The Wednesday Letters

By Becca Beaudoin

Jason F. Wright His 2007 novel, The Wednesday Letters, reached #6 on

The New York Times bestseller list. Born February 1, 1971 in Florissant, Missouri March 2, 2010, Jason released The Cross Gardener, his first

hardcover novel with Penguin. Jason also works as a political and public policy consultant

and is the founder of PoliticalDerby.com

Protagonist The protagonist is this book is

Malcolm. He is a hero because he triumphs over a lot of hardships in his life. He is there for his family and shows great qualities including forgiving others

Antagonist Nathan is the antagonist in this book

because he does a lot of hurtful things to a lot of people. He frames Malcolm into a crime and shows little sympathy in the death of the Coopers.

Favorite Character My favorite character is Malcolm

because he overcomes a lot in his life and is a forgiving person. He was a fun character to want to relate to.

Least Favorite Character My least favorite character in this

book is Malcolm’s attorney, Nathan. I don’t like him because he gets into other people’s business and he framed Malcolm for a crime he did not commit.

Exposition Jack and Laurel Cooper die in each

other’s arms in their bed. This reunites their three children to come together for the funeral

Rising Action The kids find letters that their dad

wrote to their mom. He wrote her every single Wednesday from the day that they were married. While reading the thousands of letters, they discover many family secrets and are brought together with a life-changing moment of truth.

Climax The Children read many shocking

and disturbing things, and to go along with this topic, they find out that their mother was raped and did not tell anyone about it. Malcolm finds out that Jack is not his real dad. Malcolm blames his older brother for lying to him. There is much contention.

Falling Action The funeral is held and things are

sorted out about the rape. Malcolm finds out who raped his mother, Pastor Doug White. Surprisingly, Malcolm handles the news well and the children are united again.

Resolution Malcolm pulls his life together. He

gets married and has a son. He starts his own thing with his wife with writing her letters.

Setting The Domus Jefferson – The home of

Jefferson (a B&B) rested in the heart of the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia

Themes betrayal and pain

healing and forgiveness

rebirth and change

love and commitment

forgiveness and redemption

Book Rating Wednesday Letters, reached #6 on

The New York Times bestseller list.

Social Issue: Rape http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7

uColRBaag

Lyrics "Haunted"

Long lost words whisper slowly to meStill can't find what keeps me hereWhen all this time I've been so hollow insideI know you're still thereWatching me, wanting meI can feel you pull me downFearing you, loving youI won't let you pull me downHunting you, I can smell you - aliveYour heart pounding in my headWatching me, wanting meI can feel you pull me downSaving me, raping me, watching meWatching me, wanting meI can feel you pull me downFearing you... loving youI won't let you pull me down

http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/evanescence/haunted.html

Poem Rape.....loss of innocence

Rape.....didn't have a choiceRape.....Nobody heard my voiceRape.....memory of the pastRape.....hope it crosses my minderases out of my memoryso i don't have to remember the pasti wish she didn't tell me to goso I would still have itmy innocence i meanI used to be so clean now i'm violated, unclean and dirtyand the guilt is killing meeven though its not my faulti feel as though it iswhen she told me to go i could have refused and ranI could have dropped the stuff at the doorand ran.....but no.....i chose to go inand he accomplished his missionwhat he set out to doi was only 5 years old.....he was 18i hated every minute of it I closed my eyes and imagined I was invisiblebut he took all the invisibilityinside of me and i still remember the daythe scene keeps playing in my head like a movieRape.....didn't have a choiceRape.....nobody heard my voice. Funmi Esuruoso

http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/rape-13/

Broadcast http://www.clipsyndicate.com/video/p

lay/1288089

Local NewsSalt Lake City man charged with rape of childBy Abigail ShahaDeseret NewsPublished: Friday, Feb. 12, 2010 8:17 p.m. MST SALT LAKE CITY — A Salt Lake City man accused of sexually abusing a girl for nine years was charged Friday with seven first-degree felonies, including rape of a child and sodomy on a child.The abuse reportedly began when the girl was 7 years old in April 2001, continuing through January 2010. The girl said 36-year-old Jose Manuel Gadea sexually violated her in numerous ways and forced her to touch him inappropriately on a daily basis for years. Gadea is charged with four counts of sex abuse of a child, two counts of sodomy on a child, two counts of forcible sodomy, one count of rape and one count of rape of a child. — Abigail Shaha http://www.deseretnews.com/article/

700009233/Salt-Lake-City-man-charged-with-rape-of-child.html

Introduction to Rape What: Rape is the crime of forcing

another person to submit to sexual intercourse.

Why: People rape not for the sexual desire, but for the feeling of ultimate control

Who: Rape occurs with a friend, date, or trusted adult 93% of the time

When and Where: Rapes can occur at anytime and in any place, but most likely to occur at the victims home or nearby between 6 pm and midnight.

Amy Bellows, Coping with Acquaintance Rape

Who is to Blame? “I shouldn’t have

been drunk” “I should have

gone home with a friend”

“I shouldn’t have worn that mini-skirt”

“No one asks for rape! Rape is not the victims fault. She cannot spot a rapist from a crowd of men. No one has the right to violate your body.”

What do you think?

Amy Bellows, Coping with Acquaintance Rape

How to Reduce Your Risk1. Communicate directly2. STAY SOBER3. Stay in a group4. Develop a safety plan5. Help your friends6. Trust your institution7. Believe in yourself

Cassandra Worrell, Understanding and Surviving Rape

Shocking Statistics More than 50% of all rapes were reported by

victims to have occurred one mile of their home or at their home

43% of rapes occur between 6:00pm and midnight

1 out of 6 American women has been the victim of an attempted or completed rape in her lifetime

15% of sexual assault and rape victims are under age 12

About 3,204 pregnancies occurred in 04-05 resulting from rape

www.rainn.org

The Victims Psychologicall

y

Physically

Emotionally

What to do if You are Raped1. Go to a place where you feel safe

and secure2. Tell someone you trust3. Preserve all physical evidence4. Seek medical help5. Consider contacting the police6. Seek counseling/call a rape crisis

hotlineCassandra Worrell, Understanding and Surviving Rape

Where to go for Help RAINN – National Sexual Assault

Hotline (24 hours a day) 1-800-HOPE School Guidance Office

www.rainn.org

Bibliography www.rainn.org Amy Bellows, Coping with

Acquaintance Rape, psychcentral.com, 22 Jun 2007

Cassandra Worrell, Understanding and Surviving Rape, New Youth Connections, 1993