The boy, who drank too much - by Shep Greene

The boy, who drank too much

by Shep Greene

First essential scene:

Once in a hocky-game Buff loses his teeth, because the puck hits him right at

his front teeth. Buff and his friend (I don`t know the name of his friend,

because he is the narrator) go to the hospital, where Buff gets twelve stiches

in his mouth.

Later Buff and his friend go home to Buff. There Buff tells his friend about his

father. His father is an alcoholic, and since he has killed his wife in a car

accident because of his alcoholism, he drinks permanently, and he beats Buff

up with his fists, and that`s the way Buff has to stay.His father wants him to

play hocky, because the father himself was a famous hockey-player in former

times and he wants his son achieve that. But Buff wants to quit with this kind of

sport and out of that there starts a quarrel with his father. Mr. Saunders, that`s

the name of his father, grabs Buff by the back of the neck and he pins him

against the wall. Mr. Saunders is also drunk at this time.

Second essential scene:

One day at school Julie, the girlfriend of Buff`s friend, finds Buff drunk.

Immediatly she goes to his boyfriend and tells him, she finds Buff. They race

to Buff and help him. Buff is slumped on a bench, eyes closed. Julie calls a

friend; her name is Ruth, to help them. In the meantime, while Julie and Buff`s

friend wait for Ruth, Buff is in a very bad condition. He groans and he is

unconscious for a while. About fifteen minutes later Ruth came with her car

and brings Buff to her.

Third essential scene:

Buff moves to Ruth, where he feels much better. He doesn`t want to go back

to his father. Buff wants to get rid of his drinking-problem, so he attends a

rehabilitations programm, where after only two visits he says it helps. Buff

quits hocky and school. He wants to go to Canada, where he wants to be a

druck-driver,after he feels good enough to leave.

Opinion:

I like this book, because it`s realistic and the reader can imagine the contests

very well. I think we should do it like the boy (narrator), help outsiders dealing

with their problems.I also like the way it is written, with many direct speeches.