Summary of Main Events
Ben Bancroft is a lonely boy with no parents and a overprotective grandmother. Ben has been growing up with no friends, no family, and nobody to love him besides his own grandmother. The closest thing Ben has to be happy is going to the movie theater and to watch the Bride of Frankenstein, which he has seen a hundred times already. One day, when he goes to the theater, he meets a girl named Colleen Minou, who is a stoner and a drug dealer. She is not the kind of girl that Ben should ever be introduced to, but they quickly build a "relationship."
Ben gets a new neighbor named Marcie, who is divorced and lives on her own. Grandmother makes Ben invite her over for brunch; she politely accepts. When Marcie comes over, she talks about how she was in a filmmaking class in college, and how she made a short film about heart transplants. Ben was very interested and wanted to learn a lot more. Colleen and Marcie talk Ben into making his own film. He ends up calling it High School Confidential. Colleen gets put into Rehab for a month. While Colleen is in rehab, Ben finishes his short film. Marcie's college professor has pulled some strings, and now Ben has gotten entered into a filmmaking competition. This story continues by Colleen becoming a drug addict again and Ben meeting a new girl.
Ben gets a new neighbor named Marcie, who is divorced and lives on her own. Grandmother makes Ben invite her over for brunch; she politely accepts. When Marcie comes over, she talks about how she was in a filmmaking class in college, and how she made a short film about heart transplants. Ben was very interested and wanted to learn a lot more. Colleen and Marcie talk Ben into making his own film. He ends up calling it High School Confidential. Colleen gets put into Rehab for a month. While Colleen is in rehab, Ben finishes his short film. Marcie's college professor has pulled some strings, and now Ben has gotten entered into a filmmaking competition. This story continues by Colleen becoming a drug addict again and Ben meeting a new girl.
Main Characters
Ben Bancroft - A 16 year old boy with cerebral palsy, a girlish voice, small and puny, a very shy boy who keeps in his own circle.
Colleen Minou - A 16 year old girl who wears ripped jeans, neon miniskirt and an impressive array of tattoos, she has an attitude problem and will not listen to many people, a drug addict who can't quite.
Marcie - Late thirties, divorced, caring, very interesting, she's like a mother to Ben but Ben doesn't realize it.
Colleen Minou - A 16 year old girl who wears ripped jeans, neon miniskirt and an impressive array of tattoos, she has an attitude problem and will not listen to many people, a drug addict who can't quite.
Marcie - Late thirties, divorced, caring, very interesting, she's like a mother to Ben but Ben doesn't realize it.
Character Analysis
Ben interacts with his grandmother, Colleen, and Marcie. Been doesn't really have much of a social life outside of them. Ben's main purpose in this book is, him becoming a new person. He opens up to the outside world and gives other people a chance in life.
Colleen interacts with Ben, Marcie and everybody else that goes to his school and even the people who are outside of school. She interacts with some many people either buying or selling drugs. Colleen's purpose in this book is for Ben to come out of his shell and so Colleen will stop doing the things she does.
Marcie interacts with Ben and Colleen she doesn't really go out with many adults. Marcie main purpose in this book is introducing Ben to filmmaking, and building confidence.
Colleen interacts with Ben, Marcie and everybody else that goes to his school and even the people who are outside of school. She interacts with some many people either buying or selling drugs. Colleen's purpose in this book is for Ben to come out of his shell and so Colleen will stop doing the things she does.
Marcie interacts with Ben and Colleen she doesn't really go out with many adults. Marcie main purpose in this book is introducing Ben to filmmaking, and building confidence.
Event Analysis
Ben and Colleen meeting at the Rialto Theatre , is a key event to this story without them meeting this story would just be Ben and his grandmother talking back and forth. There would be no plot in this whole story. Colleen makes the story interesting you never know what she will do next. She is very reckless and isn't worried about any consequences. While Ben is laid back and worried all the time, but when he is with Colleen everything changes. If Ben would have never met Colleen, he would've never became someone who is more outgoing.
Marcie moved in a house right across the street from Ben. If Ben's grandmother wasn't so polite and invite Marcie over for brunch Ben would have never been so obsessed with the film making. Marcie took been in and shows him how to make a short films. Without Marcie in this book Ben would've gotten nowhere. He would have never found interest in filmmaking, but only film watching. Marcie opens new doors for Ben.
Theme
One of the recurring Themes is a boy with Cerebral Palsy
Quotes
"But this time it just depresses me. Those guys --- are everything I'm not. Not just tall and good looking with arms and legs that work. Not just that. They at least do stuff."" Ben Bancroft pg. 16
""I was never like other kids. Obviously right?" "Because of your CD." "C.P., but yeah. Like when guys are getting out their bats and gloves and stuff for spring training, I'm renting The Natural and Field of Dreams. They're signing up for tae kwon do, I settle for Karate Kid. Their folks take them to Raging Rapids, I watch Waterworld. My whole life was like that."" Ben and Colleen pg. 44
""You started it. You want to blame your mom and dad because you're a snob, go ahead. But it's bullshit." " A minute ago I was just a loser. Now I'm a snob too?" "Well, what do you call a guy who never talks to anybody?" "Hey, nobody talks to me." "And that's somebody else's fault?" "I'm a spaz, in case you haven't noticed." Colleen holds out her hand and lifts a finger for every name: "Don Secoli is in a wheelchair, and he's Mr. High School. Karen Radley's practically deaf, and she still plays drums in some garage band. Doris Schumacher's blind, but all you have to do is say one word to her and she knows who you are. Get over yourself, okay?"" Colleen and Ben pg.73
Point of view or Structure
Stoner & Spaz, point of view is from Ben Bancroft, the boy with Cerebral Palsy.
Ben point of view affects the story by having his life completely change in the story. If this story would've been in anybody else's point of view you would not see the change in Ben.
The author chooses Ben's point of view because, he has the most changes in the story. Nobody else really changes in the story besides Ben.
Ben point of view affects the story by having his life completely change in the story. If this story would've been in anybody else's point of view you would not see the change in Ben.
The author chooses Ben's point of view because, he has the most changes in the story. Nobody else really changes in the story besides Ben.