6. It is Jack’s lack of a stable, male role model that is to blame for his actions. To what extent do you agree?

Contention:
The fact that Jack does not have a proper male figure to look up to is greatly responsible for his actions, though is not the only reason.

Key Argument 1
Rosemary’s ex-husband Roy thrives on having power over others, which is a major reason as to why Jack acts how he does.
Key Argument 2
Dwight’s abusive and violent traits have an impact on Jack, and the actions that he undertakes.

Key Argument 3
Jack chooses how to act regardless of his role models, meaning that he can be held accountable for his own actions. From the beginning of the memoir Jack is depicted as an immature child whose dream it was to transform into someone different. Jack’s dreams of transformation get further and further from reality predominantly due to how he decides to act and the people he chooses to spend his time with. Jack is responsible for his own actions as he is the one who actually decides how he acts. A moment in the memoire where Jack’s delinquency is depicted is when Jack states that “[he] was a thief. By [his] own estimation, a master thief.” (pg 51) This quote shows that Jack is clearly aware of the unlawful actions that he undertakes, and that he is capable of making his own decisions. Wolff utilizes the effect of sentence length in this same passage, where he transitions from a long sentence to two short and meaningful sentences. By varying the sentence