Columbine Book Report (1-100)

columbine by Dave Cullen (pages 1-100) I. Summary Columbine High School (CHS) is a suburban habitual school located in Jefferson County, Colorado. Frank DeAngelis, a middle venerable man who had previously coached football and baseball for sixteen years at Columbine, was the principal of the close-knit senior high school school. He was loved by his scholarly persons and look up to by his staff for his ability to address his students as mature adults. The student body looked up to him and appreciated his truthfulness and lack of sugarcoating when serious topics were cosmos discussed.Three days before prom an assembly was called to strengthen the aw arness of the dangers of effort under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Instead of just lecturing the students Mr. DeAngelis utilize his own life experiences to t all(prenominal) and guide the students along the safe paths that understood allowed for occasional goofing off. The author, Dave Cullen, then jerks the focus of the conf ine to the teenage male childs who would later obliterate twelve students, one teacher, and severely wound twenty-three of their peers.Eric Harris and Dlyan Klebold were the typical high school students, albeit they had some distinctive quirks that set them aside from the rest of their peers. Eric Harris was a psychopath this fact allowed him to commit a terrible crime without whimsy empathy or remorse for his victims. However, on the outside he was anything but antisocial (or culpable). Eric smoke, drank, datedall within a close circle of friends. Yet, he was excellent at manipulation. His lies were so finely tuned that even his ex-military father hazard nothing. Eric received a slew of As from his teachers every virtuoso one of them considered him a good kid.No one ever pretend that anything as devastating or horrifying could erupt from such a well-rounded kid from a nice family. This is wherefore Dave Cullens comment of Dylan Klebold who tried extremely hard to emulate Eric was not mistaken. Although Dylan was considerably smarter than Eric, Eric seemed to cook a hold on Dylans authentically fainthearted demeanor. Dylan, beingness more(prenominal) self-conscious, latched onto Erics strong personality that radiated confidence. Moreover, Dylan was suicidally depressed, which left him vulnerable to Erics manipulative ways. II. AnalysisUnderstanding who the perpetrators were behind the Columbine shooting continues to be the most cause theme dictated by dint ofout the entirety of the first one nose candy pages of Dave Cullens masterpiece Columbine. Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold were both unbelievably smart teens who had sh atomic number 18d an unsufferable friendship held together by a mutual dislike of society. Although sharing this bond, by no means were they alikewhich is why their association with each other astounds investigators to this day. Neither of the boys came from broken families or had diagnosed issues that could have raised a r ed flag to anyone paying close enough attention.Eric had a weeny police record for blowing up illegal fireworks, but that was the extent of his criminal records. Dylan was even less on the (philosophical) radar. He was naturally quiet, and more aware of his surroundings. If Dylan had not known Eric, it is guaranteed that the damage he did would only be to himself. Dylan never would have taken the lives of other people if he had succeeded in taking his own life first. This is thoroughly discussed by the author for a significant amount of each chapter. Erics initial influence on Dylan drastically increases when they start making plans for the massacre.The now copious amounts of time the boys washed-out together deepened the influence they had on each other, but Dylan seemed overwhelmed throughout the entirety of the authors writing. Dylans clothing style, seek in music, taste in girls, and his general interests appeared to mirror Erics as progression through the cardinal page sec tion was made. Dylan inevitably lost what little he had of his individuality. III. Personal Opinion I am thoroughly enjoying Dave Cullens Columbine. This book took ten years to write I completely understand why he waited and appreciate the time he took to methodically look the Columbine Massacre.The way Cullen embeds his research into a fast paced storyline is flawless and it continues to actuate me to learn and use the same technique. By all the way writing only when nothing separated the boys personalities like a run-in with authority. Dylan would be hyperventilating, Eric sedately calculating. Erics cool head steered them clear of most trouble, Cullen clearly illustrates subtle personality differences in a way that also depicts what course of lives they led. Im not saying that run-ins with the police happened frequently (its actually quite a on the contrary), all the same the clarity is refreshing.A reader can move along without tripping over words that are weakly juxtapose d together. superstar aspect of Dave Cullens writing intrigues me more than anything. The way he smoothly transitions between the past and present allows for careful plot lines to thoroughly break-dance into an interesting piece of careful, intelligent research that includes incredible diction. In a passage on page nineteen Cullen writes Most nights included an open-mike period, where you could sojourn an aging drunk strum Stairway to Heaven, segue into the Gilligans Island theme, and inter the words. , Cullens dry tone brings humor to the carefully written sentence. IV. name Response Eric was always a dreamer, but he liked them flagitious bleak and morose, yet boring as hell. He saw hit in the void. Eric dreamed of a world where nothing ever happened. A world where the rest of us had been removed. Anger turned in equals depression. Dylan Klebold was not a man of action. He was conscripted by a boy who was. (page 45) This quote accurately describes each of the boys persona lities in a simple yet dignified way.Analyzing the boys themselves becomes easier when you have a glimpse into their psyche. Part of Cullens research actually included reading journals written by Eric and Dylan, so theories that are drawn or compiled by Cullen are that much more reliable. Although these are still opinions there is hard evidence that this quote developed from, which is why it is the most important quote within the first one hundred pages. Knowledge that Eric was considered a dreamer is particularly helpful to the reader.Habitually being in your own world (head) leads to some level of development of an antisocial demeanor, however Eric was anything but antisocial. This is an interesting variable that further complicates the question of Why?. Conversely, Dylan was shy and not as confident. Cullen does not state this in the quote specifically. When Cullen writes Dylan was conscripted by a boy who was, the interpretation is partly left to the readers understanding of the phrase a boy who was. Dylan was just there no purpose or goal, he just was.