Very Like a Flower

      Marcelo in the Real World is a fantastic novel by Francisco X. Stork. The main character is Marcelo, an autistic 17-year old who has spent his life at a special school (during the day) and never experienced what his father calls the "real world". One summer, his dad decides that it is time for Marcelo to be faced with the real world. Marcelo strongly refuses, but his dad offers him a trade: Marcelo will work at his dad's law firm for the summer without any stumbles and in return he will not have to attend a public high school the next year. Although Marcelo is angry and shuts himself in at first, he slowly comes out of his shell and discovers the dangers and wonders of the real world. I think that the message in this story is to always be open-minded, because you never know what incredible things you might experience.
     In the book, Marcelo starts out very close-minded and reluctant to start his new job and new life. He gingerly does his duties, handing out mail to the lawyers at the firm. He seems to have a prejudiced view of the world- he thinks of it as a dangerous place that he shouldn't trust or accept. He plans to do his work and get over the summer so he doesn't have to go to high school.  But he's wrong– a new surprise blocks his every turn as he tries to avoid the real world. For example, his mailroom boss Jasmine, a beautiful young woman, surprises him by being completely honest and kind. He meets and learns about different kinds of people– mean ones, nice ones, and perverted ones. I think that all these new experiences immediately start to wear away at his mind's defenses, slowly making way for him to accept more and more ideas. As his mind starts to open and bloom, he starts feeling emotions– anger, sadness, pain. By the end of the story, he is even more open-minded than most of us are.
     I think open-mindedness is a great factor in our development as people. It helps us understand new concepts, add to our knowledge, and be more social. I myself am not very open-minded at all, but reading this book aided me in seeing how I'm missing out on great things by being that way. Minds are like flowers– the more they open, the more stimulation they can receive. I think being open-minded is the best way to start making the world a better place. With open-minds, we create more tolerance and peace, and that's very important for the survival of our planet.

-Adrian