Analyze the development of Ruthie’s and AJ’s relationship ( part 1 + 2 )


The novel describes the life of the three main characters AJ, Ruthie and Erika and it also explains the development of Ruthie’s and AJ’s relationship. AJ is the most famous black – skinned football player at Centennial High. Erika is light – skinned and at the beginning of the book she is his girlfriend. Bur they don’t really love each other – it’s rather a sexual relationship. In the course of the story, Aj gets to know his black – skinned chemistry – lab partner Ruthie, who is his brother’s tutor later on. But there isn’t a real relationship, so AJ calls her “Ruthie somebody” and he says she is proper and hurts his pride. After an accident during a chemistry experiment, Ruthie has to be taken home by AJ. So this is their first awareness of each other. Later on, Erika wants to make AJ jealous because of his contact with Ruthie. Ruthie talks about it with AJ and she considers Erika’s reaction as childish. Then Ruthie and AJ continue to be lab partners and Ruthie has no feelings towards AJ except of disrespect because she categorises him as a typically arrogant, good – looking football player. AJ’s feelings towards are also of low regard, because she is “some smart black chick” who makes him feel uncomfortable because she looks him straight in the eyes and because of the way she speaks and dresses. In addition to this, he asks her how it is like when she falls in love with a boy. She answers that she has never had any boyfriends. But nevertheless she has a special imagination about true and deep love. Then. Ruthie becomes involved in helping AJ’s little brother with his school work, which, AJ takes as an action against him. So it’s a period of conflicts because AJ hates her and critizes her all the time and she feels he makes life hell for her. But Ruthie gets closer to AJ’s little brother Anthony. Who tells her about his mother’s suicide. Later on. Ruthie mentions the suicide which makes him run out of their chemistry class without a pass and it comes to a big confrontation with the school watching ( teachers, principal). But Ruthie takes the blame and both of them are going to talk in the café. She wants him to talk about his mother but AJ guards his privacy and starts trusting her and finally talks about his worries while Ruthie holds his hand. In contrast to this, he has never talked about his mother with Erika. However, Ruthie is able to show AJ that she only wants the best for Anthony. She doesn’t look at his success and his looks like Erika, Ruthie wants to get to know him and tries to help him with the problems he has. AJ recognizes that Ruthie is really interested in his life but he is also worried about her.
So these racial problems at Centennial High are the reasons why the three main characters change and develop and the development of Ruthie’s and AJ’s relationship is a big part of some problems.