OR post #4

How do the characters face the conflicts and how does going through these conflicts help the characters to learn more about themselves?

As stated in the previous post, Cal the main character faces his conflict with Gretchen, the daughter of an abusive father. One step he takes to face this conflict is to do whatever he can to get her father out of her life and stop him from abusing her. To do this Cal has the idea of framing her father for stealing a bunch of liquor and smashing his car in the front window of the liquor store. he followed through with the plan and eventually her father was sent to prison for all the heinous crimes he committed (West 264). Cal chose to go to such lengths because he is not able to go straight to the police for fear that an investigation would warn Gretchen's father and that because Gretchen said so, he would probably kill her if he sensed trouble. In the process of framing him however, Cal got in trouble with the law for stealing liquor to act as her father's and was not able to watch his classmates graduate at the end of the year (West 272). Cal is able to learn that he is a soft person and can care for people by going to such great measures to save a girl's life. His sacrifices do not go to waste as Gretchen, her mother and two sisters live free as her father sits in jail. Cal stats that he regrets nothing as he says, "I was glad I did what I did!" (West 273). Cal does a good deed and learns that he is a good man.

Gretchen Lutterman has a very grave conflict with her abusive father. After killing her baby, that he conceived, he tells Gretchen that if she tells anyone about what he did he will claim that she was the one who killed the baby. Because of this and the threatening demeanor of her father throughout her life Gretchen leads a life in fear. It took guts for her to seek help from Cal and risk her life. We see a glimpse of her anxiety when Cal takes her to Minneapolis during school and Gretchen throws a fit worrying that her father who was at work in St. Paul would find her. Gretchen shows new colors as she goes against her father and ask Cal to put him away. This behavior teaches her that inside of her timid self there was some courage after all. When her father is sent to prison and Gretchen can lead a more normal lifestyle she starts to have fun and be more like everybody else. Going to a school dance taught her that she could be free and that her life did not have to be isolated (West 260). After a life in fear, Gretchen discovers courage and happiness through a dangerous ordeal.