Coming of Age Novel: Halfway

      Internal conflicts can affect a person as much as an external conflict, maybe more, even.  In Lock and Key, by Sarah Dessen, Ruby is facing internal and external conflicts.  They are both affecting her.  Her external conflict is that her mom left her an dinternal conflict is the feeling of being lost and lonely and having no one there for her. 

      Ruby was living alone with her mom for a nice amount of years after er older sister moved away to college and basically never spoke to them again.  He rmother was self absorbed and distant and didn't care much for her daughter, but Ruby was fine with it and was to blind to see that the way that she wa slicing was not right.  We are introduced to the book where Ruby says she was living alone for four months after her mom left her.  She was living in a filthy place with no money and barely any power or water in the house.  This affected her because she basically has to start her life over, which she does not want to do.  She has to move in with the sister that left her at a younger age and live in a new home and go to a new school. 

      External conflicts?  They hurt.  But you know what can hurt even more?  Internal conflicts.  The internal conflict that Ruby is dealing wiht is relationships.  She's lonely.  She's alone in a new school but her mom is gone.  She doesn't have her there anymore.  Her sister is there but not really present.  She's not someone that Ruby can talk to.   The only person that is actually making an effort is her brother in law, but she doesn't know him like that.  Ruby is lost in a world of used to be's and what's going to be.  Ruby can let herself out to anyone.  It's like she's drowning but no one is there to save her.  This affects her deeply because it makes her want to run away, like she tried to do already from Jamie and Cora's house on the first night.  But where to?  She has nowhere.

      Have you ever had the feeling of wanting to run away and run away from your problems and your world?  But then wonder who would come after you?  That's how I feel describes Ruby and her internal and external conflicts.  He rmom ran away and she has to change her lifestyle and she's lonely and really has no one who's genuinely there for her.  Everyone has those moments when they feel like this.  But in the end, for us, everyhting will be okay.  But will eveyrything be okay for Ruby?  As I continue to read, I will watch out for how Ruby solves her problem and changes herself to adjust,