They Cage the Animals at Night

They Cage the Animals at Night

Important Quotes

"Well..." She looked up and out through the barred window before answering me."We don't want to, Jennings, but we have to. You see, the animals that are given to us we have to take care of. If we didn't cage them up in one place, we might lose them, they might get hurt or damaged. It's not the best thing, but it's the only way we have to take care of them" (56).

By: Jessica Glazbrook, Sharlena Tien, Anooshka Barua

JENNINGS REALIZES THAT NO ONE HAS TO BE "CAGED" BUT NEEDS TO BE OPEN

Significant Insights

Escape

"Could be I only know Mom. I met George or Walter once or twice, but I don't know them. I don't know you, either." ( Jerome)

"But we're brothers aren't we?" (Jennings)

"What does that mean?"

"Uh...it means...uh...I don't know, what does it mean?"

He laughed. "It means more than just having the same last name doesn't it?" pg.105

Artistry in Detail

Escape

"You know, sonny, all my life I've been bitter and mean and angry. I never went out of my way to be kind to anyone. I never went out of my way to talk to anyone...That's why I was sitting all by myself." (Sal) pg. 159

• Got hooked fast
• as a reader it was easy to forget about everything else that was going on
• imagining going through what such a young kid did was horrifying
• makes you be on his side
• while reading the book escape was a huge part of the entire book

knowing that other people like Sal one of the main characters was there for him made it want you to read more to know what was going to happen and if he was going to end up helping him out in the end

"There was something in what he said. He did give a lot to the family, but he took a lot, too. I think the bitterness and meanness made everyone forget he was doing good things, or was it the other way around? Was he bitter and mean because nobody gave him credit for the good things he was doing? I was confused." pg. 183

Clarity

• throughout the book there was a common pattern

love

• Jennings has a hard time realizing what love actually is because he has a mom who leaves him and then gets put in different homes
• Jennings has one companion throughout the entire book, which is Doggie
• Doggie is a stuffed animal that he got at the Sister Of Angels home which he find comfort in when he is scared
• Quote: "I took Doggie under the covers with me and hugged him. I didn't have to tell him Stevie was gone, he just sort of knew. I kissed him a few times and tucked him under my pillow" (90).

• Overall the book is very easy to understand
• Since the book was written by the main character it makes the reader want to keep reading and know what is going to happen since he is so young
• From the readers point of view:
• Knows and feels what is going to happen next since it is easy to understand

Reflection of Real Life

Internal Consistency

• Novel is an autobiography
• Events appear very realistic as the emotions expressed seem very heartfelt

• Each part of the book related to the evolution of Jennings’s mentality
• Mark- friendship
• Sal-love
• Stacy-ability to open to people
• Jerome- brother
• Family- blood-related does not always define “family”
• Frazier family- rich people
• Different orphanages/home-adaptability
• Police/ police family- support
• Martha- mother

INTRODUCING

THE NINE

YARDSTICKS

Personal Beliefs

• At many times the author's personal beliefs can be seen through the dialogue of important elderly figures who help to guide Jennings in the book.
• Sal
• Jerome
• Clarence
• George

THEY CAGE THE ANIMALS AT NIGHT

Author: Jennings Michael Burch

Tone

Story Overview: A young boy, who is left by his mother, goes through the child-care system.

Talks about moving from home to home, loneliness, friendship, and love

• Attitude and personality of the author
• Written in his point of view
• Present – Past – Present
• Reminiscent
• Thankful
• Hopeful
• Glad to find something happy and great in the future

Family

Emotional Impact

Home

• Mother
• single; sick and can't afford to take care of all of them
• Walter
• Second oldest, education oriented
• George
• Oldest, supports the family, drunk
• Larry
• Older than Jennings, runs away
• Gene
• Baby of the family
• Jerome

• Brother, spends most of his time in the hospital

Orphanages

• Carpenter family
• First family he lives with
• Physically and mentally abused by Mrs. Carpenter
• Mr. Carpenter takes him back to orphanage
• Fraziers
• Changed Jennings's definition of "rich people"
• Finds Martha, motherly figure
• Daily family
• Police officer
• Helps Jennings and does not take him to jail
• Sal
• Father figure

• Home of the Angels
• first orphanage Jennings is put into
• Meets Mark and receives Doggie
• St. Teresa
• second orphanage Jennings is put into
• Physically abused by Sister Barbara
• Tries to run away but police brings him back
• Brooklyn Shelter
• Meets Mark and has the first feeling of "brother"
• Yonkers
• Tries to run away; publicly humiliated

"She put her arms around me and hugged me. I tried to loosen the words in my throat, but I couldn't. She rocked and hugged me for a few minutes before she left" (287).

• Type/Intensity of Emotion:
• Sympathy
• Inspiring
• Hopeful
• Recurring Emotion (Oscillations)
• Happy-sad-happy cycle
• Relating to a younger child
• Emotional throughout the novel

Picture sources: http://www.greenwichschools.org/page.cfm?p=2730

http://www.mibba.com/Reviews/Book/465/They-Cage-The-Animals-At-Night/