Character Analysis
Richard Pelzer is the main character and protagonist in the book. His most important character trait is his perseverance of wanting to better himself. Richard faces his drug and alcoholic addictions and wants a brighter future for himself. For example, when Richard's heroin addiction got out of control, he contacts a program, YDE, which helps young teenagers deal with their addictions in a healthy way. His perseverance helps him out in the end but causes some conflicts in the middle. For instance, when he left to the YDE program, he became involved with this new drug that is similar to Methamphetamine. Eventually he receives the help at the program and finds out the reasons why he uses drugs. His perseverance finally helps him figure out who he truly is and helps to "forgive and forget."