Ending Of Me And You

Rujian, Zhou

1/28/2016

People Can Change

I have thought about many things after I finished reading the book Me And You. I was surprised by the ending of it, and then I have think about what can I learn from Lorenzo’s story. Lorenzo’s story is full of struggles, but he changes after his sister Olivia’s united coming in the cellar. Olivia changes Lorenzo, but Lorenzo can not change Olivia.

At the end of Me And You, Lorenzo is in the city Cividale del Friuli when is 2010. This will be Lorenzo’s first meet with Olivia after ten years, when Lorenzo and Olivia spent few days in a cellar.

Ten years ago, Lorenzo was a weird kid. He had a lot of troubles in his life. Lorenzo was a person who felt no empathy to other people except his mother, father and grandma Laura. He tried to pretend to be another person in the school, just to protect himself. But Olivia changed Lorenzo, Olivia was a heroin addict and suffered by the withdrawal of heroin at that time. She vomited, trembled and was really sick at that time. This let Lorenzo thought about his grandmother laura who also had heavy sick in the hospital and dying. Lorenzo decided to help Olivia, he did not want to feel the helpless that he had when grandma Laura was in the hospital. He went to find medicines for Olivia, and his relationship with Olivia became very close. When Olivia was heal, she talked about their story in Capri one summer. She remembered those happy time with Lorenzo, and she invited Lorenzo to dance with her. At the very end of the story, Olivia promised to Lorenzo that she would not take drug again. Then she left with a note to Lorenzo.

After ten years, Lorenzo is coming to meet Olivia. Lorenzo becomes more mature, he feels confident when he is talking with other. When Lorenzo finally sees Olivia, Olivia is laying on a table, she is skinny like ten years ago and she looks as beautiful as before. Lorenzo bend over put his nose up against Olivia’s neck. At the end, the writer wrote that Olivia dead because of an overdose.

I was so surprised that I could not believe it. Lorenzo and Olivia were so happy at the last chapter. Both of them changed, Lorenzo gained confident and became more outgoing because he successfully helped Olivia, and Olivia promised to Lorenzo she wouldn’t take drugs anymore. It cures me, and let people believe that the world is beautiful, people can change and become better. But suddenly, Olivia was dead, and she died because of taking too many drugs. It was like a joke, and so ironical.

I was expect that both Lorenzo and Olivia would change a lot about the days in the cellar. Lorenzo would become more mutual, outgoing and feel more confident about himself. And Olivia would keep her words and have a normal, happy life. They might meet each other, and have a very close relationship. Beside on what they did in the cellar, they would become a wonderful brother and sister! They shares some commons, they like talking with each other after all of those things happened, and they danced. I think that even at that time, their relationship became the closest in the world. Moreover, Lorenzo could keep help Olivia, he could encourage her to go to work, or help her recover the relationship between their father. Lorenzo could also keep Olivia away from using drugs, he could continue changing his sister to a good person.

After all, I am very upset about the ending. But the ending also tells us that the world is not perfect. We all know the to get away from drugs is never a easy thing, and even drug addicts succeed in abandon drugs they could retake drugs again. The writer uses a very realistic way to tell us about the real world and the real human being. People can success, and they can false. They can change, and they can keep the old way. Like Olivia, even though she promised, and seemed she really want to get clean from drugs at the cellar. She still took drug again and died because of it.

At the meanwhile, some people can succeed in changing. Like Lorenzo, from his tone of talking with the waitress and the doorman, I feel he change. He becomes more confident, grown up and seems he has been though a lot of things. He is not the little boy who has problem with making friends, dealing with people and his own family. Lorenzo become a man who is independent, he is polite to other people and he has financial ability to live in a hotel and have a car. Even when he saw Olivia was lying on the bed and dead, he talked to the man “Can I stay with her?”.(P152) This reaction of him really impressive me, he really grown up and know how to deal with things happen to him. Also, I believe that Olivia want to change too. She might not use drug for a while, but something bad happened to her and let her emotion crashed. Because of this, she relied on drugs. Then, she felt ashamed and sorry for Lorenzo and did not contact him in the ten years.

After all, Me And You is a wonderful book to read. It inspires me a lot, and tells me a lot. In conclusion, even though the world is cruel and sometime bad things come to people, people can change and overcome if they have courage and confident. In spite of some people could not change, I believe that mostly of people can change and will change better and better. Everything will be fine if you have the faith to make it fine!