Part 3: Left-Over Dreams

Part 3: Left-Over Dreams

Summary

A symbol for going separate ways

In the third (and longest) section of The Boy Who Fell Out of the Sky Ken's relationship with K continues to be rocky. They break up briefly in the beginning of the section but later realize their reasoning to do so was pointless, which results in them getting back together. They begin living with each other and though Ken enjoys living with her, he finds himself more and more insecure as the days go on. Everyday morning, before Ken is even out of bed, K is out in the world with her to-do list for the today almost done. With a lack of inspiration and just a bunch of jumbled thoughts, Ken finds himself with a serious case of writer's block, which he begins to realize may be more of a life-block. He doesn't know what he wants anymore, or even if he's happy. The fact that K has her life together and a clear vision of how she wants her future to be stresses out Ken, mainly due to the fact that he's in the opposite position. However somehow Ken finishes his book (which he wasn't proud of) and it seems to me that he might've finished it in order to prove to K that he's not as lazy as he seems. Whatever the situation was Ken stated that even though he whipped out a book and K got her doctorate and her future was looking brighter than ever, they saw "a relationship that wasn't moving"(157).  When the break up occurred no real sadness went along with it; it was mostly a feeling of relief. That being said, they moved on and Ken found himself more interested in David's past than ever before. He relocated David's notebooks and when he came across a page of David's old contacts, he decided to connect with them.  In meeting with a few of David's college friends, sharing "David stories" and the impact he had on them, leaves Ken hungry for more information and inspired to write a new book. This one, he decides, will be about David. The last contact on Ken's list is a man named Bill Donoghue. He's an old neighbor who played a major role in the Dornstein brother's childhoods. Being the father of David's childhood best friend he knows and has remembered many quirky details that have managed to escape Ken's mind. Bill and Ken meet up over coffee and after their discussion, Ken is blown away from all the similarities that were pointed out between him and David. 

An old photo taken of David by one of his college friends that Ken later met up with

Review:

Once again this book proved itself to be a good read! The little stories about Ken and David's childhood were heartwarming and even more so, is the fact that those memories have played a part in who Ken is today. I must admit, since never fully being a fan of the K and Ken relationship, that I was relieved to see them separate. Call me cold-hearted, but I just see them better as friends. Though this section was long, it kept me entertained the whole way through due to the relationship drama regarding K and Ken's "ah-hah" moments. I'm excited to see what Ken's future holds because after this section he has never seemed to motivated and in charge of his life. I think the reasoning behind that is he finally found something he's passionate about; David. I know David has obviously had a huge impact on him but I think when Ken discovered that he could write about David in his new book, his writer's-block and "life-block" was lifted. 

David's College Graduation- His drive inspired Ken.

Focus Question- Explain the impact that siblings have on each other. How does this relate to Ken and David's relationship?

Whether or not we'd like to admit it, our siblings have a huge impact on us and inevitably shape who we are. I'm not saying that we all share the exact same traits as our siblings, however what we learn from each other are the lessons that will never fade. One author wrote, that siblings are "our scolds, protectors, goads, tormentors, playmates, counselors, sources of envy, objects of pride. They teach us how to resolve conflicts and how not to; how to conduct friendships and when to walk away from them." Each sibling plays a different role. In most cases the oldest is the role model/protector while the younger sibling is a little more careless but makes every decision with the thought of " What would my older sibling think?" before doing so. I feel like this couldn't be more true with Ken and David. David was always looking out for Ken. He was always writing him letters asking him how he was doing. David had so much faith in Ken. He even said that one day Ken would a much better writer than he would ever be. I'm sure Ken was honored by the statement and that little statement could of very well influenced his decision to become a writer. Being the younger sibling myself, I can definitely relate the strong desire to make your older sibling proud of you. It's almost like you owe it to them. I say that because they are constantly looking after you, making sure you're alright, so to make them proud is a perfect way to show that they're hard work has paid off and that you are doing just fine. This book is Ken's message to David thanking him for getting him to the point where he is now. 

Sources:

I used these sources to discover more about the impact that siblings have on each 
other...
http://health.usnews.com/health-news/family-health/articles/2009/07/31/7-ways-your-siblings-may-have-shaped-you

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1209949,00.html