Rules of survival by Nancy Werlin is about a boy named Matt
trying to help his little sisters and himself live through life while trying to
survive against there drug addicted mother and here dangerous off set
moods. Matt and his sisters can live
much longer with their mother because she is getting to out of hand and the
littlest sister is acting out against the mother and that is putting Matt and
the other sister in trouble. The book
takes place in only a few settings that all have a great impact on the
story. Also throughout the book Matt
changes mentally and physically which helps him deal with his mother. But most importantly it’s the people that
inspire him and change him the help Matt the most. All through the book Matt is always trying to
find help and a way to get away from his mother and keep his sisters safe. And his mother is the biggest obstacle they
face to getting to freedom and escape her.
The message it’s trying to convey is when you grow up they’re many tough
obstacles but they’re always people around you that can help.
In the book
there are a few settings but in each one something deep always happens that
shapes the story. The first setting is
in the very beginning in side the small corner store. This is where they meet Murdoch, a man the
helps them escape their mother and gives them comfort and safety around
her. Then there is the car ride home
when the mother is driving and she has a mood swing about how the kids didn’t
say thank you so she drove into opposing traffic and ranting about how no one
is grateful. That is when Matt really
realized that they need to get away from her and fast. Then the most important scene was in the dockyard
when matt was rescuing his little sister and the mother tried to stop him. The mother was on the floor and Matt was
ready to kill her but he was interrupted.
This was when Matt knew he had to end it all but he had to think it over
but he didn’t have enough time. He was
also thinking over the consequences and positives of the situation.
There are a
few people in the book that helped Matt become who he is. The first is the mother Nikki she made him
think about what was around him and what to do.
The way Nikki did this was by being her normal drug addict-self and
having her dangerous mood swings. Matt
had to adapt to these ways and had to think fast to protect him and his
sisters. The next is Aunt Bobbie she
helped Matt get away from Nikki and took custody of the kids. She helped Matt feel safe and made him not
afraid of anything anymore because he was away from the danger now. Next is Murdoch he was the one the Matt
looked up to and wanted to be he wanted to be exactly like him to be strong,
not afraid, and daring. He also related
to Murdoch because they had the same problems growing up. He was all around the role model that changed
Matt to be like him.
Now lastly
I would describe Matt in the beginning as a kid that seems lost but dedicated
to trying to get away from his mothers grasp.
Also that he is weak but a very quick and smart thinker. Plus he is like the leader and can take
charge of a group and lead the situation into better hands or towards
victory. After meeting Murdoch I think
he became more aware of everything and he noticed how bad he has it and that
freedom and peace shouldn’t be taken lightly and you should enjoy it but not
for long. Also he notices a lot more
things like others life problems and the difficulty of escape and the odds of
escaping. Then near the end of the book
he is stronger physically and mentally he has no fear of his mother and he is
compltetly free from his mother in general.
He still has all his other traits but doesn’t have to worry much but is
still always expecting the unexpected.
