Difference between revisions of "LoveSick Erica Character Analysis"
From ThePlaz.com
(add line from encarta) |
(2nd paper edit and works cited) |
||
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
{{Draft}} | {{Draft}} | ||
| − | Erica is one of the main characters in ''LoveSick'' by Jake Coburn. She is a freshman in college; the daughter of a very wealthy father who is | + | Erica is one of the main characters in ''LoveSick'' by Jake Coburn. She is a freshman in college; the daughter of a very wealthy father who is overprotective of her. She is also bulimic. This worries her father, who, in ''LoveSick'', hires Ted, a former basketball player whose hopes and scholarship for college basketball, vanished in a drunk driving accident. Ted is suppose to spy on Erica in her freshman year, in return for a free ride through college. The two find themselves at a snooty private college where, the only real friends they make are each other. |
==Father: Overprotective== | ==Father: Overprotective== | ||
| − | Erica does not fare | + | Erica does not fare well the first time "alone" from her overprotective father, whose protection she despises. Erica's father is a rich man. He shows great concern for Erica, but is not around her much. Although, it's not clearly mentioned, Erica was probably well cared for in her childhood. However, not by her father, but be people he hired. Thus, Erica was always well looked after, probably even too well, but she didn't have access to the love of her father. Erica's father thinks he can solve the problem by throwing money at it; for example Erica says, "my father controls people/things/life with money because that's all he knows" (Coburn 212). This could have possibly lead Erica to turn towards an addiction in order to try and straighten out her life. She may have even gone out of her way, so that she should defy her father, whom she calls "The Ferret" (Coburn 159). The addiction could have started out as doing something which he can't control, in order to rub it in what a poor father he was to her. Because he restricts her so much, Erica feels a great need to defy her father. By not playing a closer role in Erica's childhood, Erica's father created Erica's role in ''LoveSick''. This is an ironic situation. |
==Bulimia== | ==Bulimia== | ||
| − | + | Possibly because of her father, Erica suffers from Bulimia. Bulimia, is an eating disorder where Erica eats too much food and then throws it up. It is dangerous to her life because she must hide it, not wanting others to know about it. This makes her withdraw from being around people. Bulimia is also dangerous to the body. It can cause gastrointestinal problems and damage to the teeth because of the acidic nature of the regurgitated food (Encarta). | |
==Ted== | ==Ted== | ||
| − | Ted is the boy Erica's father hired to spy on Erica. Erica is able to bond with Ted because he too is fighting an addiction | + | Ted is the boy Erica's father hired to spy on Erica. Erica is able to bond with Ted because he too is fighting an addiction while trying to hide it. Because he too is fighting an addiction while trying to hide it, he is able to connect with Erica, but also withdraws from social life. He is at odds with his regularly drunk roommate, James. Both do not fit in well with the other people at the collage. Living only a few doors away from each other brings them together. Ted also tries to get Erica help by bringing her to his Alcoholics Anonymous meetings. This plants the seed in Erica's mind to consider checking into a rehab center. |
==End of the Book== | ==End of the Book== | ||
| Line 16: | Line 16: | ||
Ted and Erica then reconcile their feelings for each other. Eventually they understand how their lives are shaped by trying to overcome addictions. They kiss and make up, as well as decide to travel the world, instead of returning to collage. Erica's father realizes that strict supervision is not what his daughter needs. | Ted and Erica then reconcile their feelings for each other. Eventually they understand how their lives are shaped by trying to overcome addictions. They kiss and make up, as well as decide to travel the world, instead of returning to collage. Erica's father realizes that strict supervision is not what his daughter needs. | ||
| − | + | ==Sources== | |
| − | * | + | *"Bulimia." <u>Encarta</u>. Microsoft. 19 Aug 2007 <http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761574868/Bulimia.html>. |
| − | * | + | *Coburn, Jack. <u>LoveSick</u>. New York: Dutton, 2005. |
Revision as of 22:51, 29 August 2007
Only a DRAFT!
May change/be updated - still in progress - may still contain inaccuracies
Erica is one of the main characters in LoveSick by Jake Coburn. She is a freshman in college; the daughter of a very wealthy father who is overprotective of her. She is also bulimic. This worries her father, who, in LoveSick, hires Ted, a former basketball player whose hopes and scholarship for college basketball, vanished in a drunk driving accident. Ted is suppose to spy on Erica in her freshman year, in return for a free ride through college. The two find themselves at a snooty private college where, the only real friends they make are each other.
Contents |
Father: Overprotective
Erica does not fare well the first time "alone" from her overprotective father, whose protection she despises. Erica's father is a rich man. He shows great concern for Erica, but is not around her much. Although, it's not clearly mentioned, Erica was probably well cared for in her childhood. However, not by her father, but be people he hired. Thus, Erica was always well looked after, probably even too well, but she didn't have access to the love of her father. Erica's father thinks he can solve the problem by throwing money at it; for example Erica says, "my father controls people/things/life with money because that's all he knows" (Coburn 212). This could have possibly lead Erica to turn towards an addiction in order to try and straighten out her life. She may have even gone out of her way, so that she should defy her father, whom she calls "The Ferret" (Coburn 159). The addiction could have started out as doing something which he can't control, in order to rub it in what a poor father he was to her. Because he restricts her so much, Erica feels a great need to defy her father. By not playing a closer role in Erica's childhood, Erica's father created Erica's role in LoveSick. This is an ironic situation.
Bulimia
Possibly because of her father, Erica suffers from Bulimia. Bulimia, is an eating disorder where Erica eats too much food and then throws it up. It is dangerous to her life because she must hide it, not wanting others to know about it. This makes her withdraw from being around people. Bulimia is also dangerous to the body. It can cause gastrointestinal problems and damage to the teeth because of the acidic nature of the regurgitated food (Encarta).
Ted
Ted is the boy Erica's father hired to spy on Erica. Erica is able to bond with Ted because he too is fighting an addiction while trying to hide it. Because he too is fighting an addiction while trying to hide it, he is able to connect with Erica, but also withdraws from social life. He is at odds with his regularly drunk roommate, James. Both do not fit in well with the other people at the collage. Living only a few doors away from each other brings them together. Ted also tries to get Erica help by bringing her to his Alcoholics Anonymous meetings. This plants the seed in Erica's mind to consider checking into a rehab center.
End of the Book
As the book progresses, the friendship between Erica and Ted grows stronger. Towards the end of the book, Erica and Ted fall in love and kiss. However, Ted realizes that he does not wish to continue spying on his girlfriend. He quits his spying job and also drinks a lot of alcohol, which he knows he shouldn't because that is what got him into this situation in the first place. While he is drunk, he also tells Erica that he was hired to spy on her by her father. This makes Erica very angry, because her only friend turned out to be working for he father and the world she hates so much. She borrows a car from a friend and leaves collage in a huff to go to New York City. In New York, she checks into rehab, where she pays cash to not alert her father of her whereabouts.
Ted and Erica then reconcile their feelings for each other. Eventually they understand how their lives are shaped by trying to overcome addictions. They kiss and make up, as well as decide to travel the world, instead of returning to collage. Erica's father realizes that strict supervision is not what his daughter needs.
Sources
- "Bulimia." Encarta. Microsoft. 19 Aug 2007 <http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761574868/Bulimia.html>.
- Coburn, Jack. LoveSick. New York: Dutton, 2005.
Email Me
