Vivian's Lesson

"Vivian's Lesson" by Elizabeth W. Grierson is a story that follows a young boy named Vivian Armitage as he deals with problems at home, with his friends, and with himself during the holidays. The story touches on themes of growing up to be a good person, the importance of telling the truth, and how actions can affect others. The beginning of the book introduces Vivian and his brother Ronald as they leave a skating rink, even though they promised to be home earlier. On their way home, they start to feel stressed about what is expected of them, the pressure from their friends, and how different they are as people. Vivian has a hard time with feeling like he's not good enough and worrying about not being as good as his friends. The book shows Vivian as a boy who acts without thinking and is easily affected by his feelings, as he fights with doing things he shouldn't and wanting to be his own person. This sets the scene for Vivian to learn important life lessons and become a better person as the story goes on.