We All Fall Down
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| Author | Robert Cormier |
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| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre(s) | Novel |
| Publisher | Doubleday |
| Released | October 1991 |
| Media Type | Print (Hardback & Paperback) |
| ISBN | ISBN 0-385-30501-X (first edition, hardback) |
We All Fall Down is a novel by Robert Cormier.
Contents |
[edit] Plot introduction
The story setting is in a small town in the United States called Cape Cod. Life changes for the Jerome family after a group of boys vandalize a house and knock a girl down the stairs. The Avenger, who has seen everything, plans his revenge on the vandals.
[edit] Plot summary
On the evening of April Fools' Day, Harry Flowers, Buddy Walker, Marty Sanders and Randy Pierce decide to amuse themselves by vandalizing a family home. Without breaking any windows, they manage to trash the furniture, urinate on the walls, attempt rape and push a girl (Karen Jerome) down the cellar stairs when she arrives home earlier than expected. Karen falls into a coma, and the incident destroys the Jeromes' lives. Karen's parents and her siblings, Jane and Artie, are shocked and unable to understand who would be able to do such a terrible thing to them.
A middle-aged, mentally disturbed man who calls himself the Avenger watches the vandalism and promises himself that he will take revenge for the crimes when the time comes.
Then one of the vandals is caught by the police, acting on a neighbor's memorization of Harry's license plate. Under questioning, Harry claims he acted alone and does not mention the involvement of Buddy, Marty, and Randy. He also claims that Jane Jerome personally gave him the key to the house, when she had actually lost it at a shopping mall.
Jane meets Buddy Walker, and they become a couple. Jane, however, is unaware that Buddy is one of the criminals who upset her life. Buddy, an alcoholic since he met Harry, has problems with not telling Jane the truth.
All is relatively well until the Avenger, who has been in love with Jane for a very long time, gets to know that Buddy, is one of the vandals. He decides to kidnap and kill her. Jane manages to convince him of his insanity and he commits suicide.
Later Jane finds out the truth, and she ends her relationship with Buddy. Karen Jerome awakes from the coma, but she cannot remember what happened.
[edit] Characters in "We All Fall Down"
The most important characters in We All Fall Down are Jane Jerome, Buddy Walker, and Micky Stallings. After the vandalism, the book separates into three discrete storylines: one from Jane's point of view, which reveals how she and her family feel after the trashing; one from Buddy's point of view, which reveals his problems, family, and friends; and one from the Avenger's point of view, which reveals his cruel past and plans and cars.
[edit] Jane Jerome
Devastated by the incident, sad for her sister, and uncomfortable in her own home, Jane finds out that Buddy is responsible in part and breaks up with him.
[edit] Buddy Walker
Buddy is a 16-year-old boy who takes part in the trashing of Jane's house and ruins the upper floor, including Jane's bedroom. Despite this, he does not harm Karen, and tells his friends to stop hurting her. Buddy's parents divorce, and Buddy's only communication with his father is the reception of pocket money. The isolation makes Buddy depressed and, under Harry's influence, he becomes an alcoholic. He hides his depression from his mother and Jane.
[edit] The Avenger (Mickey Stallings, Mickey Looney)
Mickey Stallings is a 41-year-old man, a gardener, and the neighbor of the Jeromes. Jane and Karen nicknamed him Mickey Looney, because he lives in his own world. He is mentally ill, and believes he is an 11-year-old boy called the "Avenger". When he really was eleven, he murdered a bully (Vaughn Masterson), and his grandfather, a former policeman. He was never caught due to his expert planning. Now, thirty years later, he is secretly in love with Jane and intends to hurt the boys who hurt her family. He creates the suspense in the novel and a potential threat to the main characters lives. He commits suicide in the final climax in the novel after kidnapping Jane.
[edit] Literary significance & criticism
Because of its frank language and adult themes, the book is very controversial and was named one of the top 100 most challenged books from 1990 to 2000, by the American Library Association 1, and has been banned from some libraries. 2
