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I Picked high school musical because Troy Bolten's Dad did not understand his love for music, just like Troy Cullen did not understand Jake that well. At the end of both scenarios, the father and son relationships grew and they got to understand each other.
Once Jake started to believe in himself, his confidence rose and he started playing unbelievably. He forgot about all the expectations and just played football.
After Jake catches a touchdown to win the state championship, his coach was joking around and told him he should try being a receiver, but Jake responds quickly and says,¨No, sir, I'm a Cullen, which means I'm a quarterback.¨ (page 259) This is the first time where Jake compares himself to his family in a positive way. Before the season started and Nate told Jake to go show the coaches what kind of talent he had, Jake was unsure if he was even good and/or if he would even be starting that year, or the years after that. Jake had a huge confidence boost, and now is having fun playing football and WANTS to follow in his family's footsteps. Jake developed his confidence and his security throughout this novel because he learned that he might not have the same talent as his dad and Wyatt, but he could still produce at a high level.
Jake starts out the novel not confident in himself, and lacking the ability to believe in himself. Mike Lupica writes, '¨I’m telling you straight up,¨ Nate said. ¨It’s up to you to make them see what you got.¨ Jake thought to himself, and not for the first time. How do I do that when I still don’t see it in myself?’ (page 16) This example of Jake's mindset in the beginning if the novel expresses his lack of drive, courage, or ¨swagger.¨ Nate tries to get him ready, but Jake, in his mind, is telling himself he won't be ready. This exchange came right before Jake had the opportunity to show the coaches his talent, and make a run for the starting quarter back job at Granger High. Instead of saying ¨let's do it¨, he feels sorry for himself and does not have enough belief in his own talent level because he is always comparing himself to his 'amazing' brother Wyatt, and his dad, who were both legendary quarterbacks.
Once Jake let go of the pressure and believed in himself, his teammates starting looking up to him and he ended up winning the State Championship
After all the pressure set upon Jake in this story, as the book progresses, he begins to just forget about his dad and brother, and play football. Mike Lupica writes, 'Jake wasn't sure why he was showing this kind of confidence in him, not the way he'd just turned the ball over. But Jake was determined to reward that confidence.' (page 160) Even though he started out rough in this particular game, and turned the ball over, his coach kept faith in him, so Jake decided to prove his coach's decision to keep him in right. Jake's confidence is boosting as the story develops, and he is having fun because of it. This is a true example of someone building confidence because someone important invested their faith in them, and they want to go out and prove them right. Near the beginning of the story, Jake might of not readily took on the challenge.
Not only does Jake have to get the starting job at Granger High over a Senior, and a very talented kid named Casey out of California, but if he doesn't, he has to carry the burden of perhaps being the last Cullen to play quarterback at Granger. After a great game played by his brother Wyatt, Lupica shows the lack of Jake's confidence by writing, 'Jake: wondering if he'd ever get anywhere near a moment like that at Granger High. Or if he'd ever even be the first-string quarterback at Granger High, whether he was a Cullen or not.' With this pressure and his insecurity, Jake's confidence in his talent level is very low. The narrator portrays a situation in which Jake can either make it, by starting and producing at Granger, or break it, by never getting the job and having the shame of the whole town by not living up to his high expectations. Although Jake is a good quarterback, this cannot help the young freshman boy's confidence level.
I picked this pressure relief valve, because as Jake forget about the expectations and the pressure to be like his dad and brother, he played at a high level and his teammates believed in him.
Calvin is the best player on the Granger High School football team, and after Jake makes a really bad pass, he tells him, ¨Dude, you sure you and Wyatt are related?¨ (page 22) Jake's confidence, which is already low, becomes even lower now that Calvin is again comparing him to his brother. Jake had an opportunity to maybe win the starting job, but he played terribly, and Calvin gives him the cold hard truth. The thing is, Jake does not yet realize that he does not need to be his brother to be a very good quarterback for Granger High. However, at the moment, this remark by the best player on the team extinguishes his poise and tenacity. Until someone tells him otherwise, Jake will step onto the field with little confidence, trying to do what Wyatt did just the year before. And Jake is not Wyatt.
Unlike the prior words spoken by Calvin, here, with the State Championship on the line, Calvin says, ¨This ain't the way the movie's s'posed to end, For me or for you Cullen........ Somebody's got to stand up and make a play.¨ (page 235)Calvin is no longer saying go out and be like Wyatt, but he is depending on Jake to make a play for them to win the game. Jake, who's new found confidence has stepped up his own performance, then goes out and runs for a touchdown to win the game. Jake no longer looks to please Calvin and show him that he can play like Wyatt, but he steps out onto the field with Calvin as a teammate, and a leader. Jake, from going to an insecure kid with a lot to prove, has now turned into a great quarterback that his teammates look up to and rely on, and most importantly, respect. Jake's development has been incredible, and now, he has a serious chance to be a special quarterback.
At the beginning of the book, Jake and his dad, Troy, have a weak relationship. In an arguement, Mike Lupica writes, '"The good," Jake said, "is that maybe you're finally finding out who I am, even though you never tried very hard."
"I know who you are," Troy Cullen said. "You're my son."
"Yeah," Jake said. "The other one." (page 193)
Jake has always known that his dad favored Wyatt more than Jake, but he never really understood why, besides Wyatt was living his father's dream by playing at Texas University. Without his dad supporting Jake's every move on the football field, Jake does not feel supported. He is struggling, but his dad is too busy going back and forth from Wyatt's games at Texas, to Granger, where he pays little attention to Wyatt. All Jake needs is for his dad to notice his achievements, but Troy Cullen has not done that.
Unlike the prior scene with Jake and his father, in this one, Lupica writes to express their development in the novel, 'Then Troy Cullen was pulling Jake close to him, those strong arms around him, wrapping Jake up, Jake trying to remember the last time his dad had done that............."Sure Glad I saw this one," he said."' (page 260) Troy Cullen got to know Jake more after he suffered a concussion, and since then, their love has grown to something special. Now, Troy shares his love evenly between Wyatt, the star at Texas University, and Jake, the star at Granger High. As explained in the novel, Troy never really tried to get to know Jake because he knew Jake did not just rely on his football talent, but also his mind, so he did not need much help from his father, who was just the opposite. You can infer that if they made a sequel to this story, Jake and his father's relationship would be strong throughout the whole thing. In addition, even though Jake did not have the talent that his dad and Wyatt had, he had done something none of them had ever done, win a State Championship as a freshman. This was done because his dad started to believe in him, and Jake's confidence grew because of that.
Jake starts out the novel...
Lacking confidence and held back by pressure and expectations and has a weak relationship with his dad
Jake ends the novel as...
A confident young man, relieved of pressure and expectations and has a strong relationship with his dad