Then Again, Maybe I Won't: Difference between revisions
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After Tony Miglione's father strikes it rich on a new invention, their working-class family is supplanted from [[Jersey City]], [[New Jersey]] to [[Rosemont]], [[New York]] where Tony has to deal with sudden changes coinciding with his growing into adolescence -- his mother is becoming a social climbing phony, his brother quits teaching and ends up going into the family business, and his grandmother (unable to speak since the removal of her larynx) isn't permitted to cook anymore. Add to this, along with the emotional upheaval that comes with [[puberty]] (and the fact that his new friend has a tendency to [[shoplift]]), and you have enough to put young Tony into [[psychotherapy]]. Tony also is a secret [[Peeping Tom]], watching the neighborhood daughter undress from his bedroom window. |
After Tony Miglione's father strikes it rich on a new invention, their working-class family is supplanted from [[Jersey City]], [[New Jersey]] to [[Rosemont]], [[New York]] where Tony has to deal with sudden changes coinciding with his growing into adolescence -- his mother is becoming a social climbing phony, his brother quits teaching and ends up going into the family business, and his grandmother (unable to speak since the removal of her larynx) isn't permitted to cook anymore. Add to this, along with the emotional upheaval that comes with [[puberty]] (and the fact that his new friend has a tendency to [[shoplift]]), and you have enough to put young Tony into [[psychotherapy]]. Tony also is a secret [[Peeping Tom]], watching the neighborhood daughter undress from his bedroom window. |
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While this novel is similar to the puberty aspects of ''Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret.'', it differs mainly in the secondary themes. While Margaret struggled with her issues of [[religion]] and being raised in an [[interfaith]] [[family]], Tony Miglionie struggled with the issues of his family social climbing and to a lesser extent, American society. A similarity to both stories, aside from the physical maturity of both characters, is that Tony develops a [[crush]] on the eldest daughter of his next door neighbors, just as Margaret had feelings for the eldest son of her next door neighbors. However, Tony also has to deal with the fact that she is three years older than he is, and if it such a crush was indeed to get serious it would be an [[older woman-younger man]] relationship, which is uncommon among guys he knows. Both stories also dealt with moving, but the reason behind the move for Tony's family is his father's success with his invention and desire to move to a wealthier community. Themes are at are dealt with are the effects for Tony of losing the middle-class life he had become accustomed to in Jersey City in an [[Italian-American]] neighborhood and being ill at ease in this upper class community. Tony's grandmother has been marginalized by the family as she loved to cook for the family in Jersey City and was told taht would be inapproproiate in this upper class community, so she is virtually confined to her room and a maid is hired who is telling the family what is to be done rather than listening to the family as to how they want the house taken care of. The timeframe of this story was written around the late [[1960s]] or early [[1970s]], as Tony's eldest brother, Vinnie, has been killed in action in the [[Vietnam War]]. Other themes touched upon are how Tony's family seems to be knowingly and willingly are distancing themselves from their Italian heritage as not many Italian-Americans are in Rosemont. Another theme is how Tony's family is "keeping up with the Joneses" by emulating their next door neighbors, the Hoobers. Mr. Hoober is vice president of a pharmaceutical company, which gives his wife the chance to spend her days playing [[golf]] and socializing. The Hoobers are representative of the "high-powered American family", but seem to believe the "American way" is about money, affluent living, and social status and nothing else. As a result, they do not seem to give much attention to the troublemaking son Joel, who seems to get the idea he can get away with anything as nobody is watching out for him. |
While this novel is similar to the puberty aspects of ''Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret.'', it differs mainly in the secondary themes. While Margaret struggled with her issues of [[religion]] and being raised in an [[interfaith]] [[family]], Tony Miglionie struggled with the issues of his family social climbing and to a lesser extent, American society. A similarity to both stories, aside from the physical maturity of both characters, is that Tony develops a [[limerence|crush]] on the eldest daughter of his next door neighbors, just as Margaret had feelings for the eldest son of her next door neighbors. However, Tony also has to deal with the fact that she is three years older than he is, and if it such a crush was indeed to get serious it would be an [[older woman-younger man]] relationship, which is uncommon among guys he knows. Both stories also dealt with moving, but the reason behind the move for Tony's family is his father's success with his invention and desire to move to a wealthier community. Themes are at are dealt with are the effects for Tony of losing the middle-class life he had become accustomed to in Jersey City in an [[Italian-American]] neighborhood and being ill at ease in this upper class community. Tony's grandmother has been marginalized by the family as she loved to cook for the family in Jersey City and was told taht would be inapproproiate in this upper class community, so she is virtually confined to her room and a maid is hired who is telling the family what is to be done rather than listening to the family as to how they want the house taken care of. The timeframe of this story was written around the late [[1960s]] or early [[1970s]], as Tony's eldest brother, Vinnie, has been killed in action in the [[Vietnam War]]. Other themes touched upon are how Tony's family seems to be knowingly and willingly are distancing themselves from their Italian heritage as not many Italian-Americans are in Rosemont. Another theme is how Tony's family is "keeping up with the Joneses" by emulating their next door neighbors, the Hoobers. Mr. Hoober is vice president of a pharmaceutical company, which gives his wife the chance to spend her days playing [[golf]] and socializing. The Hoobers are representative of the "high-powered American family", but seem to believe the "American way" is about money, affluent living, and social status and nothing else. As a result, they do not seem to give much attention to the troublemaking son Joel, who seems to get the idea he can get away with anything as nobody is watching out for him. |
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The novel does not end on a "all problems solved" note, but Tony, approaching his fourteenth birthday, learns to take it in stride. The sessions with the psychiatrist seem to be helping him out, and his grandmother gets some of her purpose back by being able to bake Tony a birthday cake. The penultimate chapter in the book deals with the fact that "what goes around comes around" in regards to Joel's unruly behavior. Tony and Joel are at a [[sporting goods store]] where the employees successfully catch Joel shoplifting [[tennis balls]] and Tony refuses to aid Joel in lying, leaving him to sink in the mire of the results of his immoral behavior. The store's owner suggest to Tony that although he knows that Tony did not shoplift like Joel, he would [[ostracize]] Joel from the friendship if he were Tony, which could be a reference to a saying of [[George Washington]] "It is better to be a loner than to keep friendships with men of bad moral character". Tony anticipates his parents learning for themselves of Joel's true nature when they read tommorow's newspaper and see Joel will be remanded to the juvenille facility, but instead it takes another tack when the owner of the sporting goods store declines to have [[charges]] prepared against Joel for [[shoplifting]]. Mr. Hoober decides Joel will be enrolled in a [[military academy]], which will undoubtedly deprive Joel of his privledged lifestyle and "I will do what I want when I want" attitude, but keep him away from home for long periods of time, which is once again referring to Mr. Hoober shoving his family problems aside so he can focus on work and his golf game. |
The novel does not end on a "all problems solved" note, but Tony, approaching his fourteenth birthday, learns to take it in stride. The sessions with the psychiatrist seem to be helping him out, and his grandmother gets some of her purpose back by being able to bake Tony a birthday cake. The penultimate chapter in the book deals with the fact that "what goes around comes around" in regards to Joel's unruly behavior. Tony and Joel are at a [[sporting goods store]] where the employees successfully catch Joel shoplifting [[tennis balls]] and Tony refuses to aid Joel in lying, leaving him to sink in the mire of the results of his immoral behavior. The store's owner suggest to Tony that although he knows that Tony did not shoplift like Joel, he would [[ostracize]] Joel from the friendship if he were Tony, which could be a reference to a saying of [[George Washington]] "It is better to be a loner than to keep friendships with men of bad moral character". Tony anticipates his parents learning for themselves of Joel's true nature when they read tommorow's newspaper and see Joel will be remanded to the juvenille facility, but instead it takes another tack when the owner of the sporting goods store declines to have [[charges]] prepared against Joel for [[shoplifting]]. Mr. Hoober decides Joel will be enrolled in a [[military academy]], which will undoubtedly deprive Joel of his privledged lifestyle and "I will do what I want when I want" attitude, but keep him away from home for long periods of time, which is once again referring to Mr. Hoober shoving his family problems aside so he can focus on work and his golf game. |
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Revision as of 09:29, 28 January 2007
| Author | Judy Blume |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Genre | Young adult novel |
| Publisher | Bradbury Press |
Publication date | 1971 |
| Publication place | United States |
| Media type | Print (Paperback) |
| Pages | 176 pp |
| ISBN | ISBN 0-87888-035-6 Parameter error in {{ISBNT}}: invalid character |
Then Again, Maybe I Won't is a 1971 young adult novel written by Judy Blume. Intended for pre-teens and teenagers, the novel deals with puberty from a male perspective as well as the other trials of growing up. Judy Blume claimed that she was inspired to write the story following the success of her preceding novel Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret.. Given her earlier novel was about a girl entering puberty making the transition to womanhood, she decided to write one about a boy going through puberty and making a transition to manhood.
Plot summary
Template:Spoiler After Tony Miglione's father strikes it rich on a new invention, their working-class family is supplanted from Jersey City, New Jersey to Rosemont, New York where Tony has to deal with sudden changes coinciding with his growing into adolescence -- his mother is becoming a social climbing phony, his brother quits teaching and ends up going into the family business, and his grandmother (unable to speak since the removal of her larynx) isn't permitted to cook anymore. Add to this, along with the emotional upheaval that comes with puberty (and the fact that his new friend has a tendency to shoplift), and you have enough to put young Tony into psychotherapy. Tony also is a secret Peeping Tom, watching the neighborhood daughter undress from his bedroom window.
While this novel is similar to the puberty aspects of Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret., it differs mainly in the secondary themes. While Margaret struggled with her issues of religion and being raised in an interfaith family, Tony Miglionie struggled with the issues of his family social climbing and to a lesser extent, American society. A similarity to both stories, aside from the physical maturity of both characters, is that Tony develops a crush on the eldest daughter of his next door neighbors, just as Margaret had feelings for the eldest son of her next door neighbors. However, Tony also has to deal with the fact that she is three years older than he is, and if it such a crush was indeed to get serious it would be an older woman-younger man relationship, which is uncommon among guys he knows. Both stories also dealt with moving, but the reason behind the move for Tony's family is his father's success with his invention and desire to move to a wealthier community. Themes are at are dealt with are the effects for Tony of losing the middle-class life he had become accustomed to in Jersey City in an Italian-American neighborhood and being ill at ease in this upper class community. Tony's grandmother has been marginalized by the family as she loved to cook for the family in Jersey City and was told taht would be inapproproiate in this upper class community, so she is virtually confined to her room and a maid is hired who is telling the family what is to be done rather than listening to the family as to how they want the house taken care of. The timeframe of this story was written around the late 1960s or early 1970s, as Tony's eldest brother, Vinnie, has been killed in action in the Vietnam War. Other themes touched upon are how Tony's family seems to be knowingly and willingly are distancing themselves from their Italian heritage as not many Italian-Americans are in Rosemont. Another theme is how Tony's family is "keeping up with the Joneses" by emulating their next door neighbors, the Hoobers. Mr. Hoober is vice president of a pharmaceutical company, which gives his wife the chance to spend her days playing golf and socializing. The Hoobers are representative of the "high-powered American family", but seem to believe the "American way" is about money, affluent living, and social status and nothing else. As a result, they do not seem to give much attention to the troublemaking son Joel, who seems to get the idea he can get away with anything as nobody is watching out for him. The novel does not end on a "all problems solved" note, but Tony, approaching his fourteenth birthday, learns to take it in stride. The sessions with the psychiatrist seem to be helping him out, and his grandmother gets some of her purpose back by being able to bake Tony a birthday cake. The penultimate chapter in the book deals with the fact that "what goes around comes around" in regards to Joel's unruly behavior. Tony and Joel are at a sporting goods store where the employees successfully catch Joel shoplifting tennis balls and Tony refuses to aid Joel in lying, leaving him to sink in the mire of the results of his immoral behavior. The store's owner suggest to Tony that although he knows that Tony did not shoplift like Joel, he would ostracize Joel from the friendship if he were Tony, which could be a reference to a saying of George Washington "It is better to be a loner than to keep friendships with men of bad moral character". Tony anticipates his parents learning for themselves of Joel's true nature when they read tommorow's newspaper and see Joel will be remanded to the juvenille facility, but instead it takes another tack when the owner of the sporting goods store declines to have charges prepared against Joel for shoplifting. Mr. Hoober decides Joel will be enrolled in a military academy, which will undoubtedly deprive Joel of his privledged lifestyle and "I will do what I want when I want" attitude, but keep him away from home for long periods of time, which is once again referring to Mr. Hoober shoving his family problems aside so he can focus on work and his golf game.
Editions
- ISBN 0-87888-035-6
- ISBN 0-8161-4417-6