Skud

Michael Jordan once said, “You have to expect things of yourself before you can

do them.” In the novel Skud, by Dennis Foon, Andy, has gone through an influential

transformation that directed him from an insecure boy to mature, self-confident young

man. Andy was a geek that got beat up by Tommy and Brad and he was too sluggish to

guard himself. After getting beaten up by them, Shane, a mysterious leader of the TMR,

helps Andy by getting Tommy and Brad off his back. Andy’s luck has changed ever since

that moment. Everybody treated him nicely and his acting career was starting to get

better. Andy never gave up on himself even when things got rough and learns the words

that his dad wrote to him. Be a Man.

Tommy was always a geeky kid that had a dream of becoming an actor. When

Tommy saw Andy kissing Sheila at drama class, Tommy went to the roof of the school to

have a talk with Andy. Tommy pushed him to the ground and told Andy to be at the cage

after school. The first thing that was going on in Andy’s head was, “I have no choice. The

rule is you take the challenge or get swarmed when you’re least prepare” (p 24). He knew

that he would get beat up and he didn’t have confidence in himself. At the Cage, Tommy

and Brad got Andy to take off his clothes and made him look senseless. They beaten him

up and Andy couldn’t fight back against them. Andy gets angry but he doesn’t lose hope

after getting beaten up.

When everything seems to be going horrible with Andy, Shane, one of the leaders

of the TMR, got Tommy and Brad to stop beating Andy up helped Andy. Andy was

stunned at how Shane helped him out and began to lose fear in Shane. After the incident,

he went to an audition and everyone liked the way he looked. Andy got a phone call from

his agent and he actually got to talk to Preston. Preston told him that he got a call back

and that he has a chance of getting the part. “I can’t believe the day I’m...