Top Ten List.

(no particular order)

1. A Motif of Relationships

Relationships occur frequently in the book The Slow Moon. There are many Characters who were introduced through out the book; some who have very large and crucial roles and some who have small and very un-noticeable parts. One thing that keeps all these characters bound. Relationships. Some relationships in the book are:
- Crow and his mother: Small but united with love and support for each other
- Crow and his father (Carl): At times distant but the love and caring is constant.
- Crow and Sophie: Strong at the beginning but grows apart after the attack.
- Crow and friends: Strong, unique bond that is frequently put to the test.
- Sophie and her mother (Rita): Strong and loving, often filled with pressure.
- Tom and Crow’s brother (Johnny): a loving relationship, care for each other as friends. Although Tom turns out to be a homosexual while Johnny claims to be straight.

2. The Viewpoint of an Adult to a Teenager

All the adults in The Slow Moon believe Crow to be an innocent young man. They believe that such a hardworking and loyal son would never be able to commit such a horrific crime such as this. There is also the viewpoint of Sophie’s mother. Rita believes that Crow did commit the crime because he was really “always too old for her, and he only wanted one thing.” These are very typical viewpoints of teenagers from adults. Adults believe either they are Heaven sent or have the soul of a demon. Both of these opinions are brought up in the book.

3. The Character Crow

The character Crow is important to the book because he either witnessed or became part of every key point in the story line. The main event that Crow is part of is the attacking of Sophie, although he did not commit the crime, he was present. Sophie and Crow were getting intimate when they realized that they had forgotten something in the truck, so Crown left to retrieve it. Sophie stayed back, but by the time Crow returned, Sophie was badly injured and near unconsciousness. Another key part of the story is when there is a trial, which is being held because Crow is the main suspect in Sophie’s attack.

4. The Character Bobby

The character Bobby was a key participate in the book because he was Crow’s best friend. Bobby was also Sophie’s neighbor. She met him first, and went to one of his band practices with him, which is where she met Crow. Sophie was the only girl that he wanted more than anything, but was also the only girl he couldn’t get with his good looks and charm. In the very last section of the book, we find out that Sophie remembers who were her attackers. One happens to be Bobby; he turns himself in, in order to keep her from being assaulted with questions.

5. The Motif of Loyalty.

Loyalty is shown very often throughout the course of this book. The loyalty Crow has for Sophie. He never begins to doubt her, never hates her, but only shows loyalty to her decisions and does whatever he can to help her through the situation. She could not recall who were her attackers for most of the book, but Crow never gave up trying to help her, even when she speculated that it might be him. There was also loyalty from Crows parents to him, they never doubted him, and they stuck by his side the whole way through.

6. The Quote, “Are we still human?”

This was thought by Crow. He kept noticing how everyone was tearing everyone else apart. They were trying to make it so that they would not be caught on the crime they committed. They were acting like animals trying to defend themselves. Crow was innocent so he did not understand why his friends were acting in the way they were, little did he know that they were the ones who committed the horrific crime.

7. The Character of Sophie

This character is very important because, she, like Crow was very influential on all of the major events in the book. She was the one who was attacked in the woods the night of the party. She was the one constantly being questioned. She was the one who was terribly injured and put in the hospital for a long time. She was the one who needed to remember her attackers faces but couldn’t.

8. The Reoccurrence of Forbidden Love

There were three main examples of forbidden love in this book.
-Crow and Sophie: Sophie’s mother always thought that Crow was too old for her daughter, but went along with their relationship thinking if Sophie was happy she should be as well. Then the attack happened and Rita would not allow Sophie even speak to Crow, or his family at that.
- Tom and Johnny: Tom loves Johnny, but Johnny was not quite sure if he loved Tom in the same way that he was being loved by Tom. Tom came out to Johnny stating that he was a homosexual. Johnny was not sure yet, he like a girl named Madison but was not sure if it was just a cover up.
-Carl and Ava: Ava was Crow’s aunt who Carl (Crow’s father) truly loved. She would come for a visit and they would have their romance. But it was forbidden because Carl was married, to her sister.

9. The Mystery
The whole book is a mystery. The theme is very constant. The mystery of who attacked Sophie? Was it really Crow? The mystery of determining when Sophie will realize. The mystery of whether Sophie knew the attackers personally, or if they were just some stranger. There were many mysteries in this book.

10. The Message

The message of this book is to think before you act. The decision that Crow and Sophie made to become intimate at the party was bad. The decision that Crow’s friends made to drink was bad, they could not control their actions. The message was very important because it showed how people should always stick together if your friends or family, that you should always make decisions together and never let anyone down.

Post B. Section 7. The Slow Moon.

In this very last section of the book, it begins with Rita purchasing sandwiches from Charlie’s favorite deli and her preparing brownies for him to come over and eat for lunch. It spoke of how the weeks without Sophie had greatly spurred their romance and brought them closer together than ever. The book talked of there first kiss, their first time together and how unique Charlie was and how Rita was not able to be anyone else after Ben. But Charlie was different she had determined. When Sophie returned to town, she called Bobby within a few days. She remembered who had raped her that night. “You’ve got to say what you did Bobby.” (page 244) is what Sophie said to Bobby. Bobby, Tom, and Casey were the boys that had raped her. She needed them to admit what they had done so that she did not have to go through questioning. You find out that Bobby and his friends had been drinking when they attacked her, he didn’t know why they did it. He claimed that they were all out of their minds that night. She makes sure that he is going to turn himself in with the others numerous times and Bobby reassures her, that yes, he will.

Post A. Section 7. The Slow Moon.

Vocabulary

1. Hodgepodge: Noun (Page 251)
- A heterogeneous mixture; jumble.
- A mixture of dissimilar ingredients
2. Appeased: Verb (Page 287)
- To bring to a state of peace, quiet, ease, calm, or contentment; pacify; soothe
- To satisfy, allay, or relieve; assuage
- To yield or concede to the belligerent demands of (a nation, group, person, etc.) in a conciliatory effort, sometimes at the expense of justice or other principles.

Emerging Theme

One theme that consistently is emerging in the book would be that when a character performs an action, they always look back on why they did what they did. Ex. Tom threatens to commit suicide, so Johnny, after declining Tom’s love/ having a romantic relationship with him looks back on why he chose to tell Tom he was straight.

Post B. Section 6. The Slow Moon.

Summary

In the beginning of this section Aurelia Bailey, Bobby’s mother, was on her way down a highway. She then exited due to fact that she grew bored of no scenery and wanted something for her eyes to enjoy. When she reached her destination, Kentucky, of which she drove to in order to get Bobby. She noticed Robert, her ex-husband, did not look nearly the same as he had when she last saw him. His hair had turned gray; skin became rough-edged, and had a lineny texture to him. She learned that Bobby had only had an okay time, and realized that he did not like the presence of his father as much as he had imagined he would. He asked if she had ever gone to see him while he was in the slammer, she responded, “Once. Once I did. It was his thirtieth birthday.” (Page 213). Bobby did not seem as interested in the topic as he was prior to meeting his father. In the chapter following Tom came home from band practice at Casey’s house to find his family packing for a trip. He finds out that Peter, his brother, was docked in Norfolk, Virginia for a few days and that they were going to go visit him while he was there. They would be visiting him the same weekend that the band is scheduled to play at Sweetwater, where they had been booked for months. His parents give him no mercy and tell him that the band will just have to play without him. The chapter following that about Grace and Sophie, it talks about how they did not have a chance to be alone the whole evening. “Grace did not want to say it, but she thought Sophie looked terrible. Sophie was thin, her skin looked like plastic, rubbery, her expression one of forced reasonableness.

Post A. Section 6. The Slow Moon.

Vocabulary

1. Penchant: noun (page 215)
- A strong inclination, taste, or liking for something
- A definite liking; a strong inclination.
2. Nauseated: Verb (page 221)
- To affect with nausea; sicken
- To cause to feel extreme disgust

Quote

“I’ll wait for you.” This was said by Sophie’s friend Grace. Grace said this because she did not want Sophie to be alone, not even for a minute. She had become very protective over her friend and wanted her to have the best care while being safe at the same time. This attitude had become a new concept since she heard of Sophie’s attack. Her saying that she will wait for Sophie relates because it shows that she will wait for her to become the person she was again that nothing can keep her from being there for her friend.

Post B. Part 5. (The Slow Moon).

In the beginning of the section, Crow is acquitted and the family seems relieved although Helen (Crows mother) seems as though that was not enough. Bobby comes to the Davenports to talk to Crow, try to cheer him up, while informing him that everyone is going to the river. When Crow arrives after everyone had been waiting, they begin to discuss and exchange information on the Battle of the Bands. An argument breaks out, when Lester suggests that they all go jump off the cliff into the river like the old days. Crow gets edgy but participates anyways, for a while it all seems like everything is well again. In the view of Sophie, the trial my have been over for Crow but Sophie still had troubles of her own. “The trail was over, but nothing seemed over for Sophie. She still had sleepless nights and was afraid to close her eyes for fear that something terrible might happen in her dreams, or in her life” (Page 175). Crow and she finally talk when he runs into her as she is walking out of the local hardware store where her mother works. He offers her a ride home and she accepts. He asks her if she was angry at him for stating everything that happen between them in court, she said no that he had to say what he must. Before Crow leaves, Sophie informs him that she cannot take the pressure of everything that is happening in town right now and that she wants to go back to Montana. She asks her mother if she could go, and her mother asks her how long. She begs to stay the whole summer by herself but they compromise on only a month or two. The section ends with Crow driving past Sophie’s house, awaiting her return even though she had only been gone for a week.

Post A. Part 5. (The Slow Moon).

Vocabulary

1. Arbitrary: Adjective (page 190)
-Decided by a judge or arbiter rather than by a law or statute.
-Subject to individual will or judgment without restriction; contingent solely upon one's discretion
2. Malicious: Adjective (page 200)
-Full of, characterized by, or showing malice; malevolent; spiteful
-Vicious, wanton, or mischievous in motivation or purpose.

Emerging Theme.

Trust is one emerging theme in the book. Sophie talks to Crow and tells him that although she does not remember what happened that night at the Fairchild house that she trusts that he did not commit such a horrendous crime.