Cory returns to Zephyr 25 years after leaving it commenting that "Zephyr was my home, and it hurts to think it's changes so much" (McCammon 565). Why is it important to the novel as a whole that McCammon take us and Cory back? Try to use some of your favorite quotes from this chapter in you answer.
Emily F 5
4/17/2014 02:29:43 am
I think that the last section of the book about Cory going back to Zephyr was necesscery to show how much magic was there when he was a kid. The contrast of how Zephyr was when he was a child and how it changed when he became an adult shows how magical his childhood was. I think it also reflects how childhood is full of magic that goes away as you get older. It exemplifies what McCammon says before the novel about how everyone is born with magic and once its lost it is hard to get back. Going back to Zephyr was Cory trying to live in his magical childhood one more time. Some of my favorite quotes were when Cory said "I don't think anyone is evil beyond saying" (McCammon 586). I also liked when his Dad said "Life is for the living" (575). The quote "This is a going forward, but is it progress" (572) stuck out to me because it reminded me of the modernist literature.
Emma S. P2
4/21/2014 08:23:42 am
I really like your idea of the magic and how it truly never goes away. I believe people get older but the magic never really dies. I think going back also shows that change does happen and that there is not true way to stop it; we have to accept it.
Rachel VB period 4
4/17/2014 02:33:29 am
By McCammon taking us and Cory back to Zephyr, it ties up all loose ends as well as shows that even in a town full of tragedy, there can still be hope and happiness. My favorite quote from section five is "I don't think anyone is evil beyond saving" (McCammon, Section 5). If I had a childhood like Cory's I think I would be scarred for the rest of my life. Cory uses his experiences as a child and learned from them. They helped him develop his own values and beliefs. Another quote that I liked was "I'm Bubba Willow. He smiles, and I can see Chile in him. "Reverend Bubba Willow" (Section 5). This brought the entire book into a full circle for me.
Alexis B. period 1
4/24/2014 02:03:43 pm
I agree that by bringing us back to zephyr, Corey is tying up all the loose ends of his life. Zephyr is his home, and no matter how it appears now, it is a part of his childhood, and a major memory of his life. I also think he brought us back as a way of showing us a new perspective of his Zephyr, and how it is now. What he thinks of when he passes by the lake, or passing by old neighbors homes. I think him coming back serves as a way of making peace with his inner self that although bad things took place, Zephyr is and always will be a part of him
Haley M Period 4
4/17/2014 10:29:48 am
It was important for McCammon to take the readers and Cory back to Zephyr to answer all the questions. It tells about all of the boy's futures and about the future town. It saddens Cory because this town that was once magical, has no more magic. He feels that his home was run down and no one seems to live there anymore. The magic for him and everyone else was lost. Then his daughter says, "Hey, Dad! Look what I found!" (572) she had found the black arrow head that was once lost to Johnny. He realized that the magic still exists and the arrow was left for his daughter to one day find. He knows that as he grows older more and more magic gets lost but the memories will always remain.
Carissa C. P4
4/18/2014 09:28:55 am
Cory's return to Zephyr is significant because it shows how Cory has grown as a person, in addition to providing closure to the readers and his changing viewpoints of the town. I think that Cory compares the Zephyr of his childhood and the 1991 Zephyr to prove how reality sets in and diminishes the magic and wonders of childhood, particularly when he states " We may be in a particular place in time, but this place is no longer Zephyr" (McCannon 570). All the memories of him and his friends playing, hanging out, and going on adventures are in the past along with his childhood. Adulthood changes a person, with magic only showing up rarely in spurts.
Stephanie Brown; period 5
4/20/2014 11:34:02 am
I agree with you Carissa, that this last chapter was to show how Cory has grown as a person and how his perspective of the town has changed. As expected, some of the old magic of Cory's childhood has left him and Cory no longer sees Zephyr the same way, but I believe that it is because, like Cory says, Zephyr is simply not the same place. His old friends, his dad, the lifestyle that he used to live, is no longer there. Cory says that "Zephyr is not the same" and he says that while "[he is] in a particular place in time, [the] place is no longer Zephyr." Therefore, I don't believe that the reason Cory doesn't see Zephyr the same is just because he's lost the magic. I believe that it could be just because Zephyr isn't the same anymore. The people that lived in Zephyr, the Zephyr that Cory grew up in is no longer there. Most likely it is a mix of losing his childhood magic and the physical changes of Zephyr, such as the new stores, the orphanage, and the new group of people, are what makes Zephyr so different to Cory.
Giancarlo G. Period 1
4/18/2014 10:07:08 am
It was important for McCammon to take Cory and us back to Zephyr, because McCammon wanted Cory to revisit his hometown. Cory needs to know where he has come from. Cory and the audience want to know what has happened to Zephyr. McCammon allows us to know where the characters go, what has happened to everyone, and where life has taken them. My favorite quote from this section is, “You can’t know where you’re going until you figure out where you’ve been” (McCammon 564). I feel that this quote allows Cory and the readers to realize that everything in their life will help shape out to who they become when they get older. For instance, Cory is married to Sandy and has a daughter named Skye. Cory would not have been the man that he is now if it was not for the adventures he had as a boy. Solving a mystery, having your dog and friend die, going to college, and years later, having your dad die due to cancer causes someone to show their strength. Cory’s dad was a significant role model in Cory’s life; Cory could not have loved and trusted anymore more than his own father. I feel Cory’s dad’s death as a stepping-stone; life does go on. His boy life helped him mature into a man. Cory used to believe in all the magic his hometown had, but as he got older, he realized that it slowly goes away.
Carl A., Period 5
4/21/2014 12:58:22 pm
I think you're right that it is important to remember where we come from just like Cory did when he revisited Zephyr. It closed up loose ends and gave us details on what happened to most of the townspeople in Zephyr and the town as a whole. Everything we do in the past makes up who we are later on in life just as you stated with Cory. Finally, the last point about not stopping and continuing is important. Living is for the living and we should do just that, we can't pander on the past.
Rachel H. Period 4
4/18/2014 10:54:29 am
I think that it is important that Cory comes back. This is very significant because it shows the overall growth of Cory, and really answers how everyone has come of age, which really has to do with the themes of most of the pieces we have read. With Cory coming back it shows that he has grown up, but he still holds a piece of Zephyr with him. This allows for us as readers to somewhat have closure knowing what happens to all of the characters in the novels. Plus, this allows Cory to know where he is from, in order to allow him to know where he is going in life. My favorite quote from section 5 is "I've changed somewhat since 1964, of course. I don't have as much hair, and I wear glasses. I've picked up some wrinkles, but I've gained some laugh lines, too. Sandy says she thinks I'm more handsome now than I ever was. This is called love" (McCammon 566). I found this significant, because it is so genuine. Cory is happy, and I feel like this is somewhat of a mirrored image of Cory's father and mother. It shows that he came of age, and that he is happy with who he has grown to be.
Megan J P4
4/21/2014 06:51:27 am
I completely agree that the epilogue is significant because it ties up loose ends and allows readers to see the end result of Cory maturing. What you said reminded me of a quote from the Lady in Section 4: "I want my people... to cherish where they've come from. Not sweep it under a rug. Not to dwell on it either, because that's nothin' but givin' up the future" (McCammon 493). Cory let the magic he found growing up in Zephyr shape him into the person he became but realizes that he must live in the present, which is why he doesn't go into his old house, etc. in the epilogue.
Rachel H. Period 4
4/21/2014 08:40:58 am
I really liked the quote that you used from the Lady; I definitely think it is significant to know who you are and where you came from, and that definitely hits the nail on the head with that quote! Also, I had never thought of it that way with the magic. I really liked your perspective on it, and how the magic is what shaped him; more so, Zephyr to him is magic. I thought that was really cool how you connected those two together.
Lyssa L 4
4/21/2014 09:38:11 pm
Megan, I think you made a really strong connection to modernism with a theme of the book. Yes, it is true that time will physically keep changing, but the events and the past will not. McCammon quotes twice on how things have changed and says, "We're poised on the edge of a new century, for better or worse. I guess we'll make up our own minds which" (563). He then repeats, "People have changed, too, I think. Not just in the south, but everywhere. For better or worse? You can decide for yourself" (564). What McCammon wants the readers to realize is that it's up to a person to decode his or her own fate, because all the choices one makes, affects another part of his or her life.
Andrea Birtles 2
4/21/2014 11:25:45 am
I like how you brought up the quote that Cory said about himself overall in his transformation, and I think it brings up an interesting point that Cory seams happy now. When you look at him as a boy, he wasn't the happiest since he had been through many tragic and tough experiences. But the happiness is closure to know that Cory ended up turning out just fine.
Lyssa L 4
4/21/2014 09:47:40 pm
Posted under the wrong one*
Amanna V
4/18/2014 01:45:35 pm
In the beginning of the story, Cory is viewing Zephr through the eyes of a child who lived in a "magical" town. Returning to Zephr, he is older and now carries the burden of responsibility. Although he himself still retains the magic he carried as a child, he doesn't find that similar magic he felt growing up in that town. Whether it be from viewing the magical town as an adult, or the town becoming run down and small, the reader senses the dramatic change in Zephr. However, the author wants to remind the readers that Cory still remembers and cherishes Zephr and all the lessons he learned there. When Cory envisions his father in his house, he says " You don't have to come here to see them, Cory. Or to see me, either...You don't have to leave what is, to visit what was." In this, his father is basically telling Cory that he doesn't need to visit Zephr to remember that magic he felt as a child. It will always be in him if he opens his mind and acknowledges the magic that is still inside of him.
Giancarlo G. Period 1
4/21/2014 12:13:59 pm
Amanna, I completely agree with you. Cory has a lot of figuring out to do, thus he quotes the Old Lady, "You can't know where you're going until you figure out where you've been" (McCammon 564). Cory has not realized that he does not need to visit Zephyr. Cory might have ran out of that magical feeling for his hometown, but he will always be able to carry it with him, no matter where he goes. Cory knows where he has gone and whats been done, now, he needs to focus on how he can remember those memories from years ago; he needs to dig deep for the magic that keeps him beating.
Imani B. P5
4/21/2014 02:35:29 pm
I also agree with you Amanna! I think that his father is trying to help him realize that the events that he went through carried into the person he is currently is and did not get left behind once the moment passed. The magic is Cory's childhood shaped him as a person so yes, he just has to feel it inside of him
4th period
4/18/2014 01:46:25 pm
Megan J P4
4/19/2014 08:30:38 am
It is important as a whole that McCammon took us and Cory back to Zephyr to end with optimism and teach readers not to let dwelling on the past distract one from the present. When Cory is “talking” to the ghost of his dad, his dad says “life is for the livin’… Now go on and get on with it instead of wantin’ to come in an old house with a saggy floor” (McCammon 575). Taking readers back teaches them that even though the physical destinations of our past, like Zephyr, change over time, the memories and lessons that we take with us make us who we are. Even though Corey’s “hometown is not [his family’s] home” (578), it shaped Cory as a person thanks to the magic that will always be there even as the buildings physically deteriorate. I also liked when Cory said “This is a going-forward, but is it progress?” (572). This reminded me of Willa Cather’s quote from Modernism of “Men travel faster now, but I do not know if they go to better things”. Zephyr ultimately died because it could not compete with the lure of technological advancements that other towns had. It’s hard to tell if these technological advancements are a good thing since “The world is tougher now… There are harder choices to be made, with more terrible consequences” (566). But, it is important that McCammon takes us back to Zephyr in the epilogue because it ends the book with optimism. Even though it is tempting to let memories of the past distract one from the present “Life goes on, and the roads always lead to unexpected destinations” (566) and things will be all right in the end.
Lyssa L. P4
4/21/2014 09:45:08 pm
Megan, I think you made a really strong connection to modernism with a theme of the book. Yes, it is true that time will physically keep changing, but the events and the past will not. McCammon quotes twice on how things have changed and says, "We're poised on the edge of a new century, for better or worse. I guess we'll make up our own minds which" (563). He then repeats, "People have changed, too, I think. Not just in the south, but everywhere. For better or worse? You can decide for yourself" (564). What McCammon wants the readers to realize is that it's up to a person to decode his or her own fate, because all the choices one makes, affects another part of his or her life.
Lyssa L 4
4/21/2014 09:45:38 pm
Megan, I think you made a really strong connection to modernism with a theme of the book. Yes, it is true that time will physically keep changing, but the events and the past will not. McCammon quotes twice on how things have changed and says, "We're poised on the edge of a new century, for better or worse. I guess we'll make up our own minds which" (563). He then repeats, "People have changed, too, I think. Not just in the south, but everywhere. For better or worse? You can decide for yourself" (564). What McCammon wants the readers to realize is that it's up to a person to decode his or her own fate, because all the choices one makes, affects another part of his or her life.
Becca K Period 4
4/19/2014 12:15:05 pm
It's really important that McCammon had Cory go back to Zephyr after all these years, because he had to prove his point that while the magic fades as you get older, it still exists. Not only does going back to Zephyr tie a lot of loose ends for the readers and gives us an overall sense of satisfaction for the novel, but it really strengthens the point McCammon was trying to show throughout the entire novel. Every section was focused on the magic of childhood, and how life is such an adventure when you are little. He also made a point to show that some people lose the magic when you grow up. The last lines of the book say ,"They will always be there, as long as magic lives, and magic has a strong, strong heart" (McCammon 514). I think that was a perfect way to end the book, because it leaves the reader with the exact thought McCammon was trying to instill in us the entire time. By having Cory go back to Zephyr as an adult, it only strengthened this idea, and was a powerful way to end the story.
James Jones P2
4/19/2014 02:11:46 pm
Despite being an excellent form of closure, McCammon brings the reader back to Zephyr in order to show how Cory has not lost his magic. This can be seen in the chapter when he lets his daughter have the Freddy picture and when he "hold[s][his] arm out with [his] palms facing the sky" (McCammon 571), waiting for Nemo's ball to come down. McCammon also uses this visit to deliver his final message about magic, which is revealed when Corey's father tells him, "You don't have to leave what is to visit what was" (McCammon 575), meaning that even though (for Corey) the new Zephyr lacks magic, the magic of the old Zephyr will always be within Corey. The magic of one's childhood does not stay in their hometown after the child grows up. It becomes memories and follows the child throughout their life. Magic does not leave the child, it becomes lost in the clay-like layers of stress and regulation that come with the adult world. Cory is unable to find the magic of his Zephyr because that magic is already inside of him. He also can not find the magic of "his" Zephyr because the new Zephyr has changed in order to provide magic for the next generation of children.
Joe S, Period 2
4/20/2014 01:07:11 am
Zephyr reminds me of Cairo, Illinois. In the book when Cory describes Zephyr after 25 years, he says, "The houses are still here, but many of them are tumbling down, the yards forlorn. It's not totally a ghost town, however, because some of the houses-a small, small number it appears- are still being lived in, and there are a few cars on the streets." (McCammon, 570) Zephyr is a fictional mirror of Cairo. After all the violence, people left and the town is only a few residents short of being a ghost town. Boarded up windows and overgrown houses are a common sight. I like Mr. Conrad's suggestion; go listen to "My Hometown" by Bruce Springsteen. to quote it, "...Now Main Street's white-washed windows/ and vacant stores/ Seems like there ain't nobody/ wants to come down here no more." The song describes both towns down to a tee. (perhaps Cairo more, because the song talks about racial violence bringing a town down, which was Cairo's situation. But Zephyr also had some racially-motivated violence.) Cairo, like Zephyr, was scarred by violence, and both are now on the verge of complete abandonment. but for the residents who've stayed, the spirit is still in them. It hurts to think its changed so much, but what is, is. History cannot be changed, but the magic created by history is still there, in the run-down Main Street, the dilapidated houses, the overgrown parks, and the silent streets. I've been to Cairo, once before. It is a place like no other.
Joe S. period 2
4/20/2014 01:10:03 am
may I also add In something really sad? Cairo may very well have once been the most important city in America. Now, I ask if people have heard of it, they say they've never heard of it.
Emylee Frank
4/23/2014 01:46:42 pm
I honestly love the fact that you brought up a specific town that Zephyr reminds you of. It puts McCannon's ideas and messages in a much bigger picture, because it's even more relate-able and realistic. I might add however, is Zephyr can be pretty much any town anywhere in America. It has the idea of what American dreams are, yet with time and realization, that American dream doesn't seem so pretty or it isn't what it seems. I loved this connection though.
Scott Augustine 5th
4/20/2014 02:50:58 am
I think that this chapter really expresses how things might wear down, be destroyed, or even disappear but the memories will never be forgotten. Cory sees his old town and notices that it isnt the same but he still recalls all the great memories he had in the past. In this chapter he states, " a wonderful party and celebration of life has moved on somewhere else, leaving its physical evidence behind like a garden of dead flowers". This quote really expresses how the present image of something might be dead but the past can never be destroyed.
Hailey A 2
4/21/2014 03:26:09 am
I agree with you Scott, I think Cory went back and lost the magic that he saw in everything. Before he would see an eye in his bike and look at the sky and think he was flying. Now, he just sees a bike and the sky. One could say that everything just looks dull and life less which could give it the impression that it has been destroyed. He loses the magic but keeps the memories he had there in his heart forever.
Trevor K 4
4/21/2014 09:37:23 pm
I definitely agree with you about what this section means. The town in run down and forgotten about. I agree that it shows that all beautiful things must go at one time or another. However, I do not feel that this abandoned town resembles lost magic. I feel that the memories spur him remembering the magic. He feels like a kid again when he visits Zephyr and that is what the true magic is about. One of the last quotes in the book is, "I think I see four figures with wings, and their winged dogs, swooping and playing in the rivers of light" (578). This quote means that however old you get you still that innocence of a child in you. It shows that magic is valuable and that Cory will always have some in him.
Daisy Oce Period 4
4/20/2014 03:46:59 am
I think it was important for McCammon to take readers back into the future to provide closure. At the very beginning, forty-year-old Cory Mackenson tells readers that he was “born and raised in a magic time, in a magic town, among magicians” (6). In the last section, he explains how nothing is the same anymore and also for the rhetorical question of “For better or worse? You can decide for yourself” (500). He explains how hard it is to keep the magic that was once so easy to have. Cory Mackenson recognizes that the world is becoming more complicated and efficient every day, but continues to push that idea that magic is something worth keeping forever. “This is a going-forward, but is it progress?” (509).
Joe S. Period 1
4/23/2014 07:51:35 am
I completely agree with you, Daisy. Cory introduces his magic once again at the end of the book to bring back those grand memories and occurrences as an innocent child. Nothing is the same indeed, especially the home town. It also is hard to keep the magic one has, it does not really ever go away, it just gets hidden under the years and years of age. As the years go on, things evolve more efficiently, but magic always stays in some form.
Angel A 5
4/20/2014 04:04:54 am
I think it was necessary for Cory to go back to Zephyr after all those years. It just sort of creates a necessary conclusion and ends the book on a good note. Also i think that it shows that even though it has been 25 years, Cory can never forget what made him. He cant forget all of the memories that made him the man he is today. Cory took Vernon's advice and did what he wanted to do in life. He became a storyteller, it may seem that he lost magic due to everything that happened to him, but i think he retained it all. Everything that happened to him only made him and his belief in magic stronger.
Miranda L P4
4/20/2014 04:36:02 am
The last section of the book is very important to the overall novel because it shows how much things have changed. Zephyr was a magical place filled with all different kinds of people when Cory was a kid and I think the last section shows how the town has fallen apart. It shows that magic doesn’t last forever, sooner or later it will disappear just like Cory’s childhood did.
Alyssa -.
4/21/2014 09:22:18 pm
Alyssa Z. p4
4/21/2014 09:24:27 pm
I agree with you Miranda. I think that it was important for Cory to return to Zephyr to see the changes that have accurred. But i also think that even if the town lost some of its magic Cory never will.
Elizabeth Z Period 2
4/20/2014 05:19:48 am
The epilogue of the book w a very instant addition the Robert McCammon decided to make. It shows how the whole town may have filtered out, little by little, but there was still enough life for people to get together and put some more good in the world. I especially like when Tom said to Cory, "It's full to the brim." Whether he was referring to the town or heaven, it is a Lin that really makes you think about what he means. Obviously, there is still a lot of life in the town, because of the boys' orphanage in Vernon's old house. But, I believe that Tom was referring to the way that Zephyr lives on in the memories of the people who once lived there.
Julia C. P2
4/20/2014 05:21:14 am
I think that it was important for McCammon to bring the readers back to Zephyr because it brings the story together. By going back 25 years later it showed us how Cory grew as a person, and it just proved that all of the lessons that Cory learned when he was young were worth it and he turned out to be a really great person. This really brought the book together because it caught you up on what everyone was doing with their life now. I really enjoyed this last section and learning what all of them were doing, and hearing Cory reminisce about his life was very touching. A quote that I liked from this section was, “Life goes on, and the roads always lead to unexpected destinations” (McCammon 566). I think this was what Cory learned when he was growing up and it carried him into adulthood.
Mildreth T.
4/23/2014 10:00:14 am
I really like that quote too because you never know where life is going to take you. Even if you don't like where the road takes you, life will go on anyway.
Harshita K. P:1
4/20/2014 06:07:11 am
THis whole book was about Corey and his growing maturity how when he was a kid there was a strong presence of magic in this small town of Zephyr. In the beginning of this novel, forty-year-old Cory Mackenson tells readers that he was “born and raised in a magic time, in a magic town, among magicians” (6).Corey takes the readers back to his childhood where everything seemed so big the house,the streets, playground,and the school. This conclusion to the book brings the story in a complete circle therefore it was necessary to add the last section. As a 2 year old kid Corey has experienced many life changing events that allowed him to mature early , and that really becomes apparent in the last section in which all of the lessons that he learned when he was young were worth it and he turned out to be a really great person in the end. He is his father's child.
Chris Q p1
4/20/2014 07:08:24 am
Having Cory return to Zephyr at the end of the book comments on how everyone sees life. When Cory returns his memories come back to him, reminding him how he became who he is. This happens to everyone. We all have certain memories that we deeply appreciate. The magic Cory once had is not with him, but it is in his memories.
Bri D. P2
4/20/2014 01:05:24 pm
I like how you mentioned that memories stay with you because I totally agree with that statement. It's like how people say that pictures are forever, it's the people who change. We may not want anything to change, but eventually everything does.
Lizzy K P4
4/20/2014 07:28:55 am
McCammon takes Cory and the reader back to Zephyr to show the importance of our roots. As we grow up, things obviously change and sometimes we can forget where we’ve come from. Cory learns from all of the experiences that happen in the year he narrates. Although the experiences in Cory’s life were traumatizing, he takes the lessons learned and spreads them to everywhere he travels, like all the other people in the town that have moved on. McCammon tells us the importance of our roots by telling us that, “I think they [the residents of Zephyr] have taken a part of Zephyr with them, and wherever they go they leave Zephyr’s seeds in the earth” (McCammon 573).
Matt R 3
4/20/2014 07:31:41 am
McCammon uses this chapter to bring the story and theme full circle. Zephyr has
changed, just as Cory has changed, but the memories and stories of a boys life always remain the same. The ending quote of this chapter was my favorite, where Cory thinks about how "they will always be there, as long as magic lives" (578). I really think this develops the theme that the happenings of our childhood make us who we are, and although we always grow older, that certain time waits for us in the recesses our memories.
Yousuf A 5
4/22/2014 01:34:57 am
I agree with you matt that McCammon took us back to Zephyr because it shows that Cory has grown up and matured. He is able to go back to the ugly times and face them. It also gives the reader time to look back on the novel as a whole and remember all the life shaping moments that Cory went through. The town was really worn down and ugly but it still was able to teach him things, even if it wasn't like it was before.
Jen Moss P1
4/20/2014 08:56:22 am
There was a great amount of significance in McCammon have Cory return to Zephyr at the end of the story. It physically brings the book back to its beginning, and acts as a reminder to Cory, and therefore to us, of the past. The entirety of this book is focused on the importance of learning from one's experiences, and applying them to the future. Cory's returning to Zephyr really engrains in readers the idea that one should "cherish where they've come from. Not sweep it under a rug" (McCammon 493). It may hurt to revisit the past, and to see how things change, but ultimately, it is necessary to having a successful future.
Jennifer C. Period 1
4/21/2014 01:25:06 pm
I agree with you, Jen, on how it was important for McCammon to bring the readers back to Cory when he was an adult because personally I would feel that it would be unfinished. I also believe that Cory’s reason for sharing his story of the murder and all these things happening to him when he was younger was to prove or state some sort of lesson or opinion about life. One of the chapters that really changed his perspective would be talking with the Lady at the museum and the way he looked at life from then on was different. He learned that he should “’look where [he has] come from, and look what [he had] become” (McCammon 493). Cory, although looks at his town, sees it alone, and deserted, still remembers the magic and the memories that has shaped him into the person that he is today.
Paulette D 5th
4/20/2014 09:25:50 am
I think it was beneficial for McCammon to bring Cory and the readers back to Zephyr, in order for readers to see the impact the town had on his childhood and how it has shaped him as an adult. When the dad had dreams about the dead man telling him “come with me, down in the dark,” I think it metaphorically brought Cory and his father on journey that pulled Cory out of his magical world and confront reality (McCammon 521). From his time living in Zephyr, Cory has a different outlook on life, allowing him to deal with situations easily. Cory states “Life goes on, and the roads always lead to unexpected destinations” which is him referring back to the Saxon Lake incident that they just so happen to see (566).
Tyler Ken 1
4/20/2014 09:50:12 am
It is important for McCammon to write Zephyr as It Is because the chapter shows the change in Cory and change in Zephyr. Zephyr, like Cory, has lost its magic, but has found a new purpose as a father. Cory states that, “Music became to my rescue. I believe that music is the language of youth, and the more you can accept as being valid, the younger your attitude gets” (567). Zephyr has found a new purpose by being home to the Zephyr home for boys. Cory and Zephyr may have lost their magic, but they have handed it down to the new generation of children to have. The book closes on the vision of “four figures with wings, and their winged dogs, swooping and playing in the rivers of light. They will always be there, as long as the magic lives. And the magic has a strong heart (578).
Ali D 4
4/20/2014 10:55:13 am
It's important that we see Zephyr after Cory has grown up and been married. It shows us that time does change things, not only the town but Cory himself. Cory is now a father and it shows how he is as an adult. Memories from being a child can be how you parent and going back to zephyr shows how Cory is a father. I like the part when he is speaking to his father, in his mind, because it shows the love he had for the man and how much he misses him. I think a lot of Tom is in Cory. Going back to zephyr is important to see how much has changed and how much it did shape Cory as a man.
Stephanie Brown; period 5
4/20/2014 11:21:44 am
It was necessary for McCammon to write about Cory coming back to Zephyr to show us how time brings about change, in Cory, in Zephyr, and in society in general. When Cory comes back to Zephyr, he says that while "[he is] in a particular place in time, [the] place is no longer Zephyr," and I believe this is could not be a truer statement. This quote reminds me of how I feel about my junior high years, because I know that while I may be able to go into the building once in a awhile and visit the old teachers I once had, I know that it is not the same place. There is an entirely new group of students that have replaced the students that I went to junior high with, as well as there are teachers that have come and gone. It is evident that Cory has grown up and his life has changed, but he also points out that society has changed. At the beginning of the chapter, he says that the "clothes have changed. People have changed, too...Not just in the South, but everywhere" (McCammon 564). One of my favorite quotes in this chapter was Cory's view of time: "We truly are living in a time of whirlwinds and comets. And like rivers flow into the sea, time must flow into the future" (564). This quote is full of good imagery, and I believe it accurately portrays time in such a creative way that is easy to understand.
Nick Wolf
4/20/2014 11:21:59 am
I believe that it is absolutely necessary for Cory and the reader to go back to Zephyr at the end of the novel. For the novel, it’s necessary because it reviews every single aspect of the novel that was important to the overall theme. It’s like Cory is driving through a massive mural of still moments in time, moments that helped shape Cory as a person as well as a character. Also I believe that going back is important not only for the novel as a whole, but for Cory himself. Seeing Zephyr in the state it is now, run down, dead and withering, is the final truth that Cory’s hometown can teach him. The past is the past, and it cannot be relived. When Cory takes his first look at the town of Zephyr in 1991, he notes that “[the] wonderful party and celebration of life – has moved on somewhere else, leaving its physical evidence behind like a garden of dead flowers” (McCammon 570). When he was a child, his hometown has always been a source of enrichment and enlightenment. However, now it has run dry, and this teaches Cory that once something has provided its worth, it cannot be experienced again.
Riley S Period 2
4/21/2014 12:37:57 pm
Nick, I loved your entire comment and could not agree with you more! McCammon comments throughout the novel that time is always moving. Hometowns, unfortunately, will one day not be our homes anymore. I think it's part of the scariest thing of growing up, that you leave a whole world behind that keeps moving without you, and when you come back, nothing is left. Never take things for granted. That's what Boy's Life taught me.
Ryan Dowler P5
4/20/2014 11:38:11 am
I think it is important that McCammon takes us back to Cory in Zypher to show us how the events that transpired in the town changed Cory as a character and as a person. With all that Cory had learned in the aftermath of the murder, it was necessary to show the reader how it effected his life decisions. Not everyone experiences such a dramatic events as Cory did in his childhood.
Emma S P2
4/20/2014 11:43:30 am
McCammon bringing us back to Zephyr because it shows that Cory has grown up and matured. He is able to go back to the ugly times and face them. It also gives the reader time to look back on the novel as a whole and remember all the life shaping moments that Cory went through. The town was really worn down and ugly but it still was able to teach him things, even if it wasn't like it was before.
Katelyn B period 2
4/20/2014 11:44:45 am
It is a significant piece for McCammon to have Cory return to Zephyr twenty-five years later because it helps show the readers, Cory’s overall growth as a person in the real world after the events that took place in his magical town during his youth. This section ties the entire story together as all the main people in Cory’s childhood in Zephyr have their futures told to the reader, leaving no loose ends. It is essential to show the reader Cory’s viewpoint of the town at this point in his life too because Zephyr was always viewed as a place full of magic in Cory’s eyes, but when he returns that magic has been stripped from the town as it has become lifeless and hardened by the fate of reality. Cory mentions that: “I’ve tried my damnedest not to get old” (McCammon 566), taking the advice from The Lady and Vernon to not lose sight of the boy that once consumed him, which makes it hard for him to return to Zephyr because of the hard changes it has went through since he last lived there. One of my favorite quotes from this section would have to be: “Life goes on, and the roads always lead to unexpected destinations” (McCammon 566). I feel like it sums up Cory’s personality and character throughout the course of the entire novel. He learns to live in the moment and let go of the past because life is full of unexpected turns that are out of your control, but the events that make up the journey make life worth living.
Chris b 5
4/21/2014 10:53:37 pm
I agree that him coming back not only showed his growth but gave a clincher to story that had been very open ended up until that point.
Riley S. Period 2
4/20/2014 11:46:25 am
McCammon takes Cory back to Zephyr for many reasons. One may be to show the loss of small town America and the fact that towns don't have milkmen and one main-street. Time moves so quickly, that if you don't open your eyes you will miss it. So many things happen in such a short time span, "We truly are living in the time of whirlwinds and comets. And like the rivers that flow to the sea, time must flow into the future"(564). The section is to teach the reader that people are not evil to the core, Gotho has a good life and Cory doesn't see Dr.Dahinaderke as evil, just corrupted. Zephyr teaches the reader about life, it moves on and takes what it will with it. But childhood and the memories made never will be lost. Cory accepts this and understands this when he says "My hometown is not our home". But the memories Zephyr provided Cory will live on, "They will always be there, as long as magic lives. And magic has a strong, strong heart"(578).
Taylor D. p. 4
4/20/2014 12:11:49 pm
Cory returning was really important to show how much has changed. Not only the town has changed, but Cory's view points as well. Through the novel, we are able to see Cory grow into a mature young man. At the end, we are able to see the man he turned in to. It gives readers closure and doesn't leave you wondering what happened to Cory later in life. I think it is amazing how he was able to remember all of this and write a novel on his experiences as a kid and now we are able to see all the lessons he was able to learn. It also shows the magic in childhood.
Corey K. (period 5)
4/20/2014 12:30:10 pm
When Cory comes back to his childhood town, I believe it is a great end to the novel. He changes throughout the course of the story and it doesn't stop their. As he comes back, he sees the magic of the town again and relives some of the memories made. Adults are always trying to find a way back to the easy life of being a kid. Cory "knows things can't stay the same (and that's all right)" but longs for his innocence (McCammon 565).
The novel makes a full circle as he brings his kid back to Zephyr and his memories because now that little boy will make his own magic before growing up and making realizations about the world.
Shelby D 5
4/20/2014 12:34:24 pm
I think that it's important that McCammon brings us back with Cory 25 years later because it ties together Cory's idea of nothing being completely evil. Despite all of the terrible things that occurred in the town Cory still comes back and reminisces within the positives. As Cory's father says "life is for the living" (575). This is absolutely my favorite quote in the final section of the book because it ties together the idea of hardship and struggles, such as Cory endured, and relates to the reader that life is about overcoming challenges.
Anna W. 1st
4/20/2014 12:35:18 pm
The most important aspect of this chapter is that it not only gives the reader some closure, but it ties up the book in showing that Cory had closure, and despite everything that happened he still kept his childhood near to him. As Cory mentioned coming back from college and finding that his bike was sold it hits him how much he truly loved it, "And that night I put my head on my dad's shoulder and cried as if I were twelves again instead of twenty," (574). By revisiting the town Cory gets to revisit his childhood and the great parts about it. I enjoy that this in this final chapter Cory does not dwell on any of the horrible events that took place, but he remembers the magic that the town held.
Jordan C 2
4/20/2014 12:55:46 pm
It is important to the novel as a whole for McCammon to take us back with Cory to Zephyr. It really allows us as readers to really see what actually happened to the characters of the book whether their lifes got better or worse. It also allowed the readers to see the times changing around these characters that had to endure the drastic changes from century to century. To finally show how much the world changes from how people think and do and everything inbetween.
Bri D. P2
4/20/2014 01:01:04 pm
Cory returning to his old town is really important to show readers how much has changed throughout his life. The town he grew up in has changed and so did the way Cory views the world. We are able to see Cory grow up into a mature young man and in the end we get to see the man he turned in to. We are able to see what happens to him later on in life and the book doesn't leave us wondering if he ever grew up the way we wanted him to.
Zak D period 2
4/21/2014 11:39:12 am
I like your idea of Cory's change and that the town changed along with him. His return to Zephyr shows us how Cory has changed. His maturity is through the roof and he understands life as it is (Zephyr as it is).
Zak D period 2
4/20/2014 01:04:41 pm
Cory's return to Zephyr is important because it shows how different he thinks as a 40 year old compared to his thought process as a child. He sees his home town as a real place instead of a magical place where anything can happen. The reality that Cory lives in now is completely different than the life he used to live when he was growing up.
Dong L. Period 5
4/20/2014 01:10:47 pm
The reason why Cory is returning back to Zephyr is that yhe author wants to show the changes Cory went through as he grew up with what he experience at his hometown. Cory is an adult now and the readers can now see different perspectives of a boy and an adult in a world mix with good and bad.
Carl A., Period 5
4/20/2014 01:13:44 pm
I think it is very important that McCammon takes us and Cory back because it doesn't leave us hanging wondering what ever happened to that magical town called Zephyr. We know what happened to most of the characters and how they turned out to be. My favorite quote has to be, "Life goes on, and the roads always lead to unexpected destinations" (McCammon 566). For example, Gotha changed a lot and looks to be living a good life once he got the attention from the touchdown. On the other hand, Cory becomes a writer, and pretty much throughout the novel we knew he was going to become a writer. Also, I think this final part of the novel reminds us that we must look forward and not to linger in the past like when Cory didn't stop to go back to Davy Ray's grave, he had already come to peace with it and went on with his life. Life is worth living and we should live it.
Dong L. Period 5
4/21/2014 08:07:14 am
I like how you use a quote that summarize the whole main idea of the book since it relates to real life as well. Death can come when it is least expected such as Davy Ray's death. Also I agree that the final part of the novel reminds the reader to look forward into the future instead of waddling into the past.
Tyler Ken 1
4/21/2014 11:57:05 am
I agree with you and feel that the quote you used is the theme of the book. I feel that throughout the novel, McCammon leads us down a path in each occasion. Whether the tale is small or large to the novel's importance, McCammon leads us down a road to an unexpected destination.
Ryan F 2
4/20/2014 01:14:24 pm
McCammon takes us back like that because he wants a chance to cover all of the questions left over at the end of the novel. It tells about all of the boy's futures and about the future town. It saddens Cory because all of the magic has gone away from the town. He feels that his home was run down and no one seems to live there anymore. The magic for him and everyone else was lost. When his daughter finds the arrowhead, it makes him realize that the magic still indeed is there. Though the magic has somewhat faded, the memories will remain forever.
Caitlin Collins Period 2
4/20/2014 01:17:09 pm
I think that McCammon take us and Cory back to Zephyr for closure. Every good story needs some sort of closure, and understanding, even if it’s not the pretty-packaged happily-ever-after we’re looking for. McCammon, wanted to show that Cory had grown old, but not necessarily grown up, he was and is bound and determined to keep that magic alive and just the fact that he decided to return to his beloved hometown, meant it had made a lasting impact on his life and growth. “I think I see four figures with wings, and their winged dogs, swooping and playing in the rivers of light. They will always be there, as long as magic lives. And magic has a strong, strong heart” (McCammon 578) McCammon wants us to know that the magic will live on, always, as long as there is a strong heart behind it, keeping it going.
Amanna V (4)
4/21/2014 02:56:02 pm
I agree with your statement. I find it interesting that Cory has grown old physically but still hasn't lost that magic touch he had when he was younger. I also feel like bringing Cory back to Zephr was for closure, and also for him to be reminded that it doesn't matter what age you are, you can still be able to retain that magic you had when you were younger.
Kevin h p4
4/20/2014 01:17:28 pm
I think it's important that we are taken back to the "present" Corey because it really emphasizes that this year of his Life was really a turning point in forming the person that he is as an adult. On line that I liked was when he said "but better naive, I think, than calloused to the core" I like this line because it shows that even though Corey was exposed to the cruelty of the real world, he didn't let it phase him away from being who he is.
Tyler Kol period 5
4/20/2014 01:19:36 pm
It is necessary for cory to visit the town again because it makes the experiences real for readers. Reminded that everything we have read was in the past, leaves the book on a sour note. The author chooses to show that the events of the past follow cory through his entire life, and force him to see the world for what it really is. Cory took Vernon's advice and did what he wanted to do in life. Everything that happened to him only made him and his belief in magic stronger.
Jennifer C. Period 1
4/20/2014 01:25:51 pm
The beginning prologue before the first section of Boy’s Life introduces Cory as an adult telling the story of when he was eleven-years-old. He stresses about the importance of his childhood and a truth. He believes that “the truth of life is that every year we get farther away from the essence that is born within us” (McCammon 3). The truth he is speaking of is the magic of childhood. The last chapter of the entire novel is Cory reiterating the lesson that he learned after all that happened to him when he was younger in 1964 and how “[he’s] tried [his] damnedest not to get old...in this rough old world that wants children to be miniature adults, devoid of charm and magic and the beauty of innocence” (566). I believe that it was important for McCammon to write about Zephyr and how it has changed. Cory has not forgotten about his past and is sad when he sees Zephyr so deserted. However, he knows Zephyr really isn’t so quiet, not as long as the magic that he experiences still lives on.
Kathryn P P2
4/20/2014 01:28:54 pm
I think McCammon found it important to take us and Cory back to Zephyr after so long, because it was necessary to show how the world changes, for better or worse. One of the quotes I find sums this up well is when Cory and his dad are talking about future careers. His dad says, "'You never know how things are gonna turn out, though, and that's the truth. You aim for one place, sure as an arrow, but before you hit the mark, the wind gets you'" (McCammon 13). Along with his dad mentioning that "life is for the living", I believe that the last section is to show that people can get to where they want, but they will take some hits in the process, and that one just has to go with their gut feeling sometimes. The section shows that Cory has gotten to a happy place in life, even though he had a rough childhood. This was also necessary so Cory could understand that too.
TJ ayodele
4/20/2014 01:29:55 pm
It's important that the novel take you back to show you that just as Cory lived his 'boy's life' and eventually grew up, so did the town have that youthfulness but eventually grew old.That's also why I think McCammon showed the town as dying, to represent how it's time has passed. But, McCammon makes sure to leave some key landmarks vivid in Cory's memory, to remind him that wherever he goes, he "leave[s] Zephyr's seeds in the earth."(McCammon 573)
Brenda N. 4th
4/20/2014 01:35:13 pm
I think it was important for Cody to come back to his town because it is then that Mccammon shows us that even though Cody grows up, he still sees the magic he saw as a kid and this brings us, as readers, hope that we could see it too, but we just need to revisit that innocent mind we had from before. My favorite quote is, " People want to believe the best, but they're always ready to fear the worst" (194). It is like we are trying to believe or relive the magic, but it is always prevented because we're afraid of what is going to happen next or maybe we're just too old for it. But with Cody coming back, he shows there is nothing to be afraid of.
Joe S. Period 1
4/20/2014 01:37:22 pm
McCammon brings back memories and magic through the course of the ending. Cory is now grown up at a point of being mature and responsible. Memories of magic and innocence are brought back. The world becomes more complicated at the end of the novel and “[it] is a going-forward, but is it progress? (509)." Magic appears again through what Cory remembers of the town.
Rose Amodea P4
4/20/2014 01:39:10 pm
Cory's return to Zephyr is important because it puts emphasis on the fact that this year in his life was a real turning point in finding himself and his path to adulthood. The town he grew up with changed with his views on the world and he saw his home as a real place rather than a magical fairy tale. We are able to see Cory mature and grow up and see where he ends up (his 40 year self). The reality Cory lives in now is completely different than the life he once lived in as a child.
Andrea B 2
4/20/2014 01:39:55 pm
I think it was important for Cory to come back now that he's older and with his own family to kind of see how he has changed, and the town has changed. He once loved it there, that's where he grew up and made memories, had some of the craziest experiences, and had the typical boy's life. I think that it ties all the loose ends for us so we get to know what happened to everyone in the end and how Cory ended up turning out to be. I think the closing is the best quote, saying " I look up, into the bright blue air. I think I see four figures with wings, and their winged dogs, swooping and playing in the rivers of light. They will always be there, as long as the magic lives. And the magic has a strong strong heart" (McCammon 578). It's just showing that although Cory has grown and the town is different, there's still a little kid in everyone that remembers their fun childhood, and Cory will never forget that and the memories he made in that town as a boy.
Kevin T p1
4/20/2014 01:42:09 pm
In my oppion, I like the fact, that it ends with him returning to Zephyr. It kind of brings things full circle and back to where all the ”magic” began. My favorite quote is "I've . I changed... I don't have as much hair, and I wear glasses. I've picked up some wrinkles, but I've gained some laugh lines, too. Sandy says she thinks I'm more handsome now than I ever was. This is called love" (McCammon 566). It shows that gis life, has been as full as it was when he was younger, and that he is still living out his life to the fullest. Another scene is when his daughter finds one of Chief Five Thunders' arrows. It shows that even things may appear lost one day they willl be found again, and that our children carry on our childhood, in them. A small part of our childhood self dwells in them, that small spark.
Hailey A 2
4/20/2014 01:44:53 pm
I think it was important to take the novel back to this scene was to show the saying from the very beginging that you shouldn't wanna grow up too fast cause then you lose the magic and when you become old, you will be begging for it back. " I look up, into the bright blue air. I think I see four figures with wings, and their winged dogs, swooping and playing in the rivers of light. They will always be there, as long as the magic lives. And the magic has a strong strong heart" (McCammon 578). This shows that even though Cory was grown and he had to put reality before magic that he will still have his boyish thoughts and have the magic in his heart.
Costa Dassis (period 2)
4/20/2014 01:45:18 pm
This is important in order to develop a feeling of (in plain English), Wow remember all that we have been through. It adds an emotional touch in the reader as he remembers Cory's experiences. The reader gets the idea that soon everything present will become the past as did Cory's time. Time only moves one direction, forward. Time and history has created a story worth passing down. ´´Life is for the living Now go on and get on with it´´.
Jordan C 2
4/21/2014 10:38:01 pm
I agree with you Costa. That this last section is really an emotional tie to the entire story of Cory's childhood. It allows the readers to connect completely to every character within the story. Making this an important part of the novel.
Jelani P
4/20/2014 01:45:58 pm
I think its necessary that Mccammon takes us back because he is able to give the reader a picture of what Zephyr has become. Corey, along with his friends, has moved on the bigger and better things but he was able to do this through the lessons he learned in Zephyr. His father knew that he was destined for things greater than Zephyr and its evident when he says: "You don't have to leave what is, to visit what was. You'd got a good lie, Cory. Better than I dreamed." (575). From this, the reader understands that all of Corey's hardships and trials have made him who he is, and that he must put them behind him and continue to prosper.
Mahia P - Per. 1
4/20/2014 01:47:20 pm
I think that it was important for McCammon to take Cory back to Zephyr to bring the feeling of closure to the story. As a kid, Cory felt that Zephyr was a magical place, and throughout his life, those feelings changed because of various occurrences in the town. Throughout the story, we see how Cory's perspective changes as he gets older, and he is exposed to hardships and the reality of life. I think that the last section of the book allows us as readers to see how Cory's mindset has changed, and has also stayed the same (in some ways) throughout his life. I viewed it like someone today going back to a place they grew up in to see how it's changed since. Cory was doing exactly that. One of my favorite quotes from this section was, "Life goes on, and the roads always lead to unexpected destinations (McCammon 566). I think that this quote represents a lesson that Cory learned throughout his life. It shows that he thought one way when he was a child, but that mentality changed as life moved forward and new situations arose. I think that this last section creates a meaningful ending to the story.
Bailey F p2
4/20/2014 01:49:51 pm
I think that the last chapter was necessary to show the magic that Cory felt as a child in Zephyr. Everything has changed in the town, and it is very hard for Cory to adjust when he goes back with his wife & child. This chapter ties up all the lose ends, and gives us a very good idea about all of the people that influenced Cory's life. I really liked the quote that "They will always be there, as long as the magic lives" (McCammon 578). Childhood memories are something that stick with us forever, and this quote is basically saying although Cory is grown, the memories from Zephyr will always be with him.
Jesse S. Period 4
4/20/2014 01:58:39 pm
McCammon bringing Corry back to Zephyr is signficant as it provides necessary closure in the novel. Looking back Cory no longer posseses a strong magical attraction to the town. Some magic still exists, although it is not as strong as it once was. The magic has been corrupted naturally, with coming age, traditions and morals change. In Cory's situation, he did not exactly undergo an easy or "normal" childhood. Everything he has experienced throughout the novel allowed him to mature and changed his perspecive, as to why I believe he thinks that the town has changed, where in reality he has just simply grown up. "We ran like young wild furies, where angels feared to tread. The woods were dark and deep. Before us demons fled..... We looked upon the future and we saw a distant land, where our folks were always ageless, and time was shifting sand.
Ambreen M (period 1)
4/20/2014 01:59:59 pm
Cory goes back to Zephyer forty years later. In my opinion, the author does this because he wants us to see how Cory has grown as an individual and how life has changed for him and how much it has taught him
maddy b pd 2
4/20/2014 02:02:59 pm
I feel that bring city back is what does readers how he viewed that town as a kid. Was so much magic in almost everything he did. As a kid that's HOw most things appear to you. But him going back as an adult mashes him dad to realize that those things no longer the sane. I loved when his dad said. "Life is for the
living"(557). I feel is anther way of saying there is more to life than what meets the eye.
Mackenzie K. period 1
4/20/2014 02:06:49 pm
It is important that the reader gets the view of Cory from an older perspective because it shows how much the town has grown and changed but also how much Cory has, too. He looks at the town differently because he is older and has a daughter and a wife. The way that he views things is different because of the way he grew up in Zephyr. We get to see how each piece of Cory's past has effected and changed him into the person that the grew up to be.
Alexis B. Period 1
4/20/2014 02:17:01 pm
I think its important that Corey goes back when he is grown to show a different perspective of Zephyr, but also to show the transition of childhood into adulthood. The city is not what it use to be, this magical place filled with excitement and wonder, it has changed. I think the quote, "You don't have to leave what is to visit what was" (McCammon 578). I think this quote ties the ending of the book together by saying that although Zephyr has aged, like Corey, he will always remember the magical memories he shared in his hometowns for many years to come. The magic may be gone along with his adolescence, but he'll always have the memories that made everything so special to him.
Jimmy M P2
4/20/2014 02:21:07 pm
I think it was very necessary for Cory to come back to Zephyr. The question, "How did I get here," will always come to our minds. It was important Cory went back. He went to find the answers. He got the closure he needed his whole life. Cory lived through situations and experienced things that are extraordinary and most people do not have the burden, or the growing experience of going through those. Cory learned a lot about life. He finally came to the realization that, "Life goes on, and the roads always lead to unexpected destinations” (McCammon 566).
Vasu P. 1
4/20/2014 02:23:21 pm
McCammon take the readers as well as Cory back to Zephyr for closure. Every good story needs some sort of relief, and understanding, even if it’s not the pretty-packaged happily-ever-after we’re looking for. It's like completing a puzzle. McCammon, desired to show that Cory has matured, but not necessarily grown up, him going back to his hometown shows that who we are derives from where we come from and that never leaves us. “I think I see four figures with wings, and their winged dogs, swooping and playing in the rivers of light. They will always be there, as long as magic lives. And magic has a strong, strong heart” (McCammon 578) McCammon wants us to know that the history will always be known.
Hannah c p1
4/20/2014 02:29:15 pm
I think the last section of the book was so important to not only tie up all the loose ends, but it was also important to see the growth that Cory overcame. It allowed the reader to see how Cory learned from all of his experiences and to see how he grew from them and what he learned about life from them. One of the most important lessons Cory learns is about worth of people and the significance of every persons life. He sees some of the worst things but manages to still live his life as best as he can. This ending section really proves this especially with the quote, "I don't think anyone is evil beyond saving," because it really shows how much worth Cory sees in each person even with how many mistakes and flaws a person may hold. He is able to see beyond these things which is hard for so many people to do.
Caleb Smith Period 5
4/20/2014 02:31:25 pm
I think that McCammon uses this chapter to conclude the story and its theme. Zephyr has changed, just as Cory has changed, but the memories and stories of a boys life have and always will stay the same. I really liked that ending quote a lot it was where Cory thinks about how "they will always be there, as long as magic lives" (578). I feel that it really helps mold the theme that what happens to us in out childhood makes us who we are
Trevor K 4
4/20/2014 02:35:03 pm
It is important that Cory revisits Zephyr because, "You can’t know where you’re going until you figure out where you’ve been" (564). By revisiting Zephyr we are reminded about Cory's growth and how he was shaped by the events and people of Zephyr. We are also reminded by the desolation of Zephyr that all good things must come to an end. However, even though the magic town has disappeared, the magic is still inside of Cory. A strong quote in the chapter that was seen earlier in the book was, "life is for the livin'"(575). This quote not only relates to the death of Tom, but stems from Cory's experience in Zephyr and his loss of Davy Ray. Another quote that is symbolic is when Cory says, "I think I see four figures with wings, and their winged dogs, swooping and playing in the rivers of light" (578). This quote relates to notion that the magic and little boy in all of us will always exist. It means that magic lives forever.
Yousuf A 5
4/20/2014 02:57:54 pm
It is important that Cory goes back to Zephyr because this way it doesn't leave us wondering what happened to Cory’s hometown. We know what happened to most of the characters and how they turned out to be. My favorite quote has to be, "Life goes on, and the roads always lead to unexpected destinations" (McCammon 566). For example, Gotha changed a lot and looks to be living a good life once he got the attention from the touchdown. On the other hand, Cory becomes a writer, and pretty much throughout the novel we knew he was going to become a writer. Also, I think this final part of the novel reminds us that we must look forward and not to linger in the past like when Cory didn't stop to go back to Davy Ray's grave, he had already come to peace with it and went on with his life. Life is worth living and we should live it.
Alyssa Z. p4
4/20/2014 03:09:00 pm
As McCammon takes Cory back to Zephyr after being away for such a long time he is giving the the story its final closure. It is obvious that even when Cory grows old he still has the heart and magic of a young boy. Along with this characteristic follows the idea of always wondering. It is very important that Cory returns to Zephyr to see all the ways it has changed due to the fact that if he didn't, there would be no sense of closure in the ending what so ever. It is also very important due to how Cory seeing all these changes is his final realization t reality as the town changes but also his final connection to the magic in the town as he states,"I think I saw four figures with wings, and their winged dogs, swooping and playing in the rivers of light. They will always be there, as long as magic lives" (578)
Hannah B P1
4/20/2014 03:15:01 pm
I think that it was important for McCammon to bring the readers back to Zephyr because it brings the story together by answering questions that pertained to the story’s plot. 25 years later, we see that Cory has grown as a person; the lessons he learned as a boy have really developed who he is as an adult. The magic in Zephyr that used to be there seems to be missing for him and everyone else was lost. Then his daughter says, "Hey, Dad! Look what I found!" (572) she had found the black arrow head that once belonged to Johnny. He realizes that the magic still exists and the arrow was left for his daughter to one day find. He knows that as he grows older, magic is lost but the memories will always remain. Cory understands that “Life goes on, and the roads always lead to unexpected destinations” (McCammon 566). This is what Cory learned as he was growing up, and it carried him into his adulthood.
Justin C Period 2
4/20/2014 03:43:15 pm
I believe that it was important for Cory to come back as an adult 25 years to later to show how much not only himself, but Zephyr evolved as a whole. Cory goes back and notices that the "magic" and joy he had as a kid doesn't exist in Zephyr anymore, the "magic" doesn't exist in his home. Once his daughter finds the arrow head through, I think Cory learns that the "magic" never was in the town Zephyr but, the magic was in him and is in the children themselves. "They will always be there, as long as magic lives. And the magic has a strong, strong heart". . I believe that McCammon tries to tell us how important childhood is and how magical a child's childhood can be, not from where they are, but from what they make of it.
Trevor B. 5th
4/20/2014 04:16:04 pm
The ending where Cory returns to the town wasn't exactly necessary to the story as a whole but it allowed McCammon to provide great closure and contrast adding to the novel. Cory returns at the age of forty and describes the changes to the town. He asks the readers “For better or worse? You can decide for yourself” (500). mcCammon does a great job of providing the contrast in the lack of childhood magic while returning. In a way we can see that it's still there, in how Corey's children run wild in the fields after let loose from the car, and how the orphanage is doing where Vernon once lived. But everything through Corey's eyes has changed and hasn't aged well. He finds himself saying things he never thought he'd say, such as when he caught himself telling his daughter she may have nightmares if she kept that picture in her room. The magic is in the youth and it is important to keep that.
Ammara A p.1
4/20/2014 07:37:58 pm
A person sees people and the world differently as a child than they would as an adult. Mccammon brings Cory back to the town he referred to as a child as "magical" isn't as it always seemed. Robert wanted to shed some light on the novel for the readers to see the changes over periods of time. We see Cory's child and adult perspective on life and life as child is magical. My favorite quote is ,"You can’t know where you’re going until you figure out where you’ve been". Everything that Cory has been through, has impacted the way he grew up and the mindset he grew up with.
Lyssa L. P4
4/20/2014 09:32:29 pm
It's important that McCammon take him back after 25 years because it's a true evaluation of how people change over a course of a time which is mainly what the book is about. McCammon repeats a quote at the beginning of the last chapter and explains a reason for having the sort of epilogue to the characters. It says, "We're poised on the edge of a new century, for better or worse. I guess we'll all make up our own minds which" (563). It states again shortly after, "People have changed, too, I think. Not just in the South, but everywhere. For better or worse. You can decide for yourself" (564). The purpose of this section based upon these quotes is to provoke the idea that people make their own lives and paths for themselves. Every little choice a person makes affects an outcome in the future. Throughout the novel, the readers had a close look at many characters decisions in life and a part of most of the characters'. This was to show how much things can change, like how Gotha changed for the better, but Gordo changed for the worse. But it was their own choices that got them to that point in their lives and McCammon just wants the readers to see how people change their lives for themselves.
Dan Moran 4
4/20/2014 11:54:02 pm
In this chapter we can see how cory has matured from what we had seen in the novel to now when he is in his forties. He sees the real town of zephyr instead of the magic one that he grew up in. however he can still see the magic in it. He can see the changes in Gotha, the fact that Gordo hadnt changed and his life was terrible, and he can see chile's son Bubba become something ulike his deadbeat father. Bubba was able to break away from his confines in the house and become a rolemodel for the town of Zephyr as its Reverend
Renick W. 1
4/20/2014 11:55:01 pm
It was important to go back because it shows how the magic has left that town and how magic leaves people. Cory, being aware of the magic, states, "I've tried my damnedest not to get old. This in itself is a tough job. I don't mean age old, because that's an honorable thing. I mean attitude old" (566). The town which was full of magic, when he was born, has faded to a ghost town with no magic at all. It makes the point that many people lose their magic over time. For corey, who had a lot of magic in his youth, he has tired to keep some of it, and i think that returning back to Zephyr proves how much magic he still has.
Amber H 4
4/21/2014 12:00:01 am
This chapter in the novel, I believe is extremely important. Usually when we are finished with a novel, or anything, if its a TV show, we become attached to the character and if the main character doesn't die we wonder what happens to them and we wonder how they end up. Seeing Cory all grown up and with his wife and children let us know that it is really okay. The part where he is talking to his father's ghost, it really shows the connection that Cory has to Zephyr. His life is there, it may not be now, but it is his roots and where he belongs, and it hurts to be there because in time things change, like all of us have over the course of this year.
Brandon K P4
4/21/2014 12:03:33 am
McCammon wanted Cory to revisit his hometown because it is important to the reader and the story itself. When looking back in the story I think the best reasoning for this look back is from the conversation with the lady in the museum. She is talking about African American history and how things should be viewed when she says “You can’t know where you’re going until you figure out where you’ve been” (McCammon 564). Undoubtedly through the story Cory has experienced a lot of highs and lows that shaped his life. Zephyr is the magical place that is his root to what he has become. Not only has it done that for Cory but a lot of other people throughout the story. Cory and the rest of Zephyr all experienced a lot of things that should be looked at and viewed. More specifically Cory wouldn’t have become the man he is with his wife and daughter if it wasn’t for his experiences. Everything from the murder and his dog and best friend dying to his dad losing his job formed Cory. All of the people and role models that Cory had shaped him. He still slowly lost the magic that Zephyr held as he grew up but it shouldn’t be forgotten or overlooked,
Mykaylah B. Pd. 8
4/21/2014 02:55:45 am
The quote i chose was when cory stated "I've changed somewhat since 1964, of course. I don't have as much hair, and I wear glasses. I've picked up some wrinkles, but I've gained some laugh lines, too. Sandy says she thinks I'm more handsome now than I ever was. This is called love" (pg 566). It shows the growth and changes that Cory has been through over the past 25 years, and it also shows that hes actually happy with the person that he has become. I believe this is very sugnificant because all the obsticles that he has been through previous, leads to the person he is 25 years later.
Alayna D. Period 1
4/21/2014 12:26:52 pm
I feel like the most important part of this chapter is that it not only gives the reader some closure, but it ties up the book in showing that Cory had closure, and despite everything that happened he still kept his childhood near to him. As Cory mentioned coming back from college and finding that his bike was sold it hits him how much he truly loved it, "And that night I put my head on my dad's shoulder and cried as if I were twelves again instead of twenty,". By revisiting the town Cory gets to revisit his childhood and the great parts about it. I like that Cory remembers the magic of the town not just the tragedies in it.
Imani B. P 5
4/21/2014 02:23:30 pm
I think it is important for Cory to take us back because it shows us the innocence of his childhood and how he used the magic throughout the story to shape him into the man he became at the end of the story, and to allow the readers to see how he grew up. All of the major events that happened in his life were able to force Cory to mature and think about the true meaning of life as he experienced them, although they happened in one major year. Even though Cory had doubts about his purpose, his religion, and thought everything seemed to be going terrible for himself, he was still able to push through the tragedies and move forward, and I think it takes Cory taking the reader back for them to understand that to it's full extent. Some of my favorite quotes from the section are, "But as the Lady once said, you can't know where you're going until you figure out where you've been." (564) and "But life is for the livin'." (575)
Richard W. Period 5
4/21/2014 02:34:36 pm
I think that the fact McCammon took us and Cory back to Zephyr is important to the novel as a whole. I found it important because it gives the novel a falling action, which is a necessity to any great story. The falling action is supposed to give the readers and sometimes the characters, a sense of closure. "Zephyr as It Is" fulfills that description for us, but also for Cory as well. It allows the reader to see the tremendous growth that Cory has undergone throughout the novel while giving Cory and chance to flashback to his very eventful childhood. Despite everything that Cory has been through, from his emotions it is evident his still loves and will always love Zephyr. Cory truly knows and appreciates the fact that Zephyr has made him the man that he is today, saying, “You can’t know where you’re going until you figure out where you've been” (McCammon 564).
Paula R. Period 5
4/21/2014 02:38:03 pm
I think that it was important for McCammon to write that Cory revisit Zephyr to further show the growth of each character. Through out the book, many characters were introduced some important, some not but I think this final chapter finally ties everything together. McCammon writes of everyone's future some good, some bad but in the end he learns to accept that everything that happened was faith. It was okay that his mom remarried, it was okay that Rocket got sold, it was okay that his father died and it was okay that everyone moved on. I think that it was all okay because in the end, his father, the man whom he trusted and looked up to, will "always love [him]... [a]nd... [his] mother" and was "so very happy for the both of [them]" even though they both continued to live their lives without him (575).
Kelly B P1
4/21/2014 10:03:54 pm
A huge conflict in the setup of the novel is what the novel is actually about. Is it about a murder mystery or about a boy's life? By having Cory come back at the end, it ensures that the overall view of the novel was to be told about a boy's life.
Chris b 5
4/21/2014 10:52:23 pm
So my favorite quote from the last chapter would definitely be “You can’t know where you’re going until you figure out where you’ve been” (McCammon 564). This pulls from corys ability to remember the past experiences he had in zephyr. I think another important part of the last section is corys talk with his dead father. I think he was starting to feel sad about zephyr right up until he talked to him.
Yousuf A 5
4/22/2014 01:33:27 am
Cory goes back to Zephyr to show the importance of roots. As we grow up, things obviously change and sometimes we can forget where we’ve come from. Cory learns from all of the experiences that happen in the year he narrates. Although the experiences in Cory’s life were traumatizing, he takes the lessons learned and spreads them to everywhere he travels, like all the other people in the town that have moved on. McCammon tells us the importance of our roots by telling us that, “I think they [the residents of Zephyr] have taken a part of Zephyr with them, and wherever they go they leave Zephyr’s seeds in the earth” (McCammon 573).
Mildreth T period 1
4/23/2014 09:57:29 am
My favorite quote from the last section is definitely, "You can’t know where you’re going until you figure out where you’ve been” (McCammon 564). I feel like this quote pretty much summarizes the book as a whole. It explains how Cory had to go through some struggles to get to the place where he is now.
Emylee Frank Period 5
4/23/2014 02:06:29 pm
As a whole, it is important for McCannon to take us back to Zephyr because general, humans want answers. This technique of taking us back allows McCannon to give us answers about characters and their stories. It's a satisfying factor, which would give the book more appeal. However, that is not the only reason as to why it is important. This is McCannon's way of showing that although life changes countless of things, sometimes it doesn't alter someone too much. What I mean by this, is that when Cory returns to Zephyr he is slightly shocked by the change, but still expected it. The shock factor is Cory's linger magic, in which he has instilled into his daughter and even takes from his daughter. This is shown by his daughter resembling him, such as loving Freddy - the monster- and wanting to keep a picture of him. & How she is very much into boy stuff. Cory's magic radiated off of her and yet he still has it. McCannon wanted to show the significance of magic, and that although it can be lost, you can always find it somewhere. And even though Zephyr is not what it used to be, it allowed Cory to realize, he's got something left in him.
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