Comments

• Shamir Fauntleroy

  Tucker’s house rule of finish what you start implements the thought of accountability and being held to your word. In other words if you give someone your word that you will complete a task then, in a sense they become dependent on you doing so. By not carrying out the job that you committed yourself to you can diminish one’s trust in you and thus, the relationship that you have with them. Also, one needs to consider that the destruction of your relationship is or can be heightened based on the situation and circumstance. For example, if you commit yourself to being somewhere to meet someone but, inform them five minutes later that you would not be able to attend because you checked your schedule and you’re booked for that day then, it may not be that big of deal. However, on the day of your scheduled meeting if you back out with a text message while the person is waiting for you at the place you are supposed to meet them then, that may be more detrimental to the relationship. Tucker applies this rule when making Kat commit to her mentoring job even after the incident show his value of being faithful to your word.
  One my rules that I have established for myself is from a song called “He Got Game” by a group called Public Enemy. Towards the end Chuck D says “Don't let a win get to your head or a loss to your heart”. I define that as not letting any accomplishment or failure stop your ambition. It means to not be so arrogant in victory or so distraught in a loss that you loose your thirst for success. It means to always remain humble and teachable so that you can elevate or continue to elevate from any trial or triumph.
  

  3/30/2012 8:36:39 AM
• Mark. Owens.

  “Think for yourself” a rule in Tucker’s home, from my interpretation it means what it means by discussing independence and thinking critically not only as a person but as a student as well. He also means that, he will not always be around to help his children, so they need to know how to act and do things on their own, besides waiting on their parent to do something for them. It also plays on the power struggles in Tucker’s home because, in the beginning of the novel there were four characters sharing power over the same house hold; Tucker, Christine, Will, and Kat. Each character had to prove that they could think for themselves and establish a higher constitution of power in the Tucker home.
  
  
  On a personal level, I would rearrange this rule to; “Think for you, when you need to not be forced” which means that, if I need to think critically about a situation I would just do it or attempt to without having my mother scream “Markiano DO THIS NOW, YOU KNOW YOU NEED TO BOY!!” However, in some cases this rule could be dismantled by laziness and procrastination. When it comes down to the fact that you need to think to succeed and you know the reason and consequences gained if I or you dp not think, it would not be beneficial.
  

  3/30/2012 9:00:13 AM
• Taylor Middleton

  The rule that sticks out to me is rule number 2 stating: Think for yourself. Tucker is not only telling his children not to be followers in society, but he is really telling to think about what is best for you and once figuring that out do what it is that makes you happy. Although he does not really live up to this by trying to persuade his children in what they should do, it lets it be known that the rule does exist for them. His children tries to let their father know that as they get older and closer to adulthood, that he cannot keep telling them this rule but as soon as they want to do something for themselves he tries to get very opinionated and tries to take charge about everything. This rule is important to him and his children because it allows them to figure out who they and what they want to do with their lives.
  My personal rule is to live life to make myself happy. This has meaning to me because my mother use to tell me this all the time and it gave me the answer on whether or not it was okay to live life for me. As I hit adulthood, and start to make decisions about college and my career, I have noticed that my aunt is still in the comfort zone of telling me what I am going to do with my life. It is hard to tell her no but I have told her that I live life to make me happy and not for people to be what they see as being proud of me. She always brings up being rich and making 6 figures and so on, but my life does not center around money nor does it deal with me having to break my neck trying to get a top paying job. I feel as though as long as I keep up front that this is my life and no one else, I will get my happiness I am looking forward to.

  3/30/2012 9:04:28 AM
• Destinee W.

  “It is what it is.” This specific rule stands out to me the most throughout the entire novel. This rule teaches how to take responsibility for your actions and to not dwell on what is already done. Because the past cannot be changed, it is more mature and realistic to accept what happens and to move forward. Tucker expressed this rule in both Kat’s and his own troubles. Tucker tried to help his daughter realize that what she did cannot be changed and therefore it was neither healthy nor sensible to live on the mistakes that she made while also trying to cope with the reality that he would not be able to see Lily intimately again. Once Kat overcame her depression and her thoughts of not being loved by her father, she realized that, he too, was going through similar emotions. She was able to accept he father for who he was, not for what he did to Jed. Tucker, overjoyed with the relationship he had with his children, was distraught when he had to let Lily go. At first, he was very stubborn, unable to accept that this amazing feeling of love with Lily had to end, but once his therapist, Joe, put everything into perspective, trying to choose between Lily and Kat, it was obvious what needed to be done. Tucker was able to accept that he and Lily would not be able to run away together because Kat was more important to him, which was why Lily’s last call was quite surprising. He had accepted what he could not have and was ready to move on with Kat; displayed in his first reactions at the hotel. All in all, it was important to Tucker to show his children the value of life; moving on from minor set-backs and staying true to yourself.
  One of my personal rules is to “dance to the beat of your own drum”. This means to always ultimately make the decisions that most benefit you and not the necessarily the people around you. Do not make decisions based on other people’s opinions because you can only determine what is best for you. This rule is important to me because I have witnessed others who have based their lives off of other people and what they think. I believe that it is important to make sure that you are satisfied with the decisions you make because majority of the time, you are the one who is going to be dramatically affected by it. Because I am a dancer, this rule also applies when performing, but I will not get into that. So all in all, please dance to the beat of your own drum.
  

  4/4/2012 8:10:40 PM
• Destinee W.

  Markiano, I strongly connect to your personal rule in a plethora of ways. I too, have to deal with the constant commentary from my mother, explaining what I need to do and when I need to do it. I really appreciate it, but sometimes I feel that because she is not in my shoes, she does not understand what I am going through. Although she says that she has been in high school before, she does not realize that times have changed completely. Consequently, I believe that my mother is needed when necessary; when I forget to do things or when I do not feel like doing it. Although they may not fully understand what we teenagers are experiencing, I feel that they just may have some good advice; SOMETIMES!!

  4/4/2012 8:19:23 PM
• Coutney Jones

  Tucker's Big Rules "It is what it is" was one of the rules that I could easily relate to. This rule meant seeing things what they really were and not running away. A rule Tucker repeats often to his children when they face with any problem. Which was one of the things he wanted his daughter Kat to do by staying in Washington after the incident with Jed and the rumors of her going down on the group of boys that could categorize her as a "slut". However, Trish was skeptical of this phrase for Kat to deal with in Washington but preferably in New York.
  
  I can relate to this rule, "It is what it is", when I lived with my mother she was the realistic type. Ever since I was little she cut the imaginaries out. First, by starting with Santa Claus where she told us head on that he was not real and made it evident by showing us that she brought us the Christmas gift anytime she felt like celebrating it. As well as she did with the Easter Bunny, tooth fairy, etc. I was never afraid of the "boogeyman" and it became easy for me to stay away from cliche type of problems. "It is what it is" is easy for me to relate to because I always made an effort to try harder. To me this rule is meant the same way Tucker intended. This type of rule became important to me in the sense of co-existing with others. Understanding that things happen for a reason and that being judgmental is not fair for the people who have been raised in a different environment than me. I see everyone and their mothers conforming with the ways of society and therfore I stick with being a realistic person and a non-conformist.

  4/5/2012 3:29:16 PM
• Kyvonne Williams

  Tucker's rule "don't complain" has been a guide for him and his children throughout the story,and in someways, this way of thinking was not very helpful for them. There are many points in the book where Kat tells Tucker how "depressed" she is and one could argue that Tucker telling her not to complain is the reason for her harboring all of her feelings toward the entire situation and letting it make her depressed. The rule is also shown in all of the scenes regarding the court case. Brian, Tucker's attorney, always speaks for Tucker. Tucker never says anything to Vandenburg in terms of the case and that is one, because he is scared of him, and two, because he doesn't feel the need to complain about what happened. Tucker would always have thoughts about how crazy he was for doing what he did that night but he would always end his thought by saying that he had own up to his mistakes and not complain about his situation. A personal rule I have for myself is "Be prepared for the unexpected." I have had to apply this rule so much in the third quarter because of college decisions coming out. Of course I did not think I would be admitted into every single school I applied to, but I did not think that I would only have two schools to really choose from at this point, since those were the only schools I have already been admitted to. For every other school I have applied to, I have been wait listed. I knew the wait list was but I never even thought of myself being wait listed to the schools I applied to. After getting about 5 letters back that said the same things, I had to quickly apply the rule because being put on the wait list for 5 schools was unexpected, but it was the reality of the situation and I could not let that dictate the rest of my high school career.

  4/9/2012 5:35:23 PM
• April G

  Think for yourself was an important rule in Breaking Her Fall. It means exactly what it says, think for yourself, or make your own decisions. Although it was not mentioned as much as it is what it is, it is visible throughout the book. These rules are collaborate rules of the family and Tucker, as the head of the house, is not even following them. He and Trish together and separately decided to make decisions for Kat because she is too young. The theory is that Tucker wanted his children to make mistakes, otherwise he wouldn't have made this a rule. The one time Kat messes up, he decides to take away one of her rights in their household.
  Tucker also does not follow this rule when trying to decide what he should do about his love life, specifically with Lily. Tucker wanted his therapist to tell him what he should do, what was best for him because he could not make a decision on his own. This rule is important because it was the rule broken the most throughout the book. The question raised by many major characters was "what should I do?," and although they were rules for Tucker, Will and Kat, his close friends knew about them and they all went against this rule.
  A personal rule for me is be grateful. This rule became important to me when I got older and started learning about history and different lifestyles, cultures, countries, and religions. I learned about good outcomes of situations but the harsh treatment of humans and brutal behaviors of individuals. Not only have I learned about it but I have seen people with problems too heavy for their little lives to have to deal with. I have seen children suffer because of their parents actions and it made me appreciate the life that I was given. It also made me want to better myself as an individual, but that's aside from my rule.
  My rule is so important because you never know when something can be taken away from you, especially if you are unappreciative. Also, things could be worst than they are, so be thankful that they're not.

  4/9/2012 10:51:01 PM
• Anthony Sterling

  Show up on time is one of the import rules not only during work but everywhere. Showing up on time displays respect and your commitment to arrive and be ready. This rule my apply to college/school, since you are paying for classes, it is to your benefit to show up in class on time. As a result coming late you may miss important things such as notes, test, quizzes and pentalize for missing class. In addition this applies to jobs and interviews, if you dont arrive on time then this show what kind of person you are, which is untrustworthy and unaccountable. A rule of my own is use your resources, this means use the things that is around you if you need help, dont be afraid to ask questions. In college you will need to use your resources to get around, meaning use your councelor/adivisor to help you with certain things, also ask the teacher for help, attend their office hours, or get help from a peer. Using you resources, i believe is one of the key things to be successful in college and life.

  4/11/2012 9:24:45 PM
• Taylor Middleton

  @Anthony I believe that showing up on time is very important as well. In order to show people you are about business coming on time or early makes a great impresion.
  
  @April your personal stuck out to me. Sometimes I complain about the littlest things that I don't have instesad of looking at what I have so much of. I plan on starting to appreciate even more because I never know when I can lose it.

  5/1/2012 9:05:12 AM
• Tyquan Myrick

  I definitely can relate to "Finish what you started". i feel that Tucker would promote this rule because he would want his kids to learn to follow through with whatever they set their minds to. He also seems like the type to regret his own failed attempts in life and wants better for his children. A personal rule of mine is to always treat others the way you would want to be treated. I follow this rule because I wouldn't want anyone to mistreat me and I am not the type of person to mistreat other for superfluous reasons.
  

  5/1/2012 9:10:26 AM
• Tyquan Myrick

  @Destinee I also agree with that rule because it was very prevalent trhroughout the story that they dwelled on the past. anyhting that occured tucker mentioed and had his own monolouge for. I also use this in real life because nothing will get fixed crying over spilled milk

  5/14/2012 9:08:39 AM
• Collecha Newby

  "Don't complain" means that even in situations where you feel like there is nothing positive to say you should do whatever is in your power to make not complain mainly because that does not make the situation any better.

  5/14/2012 9:14:55 AM
• Anthony

  @Markiano, I agree with the saying of Think For Yourself, similar to your situation, my mother does the same thing, encouraging me to think for my self and do what I need to do. I think that I rely on my mother to make decisions for me, and I need to get out of the habit of that and Think For Myself.

  5/14/2012 9:16:03 AM
• Collecha Newby

  Original post continued, I would offer the following rule: "Live life at your own risk". I would offer this as a rule because Tucker was a character so wrapped up in what he wanted his children to live by his own rules instead of living thier own lives by thier own rules.

  5/14/2012 9:18:09 AM
• Taylor Middleton

  @Destinee I live by your personal rule in multiple ways. When it came to deciding on a school to decide everyone was telling me to go to Union, when I decided Syracuse it seemed as though everyone wasn't as pleased but at the end of the day it is my decision on where I go so I danced to beat on my own drum with that decision.

  5/14/2012 9:19:27 AM
• Nia Jo

  Tucker's household rules make sure that the children are able to be held accountable for their actions and know what to do when he is not around to maintain authority. One of his rules that stand out to me is "It is what it is", not only because I use this often, but because it stands out as a rule that everyone should abide by. "It is what it is" is more than self explanatory. It is something that a person puts them self through, something that is inevitable to happen. If a person just so happens to end up in jail because they stole something from a store, then hey, "It is what it is".

  5/14/2012 9:20:28 AM
• Taylor Middleton

  @Tyquan I concur with your personal rule because when it comes to respect I feel as though everyone demands it but doesn't want to give it back; so I see it as something I have to earn in order to get it.

  5/14/2012 9:20:56 AM
• Collecha Newby

  @Tyquan I agree with your personal rule because i was taught to be the same way. in addition that is also a quality that I admire about people in today's society.
  
  
  @April Your rule is very interesting because I never really think of how others may take my actions as a way to determine how grateful I am for what they have done for me me or offered me.

  5/14/2012 9:21:07 AM
• Nia Jo

  @April: I agree with you when you say that "Think for yourself" is an important rule. It not only accommodates a person's thinking process and whether or not a person wants to do anything for themselves, but it allows a person to abide by their own thought process. Great Analysis.

  5/14/2012 9:22:09 AM
• Mark Owens

  @Taylor, since you and I had the same rules I like how you apply them to your own life.

  5/14/2012 3:41:59 PM
• Shamir Fauntleroy

  @Markiano I agree that the think for yourself rule should be apart of your own self conscience. I think that as youth we are told to do things and as we get older its embedded into our way of life.

  5/17/2012 2:22:51 PM
• Shamir Fauntleroy

  @Collecha I feel that the rule "Don't Complain" simply means to simply separate the message from the messenger. Sometime we feel the need the need to rebel against our parents when they make comment. However, a friend could make the same comment and we just let go by or actually take it into consideration.Separating the message will help us to end that rebellion and try and learn from what our parents are saying

  5/17/2012 2:26:11 PM