Be My Own Leader

In the book, The Dead and The Gone By Susan Beth Pfeffer, the main character, Alex, and his two sisters, Julie and Briana, were in a state of hunger and were willing to do anything to get the food they needed to survive. Throughout the whole story, Alex had to mature just so that his two sisters could survive. He had to sacrifice alot just so that his sister could have food and could stay safe. This all made him a better person.

One thing that helped Alex mature was the fact that both his parent weren't home to be the leaders of the family. So, Alex was willing to step up to the plate and do whatever he had to do so that they could all survive.

"I am responsible for the both of you, atleast until Papi or Mami come back." (94)

I think that this shows that Alex feels alot of responsibility for his sisters and wants the best for them. Here, he had to send Briana off to a farm in the countryside, so that she would have enough food and they could all survive. He felt that making this decision was best for the family he now had to keep safe and alive without his parents. I think this situation and this decision he had to make made him prove to himself that he was a better person could do anything.

Another thing that helped Alex mature was that he felt he had to act like his father so that the house would stay peaceful, but at times he took things too far and yet still felt what he did was what his own father would do.

"'Who died and made you boss?' Julie said. Without even thinking, Alex slapped her hard across the face." (69)

After, he talks of how his father would've done the same thing, but unlike his father, Alex had a kind heart and knew what he had done was wrong. At first, he had felt that she got what she disserved because she had to respect him and that was that, but then he noticed that just because his father did that it didn't make it right. He noticed that alot of the things that his father did weren't right. He had to be his own person his own leader of the family. This was a lesson that he learned and that made him a better person.

I think that all the trouble Alex and his family went through was worth it becasue in the end everyone became a better person and matured. I think that this book taught me that when the time comes I may have to step up and be a leader, but I can't follow the bad things that people before me have done, I have to be my own person, be my own leader.