Ironhead

When reading "Ironhead" you have to understand the key concept being stressed upon and thats the everyday problems faced by children and even adults. People don't take the time to know a person before passing judgement. For instance in "Ironhead" the other kids that were Ironhead's age all thought he should be strong and fierce but instead he was just a nice boy who "preffered the sandbox over the grass field." This story also shows how even family will go against you if they don't like you for being different like the ugly duckling.
At the end of the story when understood the iron head represents all the stress put on someone on a day to day basis. The weight of his head was better/easier to handle when he was on his own and doing what he enjoyed most, the empty fields and playing in the sand. With Ironhead dying its almost as if he couldn't handle the weight of all the pressure and judgement everyone and everything put on him. The insomnia he had came from the stress of not being able to handle everything properly. And even though when was born his mother and father were upset that he was an Ironhead when he was dead they were at his grave watching over it making it seem like he was still alive so that even though he was different his memory was never forgotten.
Kevin Ostempowski Post 2