Beautiful Boy and Tweak Essay

Reading two different accounts of the narrative of a drug pilfer each in allows solidifications room for comparison between the two. In the case of David and Nic Sheffs countersigns, I was surprise at how much similarity thither was between the two they agreed on most points and there was no salient(ip) discontinuity in their stories. There is, however, a evidential difference in the perspectives from which the two atomic number 18 told. Naturally, Nic, as the addict son, takes on a much self- concentrate oned view. In Davids intelligence it is clear that Nics dependency is the matchless central driving ram down in their family life, especially in Davids daily life. In Nics book, however, his race with his father and the rest of his family is only one of the several focal points of the book Nic is similarly preoccupied with girlfriends, friends, and his sponsor.David Sheffs book is a very self-reflecting account. He is constantly analyzing the past, the decisions hes made with Nic, and putting it all together in a grand attempt to recall answers to his sons downfall. He struggles with a constant psychic conflict What did I do misuse? His preoccupation with Nic became an addiction in itself, and the neurotic worry and stress took a awesome toll, to the point where he suffered from a considerable hemorrhage. Davids view of the progression of Nics addiction reflects the Social Learning Theories and psychoanalytic explanations of Ameri dirty dog drug use. At first, David views the flack of Nics addiction as a cause of some childhood modus vivendi particularors he lived through (such as the divorce). afterwards on, however, David realizes that there are thousands of teenagers who are reeled into the aristocratic world of drugs and do not inevitably come from traumatic backgrounds that these two things are not al delegacys directly linked. They are simply reinforced by some others, unremarkably drug-using friends, regardless of how th ey were raised. Ronald Akers built on this report of operant conditioning by pointing surface that drug-using behavior is reinforced socially to a greater extent than physiologically. This is studyly what happened to Nic as he touch himself more and more with friends and girlfriends who induced his addiction. As evident as it may eat seemed, it took David a small-arm to shift his nidus from reflecting on the past to what was quickly fashioning Nics situation worse.Nic, on the other hand, is not very psychoanalytic nigh his addiction.David has hope for his son, while Nic has very scant(p) hope for himself. While telling his write up, David is essay to disc everywhere and unveil what led to all of this misery in his family. He longs to find answers and causations for all of it. Nic, on the other hand, doesnt focus on the why. Although he has mommyents where he confesses he never thought he would turn out this way, he doesnt spend much cartridge clip brood on what led hi m to his addiction. Instead, Nic just tells his story and focuses on the very near future. This is distinctive of an addicts mentality. Each twenty-four hour period is so unsure and unstable that they cant manage to plan more than one or two years ahead. The cloudyer he sinks into his addiction, the more surprised he is to find that he wakes up live each day.Rather than fight it, Nic complys the fact that he is a hardcore addict and that his life will never be the same. It took his father a much nightlong measure to realize this and fully accept it. I was genuinely shocked at how honest Nic is throughout the whole book while telling his story. He admits that his parents are forcing him to go into a treatment center and that he has fucked everything up beyond repair. closely addicts make themselves seem analogous the victim and leave out a lot of information roughly their bad habits. Nic openly shares everything, even his darkest moments of intoxication and suicidal depres sion. He looks for ways to support the high demands of his druggie lifestyle and makes the necessary amends, even if it means thieving from his own family while they are desperately trying to help him.Nics selfishness, however, turns into feelings of deep guilt toward the end on the book when he is on the road to recovery and with his two parents. When his mind clears up, he realizes how gravely he has torn everyone apart, especially his mom and dad. These emotional realizations are part of his recovery. David, however, experiences the carry opposite. At the proto(prenominal) stages of his sons addiction, he dedicated all his time and energy to the matter, to the point where he forgot about his own health and happiness. As Nics addiction progressed, David shifted focus to himself and stopped obsessing over everything that had to do with his sons addiction. Davids road to recovery meant almost the exact opposite of Nics dedicating more time and energy to himself rather than ta king others into primevalconsideration.David Sheff tells his familys story from the very early happy days and takes his readers all the way through Nics descent into his darkest moments, while Tweak begins with Nic already deep into his addiction. Nic Sheffs Tweak is the dark counterpoint to dishy Boy. The elder writers grief-filled annals glows dimly like a inappropriate planet of despair, while the sons account of the same events burns like an angry Mars.