Forged by Fire is a realistic fiction novel written by Sharon M. Draper. The novel was first published in 1997 and is the second book in the Hazelwood High Trilogy. It received the Coretta Scott King Award.
The story focuses on Gerald, an African American boy who struggles with his life after the death of his aunt.
Originally, the first chapter of Forged by Fire appeared as a short story in Ebony magazine on January 1991 under the title "One Small Torch".
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Plot summary
The story begins with a three-year-old boy named Gerald who lives with his single mother. It gives the reader an idea of Gerald's knowledge and relationship with his mother. One day, Gerald's mother visits a drug dealer and leaves Gerald home alone for many , many hours. While he is alone, Gerald goes into her room and picks up a lighter. He starts playing with the lighter along with his other toys. While in the kitchen, Gerald moves the lighter from left to right and a curtain ignites. The flames start spreading throughout the entire kitchen. Afraid, Gerald hides behind the sofa and passes out from all the smoke. Gerald wakes up in a hospital where he starts asking the nurse for his mama. A few minutes later, Gerald's handicapped Aunt Queen arrives at the hospital. She later claims that she is going to become Gerald's new legal guardian. The two gain this superb relationship, but little does Gerald know his whole world will be turned around for the worst. Several years later, Gerald finds out his mother was in jail for leaving him as a three-year-old home alone. She comes to Aunt Queen's house on Gerald's birthday and Gerald finds out that Mama married a man named Jordan who's a child abusing brute. They had a daughter who's Gerald's sister named Angel. Aunt Queen dies and Gerald ends up moving back with his mom and his having to deal with Jordan's child abusing. After Gerald moves back in he has to face the abuse of his stepfather, Jordan Sparks. Later in the story after Jordan starts to molest his daughter Angel, Gerald finds out and gets help from Mr. Washington, Robert's father. The story progresses to High school where Jordan comes back and tries to act like he's a changed man, but on the side is drugging up Gerald's mother. After Jordan comes home drunk and attempts to rape Angel, who had set some food on the stove before doing so which eventually caused a fire, Gerald comes home and fights Jordan. After the fire burns, Jordan dies and Angel and Gerald are with their mother again, they look forward to the new life ahead of them.
The Book Forged By Fire Video
Main characters
Gerald - The main protagonist of the story. Armed with a troubled past, Gerald is a character who does not think his life is worth living for. Late in the book, he vows to protect his little sister, literally and figuratively saying she is one of the only sources of happiness in his life. Gerald is also a basketball player, one of the best on his team. In addition, he also has his teammates, mostly his friends, to look forward to.
Angel - The younger stepsister in the family. She was born when Monique was in jail for the fire. She loves to sing, dance and loves her older brother, who she sees as her protector. In the story, she is molested by her father numerous times, to the anger of Gerald. Angel is also seen as the voice of reason in certain parts of the story, giving useful insight to the situations she and her older brother are in. In addition, she loves her cat, who she got for her birthday.
Jordan - The main antagonist of the story. The husband of Monique, who abuses Gerald, molests and rape Angel, and scream and hit his wife. After being arrested and charged for child molestation, Jordan is released and stays at the apartment. He is burned alive and killed after the whole apartment burns down, prior to his fight with Gerald.
Monique - Gerald's mother. Abused drugs and Gerald anytime she was high. She often enforced and imparted horrible messages and punishments on Gerald when he was a child (e.g, putting a lighter up dangerously close to his hand after Gerald was playing with it.) When the house burned down after the lighter was left on and unattended, Monique is arrested and charged for child neglect. However, after she is released, her personality changes, even more so once she is hit by a taxi. Her character experiences many mental changes through the story, even refusing to accept Jordan's behavior post-taxi accident.
Minor Characters
Aunt Queen - Gerald's wheelchair--bounded aunt who he has to stay with for most of his childhood, from age 3 to age 9. Some of his fondest memories were made with Aunt Queen. Aunt Queen is a woman defined by her character, though towards her exposition with the nurse showed she can be rude, her philosophy is one of kindness and love in general. She helps suppress Gerald's past memories, and the abyss of pain that follows.
Rob Washington - Gerald's best friend and closest confident. They had been best friends for a while in the book. They are also on the basketball team together. Later in the story, one night, the friends (except Gerald) are out for a fun night after the basketball game, when they get into a car crash, with Rob dying, while everyone else survives.
Mr. Washington - Rob's father. Around the early-middle portion of the book, he starts to bond with Gerald. Gerald starts to reveal his home life, with Mr. Washington offering to help. As promised, Mr. Washington helped Gerald and Angel put Jordan in jail. When Rob died, Mr. Washington comforted Gerald. Seen as a family member to Gerald.
B.J - One of Gerald's friends who is also on the basketball team. A good friend who can turn passive-aggressive if anyone in the book made a mockery of him. He even learned karate to look intimidating due to his short stature not accommodating for his personality.
Andy - One of Gerald's friend. Cause of the car crash, of which was caused by drunk driving, and Rob's premature death. After the car crash, Andy was the victim of much harassment at school.
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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