The struggles of a young man in America

        Jamal was a black 16 year old teenager who had passions for writing. He had a dream about becoming a writer, but not everything was perfect in his life. Jamal lived with his mom in a small apartment, in a black neighborhood without any possibility of expecting for more. They were poor and they had only the money enough to survive. He couldn’t even think about going to a school where his dreams could become true because his mom couldn’t afford a paid school. Jamal went to a public school in his community, but it didn’t give him what he needed to become a writer. Every day he used to write on a journal that he had. He used to write quotes from books or things that were happening to him. One day, Jamal received the news that he was accepted in a school of higher levels of education, and he got a scholarship for his good grade on the writing test he took. It was an opportunity for him to become the writer he wanted to be.

       When Jamal transferred to this new school he had to affront many challenges. He went to this school not only for writing but basketball. No one in the basketball team liked him because of his skin color, and neither his English teacher liked him because he thought that no black man could succeed. Once, when they were in a class Jamal showed to his professor that he could be smarter than he thought:    

Prof. Robert Kicking out of class Jamal for embarrassing him.

Prof. Robert Crawford: Perhaps the challenge should have been directed elsewhere. "It is a melancholy truth that even...

Jamal: "great men have poor relations" Dickens.

Prof. Robert Crawford: "You will hear the beat of..."

Jamal: Kipling.

Prof. Robert Crawford: "All great truths begin..."

Jamal: Shaw.

Prof. Robert Crawford: "Man is the only animal...

Jamal: "that blushes... or needs to." That's Mark Twain.

Jamal: Come on, Professor Crawford...

Prof. Robert Crawford: [shouting] Get out!

Prof. Robert Crawford: [whispered] Get... out.

Jamal: Yeah. I'll get out.

Jamal embarrassed his professor in front of everyone else in the class, but he only wanted to show him that he wasn’t the only one who could be smart, and blacks also can succeed. After this incident happened in their class, and his Professor Robert Crawford try to kick him out of the school. Jamal had to do a writing as homework for his class, so he took one the writings he did with William, his friends, but this writing had the same title and the same ideas from another writing that was written by William. He never allowed Jamal to present this writing as his, but Jamal did it anyway because he had no other choice, and he had to show to Robert that he could be a good writer. Therefore, Jamal presented the essay as he was the owner. Prof. Robert accused Jamal for doing plagiarism, but Jamal never really knew that the writing was already published. The only way for Jamal to stay at school was because of basketball.The only way for Jamal to stay at school was because of basketball. Jamal had the last chance to play on the final game of basketball and win the game, so he can stay at school, but he decided to lose the game instead. He wanted to show to Prof. Robert that he could stay at school for his talent and not for basketball.
 This story teaches us to fight for our dreams. Sometimes it seems like our dreams are fading away because of one mistake we make, but that’s like. First we have to fail in order to get where we want to be. Jamal gives us the moral to never give up on our dreams. Eventhough, he had to trough many struggles in his life, he always fought for what he wanted no matter what. In my opinion, Jamal did good missing the shots because it wasn’t what he wanted for himself. He wanted to stay at school to become a writer and eventhough, it was the only way for him to stay in school, it wasn’t the right way. 

Prof. Robert talking about the "fake" essay.

Jamal Looking at Prof. Robert while he was playing the final basketball game.