Okay for Now is the sequel to Gary Schmidt's book The Wednesday Wars. Doug Swieteck is a minor character in The Wednesday Wars and is the main character in Okay for Now.
Doug is a young boy, only fourteen, who lives in Long Island. His family moves to Marysville, New York because his dad gets fired. Being forced to move from your home at such a pivotal age is reason enough for growth.
After Doug moves, he soon gets a job working as a delivery boy. Having a job is a time of growth for Doug as well. He learns to meet the other people in the community when he delivers to them.
Another way Doug grows is when his older brother comes back from the Vietnam War. His brother, Lucas, has suffered permanent injuries as a result of the war and Doug must learn to help and support his brother through this trying time.
Throughout the entire novel, Doug has to overcome issues such as bullying, abuse, young love, and learning to support others. All of these trials help Doug grow into a more mature person.
One way that Doug grows over the course of the novel is as an artist. When Doug sees the first Audubon picture, he is immediately enthralled by it. The experience is so powerful that Doug's fingers actually twitch. His body craves to create something, and his artistic talent is trying to come out; however, Doug doesn't believe that he has any talent. Doug also refuses to even give drawing a try the first time that Mr. Powell suggests Doug draw. Mr. Powell will eventually coax Doug into drawing, and Doug quickly develops as a very solid drawing artist. He is encouraged by his own success as well as the encouragement of Lil Spicer.
Doug also develops for the better regarding his overall attitude and behavior toward school. Doug has just about every right and reason to hate school and act out there. All except one teacher thinks he is a thug and likely thief, and they treat him as such. Rather than embrace those preconceived notions and go with them, Doug makes a conscious effort to not do what Christopher would do. It's actually a really great reoccurring bit of writing to have Doug check with readers over and over again to make sure that we noticed he didn't say a snarky comment or do something to further enrage a teacher.
Doug also develops as a person that shows empathy toward other characters. Doug probably has more reasons than anybody else to hate Coach Reed. Reed teases Doug, gives him horrible jobs, gives him bad grades, and is the person that forced Doug's shirt off to reveal the horrible tattoo. Doug will learn that Coach Reed is struggling with his experiences in Vietnam. Doug recognizes the pain there because it is what Doug sees from his brother Lucas, and Doug actually reaches out to Reed and offers various kinds of help.
Doug, the fourteen-year-old protagonist of the novel Okay for Now, is an unhappy kid. He moves to a new town where he has no friends. Everyone thinks of him as a "skinny thug." Financial problems, an alcoholic father, a silent mother, an older brother who emulates his father, and another brother who fights in Vietnam all add up to make Doug's life a misery.
As the story progresses, Doug evolves as a person. He gets a job as a delivery boy, which provides him a chance to know the residents of the town and become a part of their lives. He visits the library on weekends, learns to draw, and discovers his artistic skills. He comes across an Audubon book with some pages missing. He resolves to track down the pages.
In his journey, Doug goes through a rollercoaster of emotions- love and hatred, hope and despair, joy and tears.
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