The Boy 39;s Life Full Movie

[Bartley Trowbridge]

Thestory is set in the early 1960s and makes observations about changes in America at that time, with particular emphasis on the Civil Rights Movement. Several of the characters are connected to the Ku Klux Klan, and the segregation of the black community is dealt with in some detail.

The book deals with 12-year-old Cory Mackenson, who grows up in the town of Zephyr, Alabama. The story begins as Cory's father, Tom, takes Cory on his daily milk route one morning, and while driving by Saxon's Lake (an old quarry filled with water) he watches a car drive straight into the lake and sink to the bottom with a dead man inside, beaten viciously, and his only identification is a tattoo of a skull with wings sprouting from the head. Tom jumps in and tries to save the driver of the car, only to discover that the man is actually a murder victim, handcuffed to the steering wheel. He cannot save him, and the car plummets three hundred feet down to the bottom of the lake. This vision, and the realization that there is evil in the small town of Zephyr, is enough to haunt Cory's father. Throughout the novel Cory's father is haunted by this image in his dreams. Cory is a writer and throughout the book he writes many stories, and goes on many adventures in his hometown including helping a young boy through a flood, facing the town beast, spending a horrid week with his grandfather, exposing two KKK members, thwarting a racist plot, letting loose an abused rhinoceros, and witnessing a gunfight against the town mob. He also tries to find out who killed the man at Saxon's Lake. In the end it is a German Nazi, an escaped war criminal, who posed as the town veterinarian and had recently took care of Cory's dog Rebel, who eventually died. Dr. Lezander, a.k.a. Gunther Dehninaderke, was a former Nazi officer in charge of physical examinations at a concentration camp in Germany. After revealing his true identity to Cory, he kidnaps Cory and tries to leave town, only to drive off of Route Ten into Saxon's Lake, where he does save Cory's life and sacrifices his own. He drowns, sinking to the bottom near where the man he murdered did. In the epilogue, 27 or so years later, Cory, who has since become a big city writer, married a woman named Sandy, and also had a tomboy of a daughter named Skye, comes back to what is left of Zephyr, which shows many characters have left or died. He finds most of his hometown in shambles, but then finds the town mansion has become an orphanage for boys, and some of the town's members have moved in to help the young boys. The book ends when Cory goes in to see them all again.

Granddaddy Jaybird An eccentric old man who is the grandfather of Cory, and who Cory spends a week with during the summer. Jaybird is part of an underground group of gamblers, which include the Blaylocks.

I believe the section title "Winter's Cold Truth" refers to the two mysteries Cory is trying to solve: the more literal mystery of who is the killer of the dead man that drowned in Saxon's lake, as well as the truth about the world and the meaning of existence. In each

chapter of this section, Cory finds

another clue to both these mysteries. For example, in chapter 1 of section 4. Cory goes to the Bright Star cafe to talk to Mr. Osborne about what Miss Blue Glass's parrot was cursing in German, and is given a name: Hannah Furd. This clue brings Cory one step closer to discovering whose feather it was that he found at Saxon's lake where the murder occurred. However, the most significant event in this chapter is the moment that Davy Ray dies. This is a traumatic event for Cory, and it causes him to have a very gloomy and pessimistic view of the world. Before he hits his teacher, Cory says that "Davy Ray and darkness and a meaningless word called faith [was] lodged in [his] mind" (McCammon 456). For awhile, he is angry and depressed, but he eventually learns to accept that death is a part of life. Without Davy Ray's death, Cory may not have had to experience death until much later in life, which may have stunted his development. I believe experiencing the death of a loved one allowed Cory to mature because he was able to see that the world can be a cruel place as well as a happy one, which I believe is ultimately "winter's cold truth," because the winter brought events that led Cory to this conclusion about existence.

I like how you referenced the two separate mysteries that Cory is trying to solve. Although the book is literally about the murder mystery, I think the mystery about life is even more important. I also like your conclusion of the story about the real truth. All of this falls under the section of "Winter's Cold Truth" because it was in the winter that many tragic events happened that Cory will remember for the rest of his life.

All of the Sections in "Winter's Cold Truth" lead to the final result of the murder case. Many depressing events occur just like how Winter can be a depressing season. The Cold Truth shows how someone in Zephyr has been acting fake the whole time. Cory's Dad says to the two men "I do. I know where he lives. It's not far from here. Not very far at all. But... he's so nice" (McCammon chapter 4, section 6). He can not believe that someone who acted so nice was a murderer. All the sections in this chapter link together to give clues on what is really going on in Zephyr.

The last section of Boy's Life, "Winter's Cold Truth", is Cory understanding the truth about life and also finding out the answer to the mystery of who killed the man at Saxon Lake. In the first chapter, "A Solitary Traveler" Cory has to face the death of a friend. Cory begins to question things about life and death and wants to find answers. In the next chapter "Faith" Cory stated "I thought I had known death" (McCammon 453). Cory thought he knew what deAth was but in this chapter he learns what it really is; he learns the truth. In the chapters that follow, Cory learns who the murderer is. He pieces together all the clues. I think that the name of the section is "Winter's Cold Truth" because the truth that Cory finds is hard and cold. Having his friend die was very difficult for him and learning that the murderer was Dr. Lezander was very difficult as well because he wanted to believe that the doctor was a good person.

The fact that you referenced two seperate meanings for the title's meaning is really great. The recognition of both the literal and more metaphorical meanings of "Winter's Cold Truth" are two entities that I failed to seperate. I realized that Cory was growing up, and I also realized that the book was coming to a close with the solving of the mystery. I didn't, however, really look at these aspects as two individual occurrences, until I read your comment.

I agree with you a 100% Jennifer. Ive always looked at the title "Winter's Cold Truth" as a whole, rather then looking at it as two seperate meanings, literal and metaphorically. I believe that was my downfall into really understanding it.

Winter'a cold truth reveals many different things. It starts out with Cory's dad loosing his job and Cory has to realize that the world does not always go how you want it too. Then Davy's death comes along and Cory has to realize what true faith and death feels like. He takes a journey and finds out that he still belongs at home. The murder keeps getting closer to becoming solves and finally Cory and his dad know who the murderer is. It was the nice man who helps save animals and who is a regular guy in their town. The truth was revealed to the whole town that Dr. Lezander was the stranger among them for many years. Cory learned that you never really know a person. Winter's cold truth was sad but it also allowed Cory and his dad to move last the murder and go on with life. Winter allowed a lot of growth for Cory and made him the person he became for the future.

The section's title "Winter's Cold Truth", references how Cory is attempting to figure out what life really is in addition to finally solving the murder that has caused his family pain and suffering. The truths that Cory finds out are blunt, to the point, and without any warning. When Cory reveals to "Dr. Lezander" the location where he found the feather, his suspicions regarding the murderer are confirmed as the Dr. states, "What are we going to do about this?" (McCannon 545). I believe the event changed Cory, as he realizes that the doctor put on a faade and fooled everyone in the town, including himself. I think Cory would have been more guarded on who to trust, losing his innocence even more and his naiveness as well. It is just one of the many events that help Cory transition into adulthood and the reality of the world.

To add to your comment about Dr. Lezander's facade, I think that it made Cory second guess himself in life later on. It's not specifically said in the text, but we can infer that because of the act that Dr. Lezander made, it affected Cory. Cory trusted Dr. Lezander with Rebel's, one of his best friends, life and after discovering the truth behind Dr. Lezander, it would definitely change how Cory judges and interacts with people and like what you said, it is a part of Cory's transition into adulthood.

Giancarlo, I completely agree with you. I definitely think that winter is a mysterious time of year, and that it is for Cory, especially. I really liked the analogy that you used pertaining to the fact that snow covers everything, and perception is off because of it. I thought it was interesting, and hadn't really thought of it that way before; the way you described it was very unique. In other words, what Cory has come face to face with this winter, was different than any other, and much like winter, it is harsh and has different realities to it.

"Winter's Cold Truth" is a very significant chapter in this novel. Cory has a lot of coming of age experiences, because of all of the different difficulties and obstacles he faces throughout the winter. First off, winter is the harshest time of the year. Because of the nasty weather, nobody really knows what to expect. Throughout this section, Cory's dad lost his job, and closely following, his best friend dies. Of course he gets stuck with Leatherlungs, as well, but then something significant happens. Cory and his father both pieced together at the same time who Doctor Lezander really was, and they were finally able to solve the mystery they had been waiting for. Going back to winter, things are covered in mystery; it is darker longer, and everything is covered in snow. Similarly, as Cory and his Tom realized that it was really Doctor Lezander, Tom was confused, finding that he had known him to be so nice. On the contrary, "'I know Dr. Dahninaderke's true nature,' Mr. Steiner said. 'And the true nature of his wife. You saw it when you looked at the face of Jeff Hannaford'" (McCammon 549).

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