Symbolism of the Drums
By: Chris D.
Have you ever had anything life threatening happen to you or a loved one? In Drums Girls and Dangerous Pie the main character Steven has to face his brother, Jeffery, getting Leukemia (A type of cancer). Jordan Sonnenblick creates a story of an older brother having to deal with a “pain” of a younger brother who soon bond together. One way they do is by Jeffrey creating the Dangerous Pie. Jeffery puts together a concoction of spices, sauces, and Stevens autographed drum sticks that he idolized into the mix. In the beginning of the book it is used to show how Jeffery annoys Steven but later becomes a way for them to bond together and to remember what times were like before he got cancer. She also gives Steven a love for the drums. In the book the drums are a big significance. They are a way for Steven to sort of get out his feelings about Jeffery being sick.
Without the drums in this book it could have taken a completely different path. Because the drums are a safe and fun way to cope with emotions the story luckily doesn’t go too deep into the dark parts of what being a teenager can consist of. The drums are also how Steven fits in. He met all of his major friends through band so without them he would have no other way of getting rid of his feelings. He gets so into coping with his feelings and drumming that there are many points in the story where he doesn’t realize when people walk into the room. One example is: “I looked up in the middle of a Led Zeppelin drum solo and my dad was sitting on the beat-up old couch about 8 feet in front if my bass drum. He startled me pretty badly and I figured he was probably about 43% deaf if he had been sitting there a while.”
Dangerous Pie is a different story. Dangerous Pie throughout the book changes its meaning. In the beginning it’s a way for Steven to describe how mean and annoying his brother is. At the climax of the book it becomes a way for Steven and Jeffery to remember what things were like before he got cancer. (To learn more about that click here) In the beginning the first you hear about the Pie is: “Take this for example the “Dangerous Pie” incident. Jeffrey’s Dangerous Pie was a zesty blend of coffee grinds, raw eggs, and their smashed shells, Coke, uncooked bacon, and three Matchbox racing cars. The Special Sticks STILL smell funny.”
Without the drums in this book it could have taken a completely different path. Because the drums are a safe and fun way to cope with emotions the story luckily doesn’t go too deep into the dark parts of what being a teenager can consist of. The drums are also how Steven fits in. He met all of his major friends through band so without them he would have no other way of getting rid of his feelings. He gets so into coping with his feelings and drumming that there are many points in the story where he doesn’t realize when people walk into the room. One example is: “I looked up in the middle of a Led Zeppelin drum solo and my dad was sitting on the beat-up old couch about 8 feet in front if my bass drum. He startled me pretty badly and I figured he was probably about 43% deaf if he had been sitting there a while.”
Dangerous Pie is a different story. Dangerous Pie throughout the book changes its meaning. In the beginning it’s a way for Steven to describe how mean and annoying his brother is. At the climax of the book it becomes a way for Steven and Jeffery to remember what things were like before he got cancer. (To learn more about that click here) In the beginning the first you hear about the Pie is: “Take this for example the “Dangerous Pie” incident. Jeffrey’s Dangerous Pie was a zesty blend of coffee grinds, raw eggs, and their smashed shells, Coke, uncooked bacon, and three Matchbox racing cars. The Special Sticks STILL smell funny.”
dangerous_pie_sheet.docx | |
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File Type: | docx |