Erik+Chester+Day+1

Summarizer
This story takes off like a wild fire! Literally, poor lil Richard is trapped inside a house of silence due to a sick grandmother, so in effect he starts to play with fire for quiet entertainment. This quickly leads to wanting to burn bigger things and he accidently sets the house on fire at age FOUR! Everyone makes it out safe but Richard is then beaten to near death, seeing as he wakes up in the hospital. Afterwards, they have to move so they head up to Memphis in a two room house for Mom, Dad and the two young'ns. This is a bad deal as Richard is damned if he does and damned if he doesn't. First he kills a cat because Nathan (dad) told him to get rid of the cat and Richard takes him literally. Then Nathan leaves for some "other woman" leaving Ella (mom) and the kids to fend for themselves and leaves Richard with a sour taste about his father. This is when Richard becomes an alcoholic at age six, learns a ton of profanity, becomes a peeping tom at the local outhouse, and even gets in a few fights. Ella becomes ill for a while so Richard and Alan (younger brother) have a stint in an Orphanage before they finally decide to head to their Aunts house but they stop at Grannys house on the way.

This is a summary in a nut shell, I am sure I left out a couple things but I hope it works. Oh yeah... Richard also becomes extremely interested in how the relationship between Whites and Blacks works.

Character Analyzer
I may or may not be cheating =S but I am only going to do what I consider to be the main characters.

Richard - This kids a mess he wants to know more than anyone can tell him, he is constantly asking questions. He gets in trouble a lot, while getting a good ol fashion education on the street.

Alan - He is basically that little voice in the back of Richard's head that would say "Don't do it!"

Ella - The crazy mother who wants the best for her kid, but has nothing to offer and still wants her kids to be the most polite little angels.

Nathan - Your stereotypical dead beat father that left for some hoe and refuses to support his kids

Granny - Religious nut, that is very strict on Ella and the kids.