and shifts in one's lifespan. This may also involve the socio-historical contexts that may influence a person. Again, Zits undergoes experiences that change and they all prove to influence personality and his development. All of these external factors explained with in the ecological systems theory illustrate how rules, roles, norms, values directly shape human development. For Zits is especially important as he is undergoing constant change in these external factors presently- as he travels through time- and previously- as he experiences the changes of bouncing from foster home to groups homes. Previously, it could be noted that these experiences Zits endured obstructed his development- as he took the negative situations and shaped himself based on these. Zits perception on society reflects a poor image on himself- leaving him feeling angry, bitter and hostile seeking revenge in order to feel empowered. Due to perhaps lack of resources, self-control and opportunity it would appear that Zit’s ecological system had a negative effect on his development. Perhaps this could change if Zits decides to utilize the resources around him, comply with societal rules and participate within society appropriately.
Piaget was most involved with cognitive and intellectual development. We acquire knowledge as we undergo new experiences. When we gain new insight or information we use it to modify, add or change what our previous ideas were. Zits undergoes the process of taking in new information and applying it towards his previously held ideas or perceptions of himself (assimilation) and then used accommodation in order to change or alter these previous ideas based on the new information he has obtained though these occurrences are unconscious. - During these flashes between new identities and different points in history Zits is attempting to find equilibrium which is when a balance between assimilation and accommodation occur. Piaget’s theory is of importance because that is what is happening for Zits throughout his time traveling – he is gaining new insights and making new discoveries is it about him or humans in general. As he becomes involved in the lives of these particular people- he is actively constructing knowledge about history and himself. Piaget is perhaps best known for his theory of children's cognitive development, but he also proposed his own theory about children's moral development. Piaget recognized that cognitive development is closely tied to moral development and was particularly interested in the way children's thoughts about morality changed over time. According to Piaget, youth develop the morality of cooperation, at the age of 10 years or older. As youth develop a morality of cooperation they realize that in order to create a cooperative society people must work together to decide what is acceptable, and what is not. Piaget believed that youth at this age begin to understand that morals represent social agreements between people and are intended to promote the common good. Furthermore, they recognize people may differ in the way they understand and approach a moral situation or problem. They also begin to understand that the difference between right and wrong is not an absolute but instead must take into account changing variables such as context, motivation, abilities, and intentions. Understanding this theory helps to understand why these changes occurring in Zits are important for his moral development. As Zits is undergoing these time traveling, new identity situations it is clear that this process is happening for Zits as a journey of self-discovery, including understanding and establishing his own morals. As this ongoing assessment of Zits continue, it becomes clearer that Zits has a developed sense of morals, he just isn’t quite sure how to maintain and adhere by these morals. He finds himself in moral dilemmas, often stating what is perceived as wrong. However, Zits often attempts to justify these wrong doings, perhaps, in an attempt to achieve contentment in his decisions. He often questions whether he did in fact make a wrong choice or if given the circumstance it was the right thing to do. It seems as though Piaget’s theory can be applied to Zits circumstances in that he is searching for his own answer to the question, “what is good? Am I good?”
Similar to Piaget’s theory the theorist Kohlberg also formulated a theory around moral reasoning, Kohlberg focuses on the reasoning behind human decision making and moral development. Kohlberg's theory of moral reasoning is a stage theory. In other words, everyone goes through the stages sequentially without skipping any stage. However, movement through these stages is not natural, that is people do not automatically move from one stage to the next as they mature. In stage development, movement is effected when cognitive dissonance occurs; when a person notices inadequacies in his or her present way of coping with a given moral dilemma. For Zits as he is traveling through these series of events, experiencing different personalities he is being faced with many moral dilemmas. In fact it could be determined that a majorly of this booked is based on moral dilemmas and how it can affect Zits personality, and life. Kohlberg’s research often eluded to children being dissuaded from making poor decisions in order to avoid negative consequences- whether these consequences be enforced by the law, society or one’s own moral development. When Zits shoots up the bank, he at first feels empowered, he feels proud of what he had done. As the book continues on and Zits embarks on a life changing journey, he begins to see that shooting, violence and killing is inhumane and he shows feelings of shame and guilt. However, in his journeys through time, as he experiences what it is like to be in the identity of men who are powerful through killing Zits shows mixed feelings about his actions, how it serves him, and often his followers to feel pride, take revenge and be empowered. But he also experiences pain, as it hurts him to act in this way- whether it serves his current society or not. Zits is undergoing a serious moral delimia as he struggles to find himself, make decisions and figure out what is morally right verses what is morally wrong. These decisions continue as he continues to move through time and experience what it is like to be in different lives. The more Zits sees murder, war and violence happen, the more he wants to stop it and not participate. In fact, he begins to realize that killing is wrong, he questions how anything could ever justify it even as he crouches in the bushes to save the life of a white solider and a small Indian boy- he can’t shoot and he won’t shoot because even then he feels it would be wrong. In the end of the book when Zits is back at the bank and makes the choice not to shoot innocent people but instead see the beauty in all that surrounded him, he is showing tremendous moral growth.
Upon completing the book I can integrate various different theorists and their beliefs and apply it to Zits and his story. My final synapsis is that Zits is a broken, battered young man whose childhood was taken abruptly from him. He represents a population of children who all have felt unbearable pain, loneliness and abandonment which affect them in all aspects. For Zits, he became bitter, guarded, hostile and so filled and consumed by pain and hurt that he wanted to inflict pain and hurt. He couldn’t see past his own pain, so much so that he convinced himself to wear the shoes of hatred, violence and rebellion. These shoes would mask the pain, and the awful hurt that he’s felt from the hard experiences he has been through. The abuse, the abandonment, the loss. Zits has suffered and desired to cause suffering in hopes to redeem his own pain and hurt. As he participates in the time traveling vignettes he uncovers truths about history, humanity and himself. Each person’s body that he ends up in represents a part of him that he needed to search and evaluate. Men who kill, and fights destroying anyone even children. A man who fights because he believes its right- but its wrong and even Zits starts to feel it. He travels into the body of a little boy, who has lost his voice- it has been taken from him. Perhaps this symbolizes Zits voice which he felt has been robbed- he feels alone, he feels stuck, and he is crippled by his own pain and feels like he has no voice. That his voice, along with the good in his life had been taken from him. He travels into the body of a soldier who was known for his bloodshed and victories in war. But Zits becomes stronger- he realizes he can make choices; he can take over this man’s body and do the right thing. Zits experience what it is like to be a hero, saving lives instead of taking them. Zits walks in the body of his own Father and stare into him in the mirror in attempt to answer the questions he has longed to hear answers to for so long. But instead he sees memories, and is able to understand why it is his own father left him. I believe that all of these people in which Zits traveled to, were of significance to Zit’s development. I believe that this story symbolically shows what a childlike Zits needs in order to become resilient and overcome the many hardships and obstacles in his way. In each glimpse of another life there is somebody or something that shows love and respect to Zits. These are essential to Zit’s development. They illustrate the power of what a pair of listening ears could do. Often times, a child who has experienced what Zits has experienced just needs to be heard, in a nonjudgmental way. They need to experience what it’s like to have a voice, because they feel it has been taken from them. Instead of screaming out for attention through violent acts and rebellion, perhaps sincere heart of someone who is willing to just listen would help. Children like Zits long to feel accepted because for so long they were rejected, and eventually they have become rejected by themselves. A relationship with unconditional standards and a forgiving heart is essential. They need to feel like though they have little hope, someone believes they can overcome. For Zits, you can see it in Officer Dave who shows him love in the simplest way. He knows that somewhere, deep down in Zits is a little boy who just needed to be loved, accepted, nurtured. I truly think that becoming involved in therapy and consulting that is nonbiased and patient focused is something that would benefit children like Zits. A consoler and therapist who won’t just diagnose and analyze but who will listen comfort and understand why Zits feels what he feels and that these feelings are a result of abandonment and pain- not because he is a bad person. A little bit of compassion can go a long way and the end of the book proves this point. Someone cared enough to reach out to him, not because they wanted to fix Zits but because they knew he would feel better. Mary cared enough about what Zits might feel, she wanted to help him with no strings attached; and this touched him. Getting involved in a community program, be it a church, extracurricular activity or fellowship would also benefit children like Zits. For similar reasons in that it serves the purpose of making everyone feel like they belong and that they are all in it together. Relationships that are healthy and positive often evolve from these settings which would benefit children in Zit’s position. When one can see an effort of unconditional companionships or love occurring, something that is not earned, but rather freely given it can be simple enough to mend loneliness, bring hope and mend brokenness. I will apply this to my actions when dealing with children who come from a diverse background. It is important for me to remember that all anybody really needs is to feel loved and accepted and from this stems the foundation for potential, growth, strengthen and hope. It is my passion to ensure that I deliver the most unconditional, unbiased, nonjudgmental approach I can to all of those I encounter. If I can open my ears up to hear someone who feels silenced, if I can open my heart up to someone who feels broken and pained, if I can offer my companionship to someone who feels alone, if I can offer my tenderness to someone whose only felt the wrath of abuse, I can help change someone’s life and be a stepping stone in someone’s path to finding and accepting themselves.