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English 1A PacketBook Title: The Pact________________________________John Yoon
Directions:
Please complete the following graphic organizer either typed or handwritten. If you need more room & you are
handwriting, please use the back of this page.
Ch. or Page Numbers: Chapter 1-3

Dialectic Journal: Choose at least TWO quotations that you think are important or you have a question about and write about why
it is. These quotations may later be utilized in your essays. Follow MLA for in-text citations.
Quotation (Evidence from the text)
When I told her what had happened, she started laughing.

It seemed a strange response for a woman who had just
learned that she had been ripped off. But she knew the
truth: my stepfather had packed all of his stuff and left.
(Jenkins, 8)
Whatever he bought for his two sons, he bought for me

too. (Jenkins, 9)
Interpretation (Analysis/Synthesis)
This illustrates . . ., I wonder . . ., This connects to . . .
This is an excellent case of show, not tell. It implies
that the mother didnt care for or get along all that well
with the stepfather without having to ever say they
didnt get along. Its a logical implication to make,
progressing from the statement that the stepfather
didnt feel like he was really part of the family. It also
casts light on how the family communicates with few
words.
Again, this shows rather than tells. Instead of simply
saying again that George was treated like a son,
included in family gatherings or appreciated, an
example is given. It sets a mood for who these people
are, how they live despite their conditions.
Discussion Question: Write three or more questions that you think are important to think about. Consider the themes of the
course as you create your questions. Use your Critical Thinking/Blooms Taxonomy hand-out to help you develop a variety of
questions.
1. What is work like for the adults? We dont really hear how difficult it is for the parents, aside from the fact they dont
have as much money.
2. What did George think of other families? Did money alone make it easier for him, or was there a difference in people
that others knew? Did everyone have a Mr. Jackson?
3. Was Sam ever the victim of abuse? He seems to indicate his parents got mean, but its touched on for a few sentences
at most. Did he suffer at the hand Of his parents?
4. Sams mom knew about the drug addiction. Why didnt she help his sister? Make her stop?
5. If Rameck had the choice, would he actually skip out on going to a more distinguished school just to be with his
friends?
Locate one outside reference that helps you understand the text
better. (You may copy and paste here or attach to the back.)
CRITICAL: You must include evidence from the reference PLUS
citation PLUS connection to the text.
Give a brief plot summary here where you note 2 to 4

sentences per assigned chapter or entry. OR Follow a
character throughout the text and take notes here about plot,
interaction with others, personality, appearance, etc.
Robert Graham, acting executive director of the

authority, said the cost of rehabilitating Stella Wright
to Federal standards has been estimated at $95 million.
Stella Wright is plagued by broken elevators, trashstrewn stairwells and fortress like fencing.
George is the most obvious character to follow here

he doesnt really discuss his own appearance, state of
fitness or health in too much detail. Its much more of
a summary chapter than a detailed account so other
than the dentist scene discussing the state of his teeth,
we dont really have much to go off on his physical
appearance and state.
The site of the nation's longest rent strike among

public housing residents, it is symbolic of tenant
activism as well as the problems of the so-called
vertical ghettos of towering projects. The rent strike,
from 1970 to 1974, ended only after a Federal court
forced both sides to compromise.
http://www.nytimes.com/1999/09/02/nyregion/a-step-to-endnewark-s-chapter-in-high-rise-public-housing-projects.html
Similar with Sam, who skirts over a lot of details. We

cant really follow his story, aside from doing bills to
stealing slurpees to seeing dead people, getting
arrested. Then theres random bits about his family
issues until he finally gets into school. Its hard to say
theres much of a plot here at all. Its more like
summarizing that his life sucked before education.
Smothers, Ronald. "A Step to End Newark's Chapter in HighRise Public Housing Projects." The New York Times. The New
York Times, 01 Sept. 1999. Web. 04 Sept. 2014.
Much like chapter one and two, three is essentially a

protracted summary discussing parents and how they
This really sheds some light on what exactly was going on got to University High. Problem is, they skirt over a
in the area chapter 1 takes place in. While we understand
lot of details, so its really not clear how things work
in just a few short sentences that life is hard, this source
out. Even compared to Sams arc, its not entirely
explains what eventually happened to the community.
Without it, I wouldnt know that the tenants flat-out didnt apparent when he started to hang out with the wrong
people, started worrying his parents. Theres not much
pay for their rent at times.
of a story to follow.
Personal/Social/Professional Connection to the text OR Connection to what I have learned before: Another way to think about it: is
there something in the text that reminds me of something?
(Comments to be no less than 3 sentences)
What really strikes me is how George underlines that he really was lucky to have a tight knit family, and a
surrogate father who really cared about him and was on his side, Mr. Jackson. Ive always wondered how my
situation would change without a strong family. The opposite side of that is that, he also doesnt have a
permanent father. Ive never had my dad run away, packup and leave. I really dont know that feeling its an
entirely alien sort of situation to imagine.
Also, my family doesnt really have substance abusers. Aside from my extended family, nobody drinks alcohol
even. I cant imagine finding out my sister did cocaine. But I also cant imagine ignoring or shoving it away
into some part of my memory. That just couldnt work for me, even if it was horrific. My parents hated when I
would argue with them.

Directions:

The guy pulled open his oversized black goose-down

jacket, and lifted up his shirt, and pulled out a gun. He
must have been desperate, because nobody pulled a gun
on Frank. Frank had a rep around Dayton Street, and he
hadnt gotten it being a nice guy. (Davis, 89)
Whats really illustrated here is that something as
violent as producing a firearm isnt the weird thing
here. Its pointing it at the tough guy. It speaks
volumes about how people treated one another in the
projects and how easily things could go wrong.
They backed off. But I still had a difficult time saying no

Heres an illustration of peer pressure in a nutshell. It
to my friends, even when I knew they were wrong. I wasnt speaks volumes about why people do crazy things, like
afraid of them; I was afraid what they would think of me. smoking cocaine-laced cigarettes while in junior high.
(Davis, 33)
questions.
1. What was the normal clearance rate like for local schools?
2. What made Rameck stab the guy so easily, knowing full well it could kill him?
3. Was it peer pressure that killed so many young boys?
I was using heroin daily not because I had jumped off

the swings and accidentally touched a needle discarded
on a playground, thus allowing the addiction-gremlins
inside my brain, but because my firsthand experience
with the drug told me that it was a risk-free way to
escape from my problems. So when I realized I needed
to kick, that meant facing not only the physical agony
of withdrawal, but all the demons I had been running
from in the first place. And I don't know if you've ever
seen one run in the wild, but demons are fast.

George, Sam and Rameck finally meet. They find they have a lot
in common. We learn about School within a School and the
high, 85-90% clearance rate of University High. They meet a pop
singer sort named Faith. Rameck adjusts fast and becomes
popular, doing theater and being a whiz at schoolwork. They had
a student protest. Rameck made the mistake of silly-string
spraying a teacher and very nearly lost everything.
The next chapter has Rameck reminiscing over his family. He and
his buddies find a crackhead doing drugs on their turf and
brutalize him. He even stabs him, and again nearly throws away
his entire future.
http://www.cracked.com/article_21017_5-unexpected-things-ilearned-from-being-heroin-addict.html
Byrne, Ed. "5 Unexpected Things I Learned from Being a Heroin
Addict." Cracked.com. N.p., 14 Feb. 2014. Web. 10 Sept. 2014.
Sam witnessed a gun being pulled on someone for money in the

very next chapter He ends up being a driver for some crooks and
almost loses all of HIS chances.
Ive never done any sort of drugs, so I didnt have much of

a perspective on what exactly happened to heroin addicts,
or that crackhead that wandered mindlessly into their
hideout and got so viciously attacked.
It finishes with George summarizing that they are absolutely

serious, and that he even broke up with a lovely girlfriend for it.
Peer Pressure describes what he did to avoid being sucked into
the things that befell his friends.
Ive never felt an urge to do drugs, or especially stab people. I get that the characters didnt have a strong
parental influence for most of their lives. What was different for me is that I had, and still have active parents,
and who are heavily, heavily pacifist. Which doesnt mean they want me to roll over and die if attacked, but
they instilled this idea that you dont just do stuff to hurt others for fun or reputation.
Directions:

It pushed me to use my brain, which had been in the

snooze mode practically all four years of high school.
(Hunt, 114)
We also used that time to settle our differences.

Man, you really pissed me off today, one of us would say.
Then the conversation would bounce from one side of the
room to the other in the dark until we were both satisfied
that the issue had been resolved. After that, we were cool
and I was ready to move the conversation onto more
serious stuff, like girls. (Hunt, 115)
Highschool didnt challenge Rameck. Hes a smart
guy, despite his circumstances and he really deserves
the opportunity being presented to him.
Its written in a very detached way, to take the

personal feelings out of it. In a way, its a very
repressed angle, his frustration only revealed as he
moves onto the next topic. This speaks volumes about
who he was, and how he would communicate his
feelings or not, even describing things to other people.
questions.
1. Why did Rameck not find a challenge in highschool?

2. Why did the boys keep getting into the same kinds of trouble?
3. Did religion make for a major factor in their lives?

The New Jersey Educational Opportunity Fund (EOF) was created in

1968 to ensure meaningful access to higher education for those who
come from backgrounds of economic and educational disadvantage. The
Fund assists low-income New Jersey residents who are capable and
motivated but lack adequate preparation for college study
The Undergraduate EOF Grant, available to eligible undergraduate
students, provides the financial assistance to help pay for college. The
academic support program offers students a freshman summer program
that provides a "head start" on the college experience, as well as offers
individual, group and family counseling; tutoring; educational
enrichment through the Center for Learning, Instruction and Assessment
(CLIA); including conferences, seminars, assistantships and standardized
test preparation; and additional services in other areas of need.
A graduate EOF Grant is available to those eligible students who wish to
pursue graduate or professional school studies at Seton Hall University
upon completion of the baccalaureate degree.
Rameck talks about his school friend getting shot. He

discusses summer school, getting up early, having a
curfew at night. Learning at speed about the school
theyll go to, finally challenging himself.
They then tell about a woman named Carla who went
to a book signing, and by almost sheer coincidence
found a bible passage that summed up the situation for
the three boys:
O love the Lord, all ye his saints: for the Lord
preservth the faithful, and plentifully rewardeth the
proud doer. Be of good courage, and he shall
strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the Lord.
http://www.shu.edu/offices/eop-about.cfm
"About EOP - Seton Hall University, New Jersey." About EOP Seton Hall University, New Jersey. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Sept. 2014.
This showed that, thankfully, the EOP program that these

men went through is still available today with the same
mission. It also shows the challenges that it went through,
introduced in 1968 in the civil rights era.
It ends with Rameck once AGAIN beating someone

up and getting into trouble with the campus police and
the law, all for upholding a reputation with his peers. It
backfires horribly and hes glad to be kept at the
school by the skin of his teeth. By the end, he realizes
true gratification came to him from mentoring
children, seeing their reactions to the school program.
It ends with a discussion about how they try to give
back, comparing things to being members of a
professional sports team.
Some of my absolute favorite, and absolute worst memories came from summer camp. From outdoor science
camp, to a generic sports camp, to orchestra camp. I really connected here to the writers more strongly than a lot
of other parts, which I didnt understand.
An exception was the parts with the guns. Having grown up with an interest in guns and police, I could
understand the sort of violence that happened in these communities. I also know what it feels like to hear about
a shooting or look down the barrel of a gun like Sam did.

Directions:

Aw, man yall are dope. Whens your CD coming

out?(Jenkins, 159)
Without saying a word, he motioned for me to follow him

down the hall to the bathroom. He took my tie and
showed me step by step how to knot it. He took it apart
and retied it slowly two or three times. Then, I took it
apart and practiced two or three ties.
With a single line, they show that they had a change
for long-term goals. Its poignant that the true feeling
of accomplishment for them comes from something
that was 100% illegal. Not posturing, beating people
up or doing drugs. Just having fun!
A tie isnt always a tie, after all. Its symbolic of how
hes pulled his life together, tied the knot and made
things tight for himself, become self-reliant.
I tied it one last time.

And from that moment on, the knot I wore was my own.
(Jenkins, 198)
questions.
1. Did being so close knit ever act as a substitute for finding love?
2. Was a rap career really feasible?
3. Why was Tupac so important to the three?

Hovering under the hotel's skull-and-crossbones logo, the four

Crips waited silently as the valet brought out a 1996 white
Cadillac and opened the doors. They piled in and eased the sleek
new sedan into traffic. A fifth Crip in an old yellow Cadillac met
them at the curb and followed close behind. He rode solo, with an
AK-47 assault rifle lying across the front seat.
It opens with the three men exploring a potential

career in rap, drawing great successes where there
were few beforehand. The three eventually have to
decide to preserve the pact and abandon their rap
careers. The next chapter focuses on Rameck and his
love interest, Kay. Things dont go well, but it turns
The Crips couldn't believe their luck. They decided to chuck their
out the relationship spurs on his desire to see medical
plan and strike immediately.
school through. Just then, Sam reveals theyre the first
students accepted into the Seton program. It dips back
The Cadillac raced up on the convoy and pulled up beside the
into romance as Sam finds a girl hes truly into, until it
BMW. Shakur didn't notice. He was flirting with a carful of
women in a lane to his left.
later dawns shes pregnant from another man. George
then discusses their graduation, buying a car. As hes
"I saw four black men roll by in a white Cadillac," said Atlanta
settling in and making his family happy, hes mugged.
rapper E.D.I. Mean, who was in the vehicle directly behind
He doesnt have the hood in him anymore. He learns
Shakur's. "I saw a gun come from the back seat out through the
how to drive stick, and a minor accident occurs thats a
driver's front window."
bonding moment for them. Then Rameck is seemingly
Bullets flew, shattering the windows of the BMW. Shakur tried to minding his own business when the police stop him on
duck into the rear of the car for cover, but four rounds hit him,
racial suspicions, land him with a case that threatens
shredding his chest. Blood was everywhere.
his future. The case is dropped seemingly by chance.
This section is capped with Sam going over the
http://articles.latimes.com/2002/sep/06/business/fi-tupac6
stresses of medical examinations, failing the first time.
After that, he realizes a dentist isnt what he wants to
06, September. "Who Killed Tupac Shakur?" Los Angeles Times.
be and becomes an emergency doctor.
Los Angeles Times, 06 Sept. 2002. Web. 16 Sept. 2014.
I had no idea his death was so violent, that so many
people had a stake in a rappers life and death. It gives
insight on why it was such a big deal for Sam, George and
Rameck, even though they didnt know the gfuy.
Theres a lot to think about. I find a lot less to relate on, as it seems theyve gone over the hump of uncertainty
and realized their dreams, got all their certifications, bought their house and car. I mostly related to the stories
about the girls and learning how to drive cars it seems like common ground for every boy.
Directions:
Ch. or Page Numbers: Chapter 17 to End

With all the trouble and violence, its just so powerful

Instead of going to an established professional, he visited that an act of trust means so much to these guys. And
the clinic at dental school five different times so that I
it really does take trust to let someone just work on
could fill a few of his teeth. I even performed a periodontal your irreplaceable teeth.
surgery on him.(Jenkins, 228)
I saw that peace of mind follows purpose. (Davis, 240)
This sums up everything theyve done, everything they

have gone through to get where they are, and the quiet
realization that has come with success and fame.
questions.
1. How could the military have made things very different for the boys?
2. What happened to the siblings? Why is the ending so abrupty?
3. With the end, is Sam more of a primary narrator than the other two?

A 2012 study showed that only about 2% of adults who collapse

on the street and receive CPR recover fully.
http://www.cnn.com/2013/07/10/health/cpr-lifesaving-stats/
Stix, Madeleine. "Un-extraordinary Measures: Stats Show CPR
Often Falls Flat." CNN. Cable News Network, 01 Jan. 1970.
Web. 18 Sept. 2014.
Was it fair to criticize Sam for the death? Few people

survive because of CPR. Its a very desperate tactic thats
used to buy time for proper treatment, and it really
couldnt have helped in his situation. Even then, it hurt.
The section is prefaced with the three Ds.

Determination, Discipline and Dedication, which are
tightly related, but also very important.
They graduated. It was hysterical, gleeful, the
culmination of their efforts. They ended up in the
news, local heroes. It blew them away, it made their
families happy.
Unfortunately, this was followed up with the
increasing illness of ma. She fell ill, barely making it
through the graduation before needing an implant. She
died not long after and Rameck was forced to accept
the loss. He was a different person.
The final chapter makes full circle. Theyre at home,
settling in. But it emphasizes that the problem isnt
gone, the projects were violent, young men die every
day.
My dad has told me about the patients that hes lost. Or the ones that hes been blamed for. I felt this association
with the characters in these last chapters I just didnt before. Like I knew why they felt the way they did and did
the things they did, because Ive been exposed to the same environment.

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English 1A PacketBook Title: The Pact________________________________John Yoon

Ch. or Page Numbers: Chapter 1-3

Quotation (Evidence from the text)

When I told her what had happened, she started laughing.

Whatever he bought for his two sons, he bought for me

Give a brief plot summary here where you note 2 to 4

Robert Graham, acting executive director of the

George is the most obvious character to follow here

The site of the nation's longest rent strike among

Similar with Sam, who skirts over a lot of details. We

Much like chapter one and two, three is essentially a

English 1A PacketBook Title: The Pact________________________________John Yoon

Ch. or Page Numbers: Chapter 4-7

Quotation (Evidence from the text)

The guy pulled open his oversized black goose-down

They backed off. But I still had a difficult time saying no

I was using heroin daily not because I had jumped off

Give a brief plot summary here where you note 2 to 4

Sam witnessed a gun being pulled on someone for money in the

Ive never done any sort of drugs, so I didnt have much of

It finishes with George summarizing that they are absolutely

English 1A PacketBook Title: The Pact________________________________John Yoon

Ch. or Page Numbers: Chapter 8-10

Quotation (Evidence from the text)

It pushed me to use my brain, which had been in the

We also used that time to settle our differences.

Its written in a very detached way, to take the

1. Why did Rameck not find a challenge in highschool?

Give a brief plot summary here where you note 2 to 4

The New Jersey Educational Opportunity Fund (EOF) was created in

Rameck talks about his school friend getting shot. He

This showed that, thankfully, the EOP program that these

It ends with Rameck once AGAIN beating someone

English 1A PacketBook Title: The Pact________________________________John Yoon

Ch. or Page Numbers: Chapter 11-16

Quotation (Evidence from the text)

Aw, man yall are dope. Whens your CD coming

Without saying a word, he motioned for me to follow him

I tied it one last time.

Give a brief plot summary here where you note 2 to 4

Hovering under the hotel's skull-and-crossbones logo, the four

It opens with the three men exploring a potential

English 1A PacketBook Title: The Pact________________________________John Yoon

Ch. or Page Numbers: Chapter 17 to End

Quotation (Evidence from the text)

With all the trouble and violence, its just so powerful

I saw that peace of mind follows purpose. (Davis, 240)

This sums up everything theyve done, everything they

Give a brief plot summary here where you note 2 to 4

A 2012 study showed that only about 2% of adults who collapse

Was it fair to criticize Sam for the death? Few people

The section is prefaced with the three Ds.

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