Don't Call Me Ishmael!

278 Words2 Pages
Don’t Call Me Ishmael, written by Michael Bauer was about a high school boy who faces the fear of most fourteen-year-old boys do. He faced the school bullied most and days and struggling until the new boy James Scobie arrives. During this novel James Scobie changes Ishmaels life by helping him face his fears in ways such as gaining his confidence, teaching him to stand up to the school bully, Barry Bagsley and by teaching him how to be a leader. Ishmael also falls for the girl of his dream but always embarrass him in front of her. Barry Bagsley is Ishmael’s white whale and the name Ishmael came from a book called Moby Dick. James Scobie helps Ishmael change his life by gaining his confidence. In the story, James helps Ishmael to gain his confidence by convincing Ishmael to speak in the debating team. As Ishmael was normally timekeeper he was the last resource for the team or if Ishmael didn’t step up there wouldn’t have been finals because they forfeited. Ishmael had to accept the challenge and walk out of his comfort zone; he was facing his fear and speaking to the audience. James Scobie tries to comfort Ishmael but Ishmael believed that James had it easy because he had already sliced his fear and told Ishmael is secret “one can only handle so much fear”. James Scobie helped Ishmael to overcome his fear of Barry Bagsley by showing him loyalty of friends make him more confident about himself. Near the end of the year James Scobie disappeared, which made Ishmael a target to bully because he didn’t have anyone to protect

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