STEP BY WICKED STEP

Chapter 7 : Robbo’s StoryDumpa’s the Problem

SYNOPSIS

Robbo’s parents broke off when he was six. Whenever his dad visits them, the adults end up in arguments. Finally, dad stopped his visits. Robbo and Callie had to visit his house which was cold and horrible. Callie hated her stepfather Roy whom she called the Beard. He started to interfere with a lot of things. Their mother then gave birth to Dumpa, Robbo’s half brother. Both the children love their half brother, Dumpa. Dumpa adores Roy. One day, Roy left the house after a row with Mum. Dumpa missed him a lot. The children made a plan so that their Dad and Mum can bump into each other at the arcade. Everything worked out as planned but not for long. Soon, Mum and Dad had their usual argument.The children did not give up hope. In fact, they tried something else. This time their plan worked. Mum and Dad had something to hand over to each other So, the children were pretty sure that their parents would patch up. At that time, Mum got cheesed off with Roy. Unfortunately Dumpa’sthe problem. He is three years old.

One day Roy caught Callie pushing her bike down the very narrow space between his car and the bushes beside it as it almost scratched Roy’s car. Roy warned her but as she was in a hurry, she took the short cut. In her anger, she told Roy that he had no rights to tell her what to do as he was not her father. As the argument was in progress, Mum intervened. Roy was furious as to why he did not have the right to correct her. Roy felt angry as he felt Mum siding with Callie and neither of them appreciated his effort in sending the kids to school and paying for food. As days went by, things were getting worse and worse. Roy decided not to do anything to people who were not civil to him. Roy decided not to sent Callie to school and sledging activities when the snow started to fall. He refused to drive them to Hawksmoor Hill with their toboggans. He even refused to buy Callie’s favourite brand of cereals as she was not polite and civil to him. Callie was disappointed. Roy was as stubborn as Callie.

The next day, Roy decided to clear the shed during the middle of heavy snowfall with Dumpa following him. Mum tried to get Dumpa in but he refused and only listen to Roy. Then, Robbo was sent to persuade Dumpa to come inside. Robbo tried to trick Dumpa but it was unsuccessful. Roy too, refused to get into the house which was icy cold towards him. As Robbo stood there for so long, Roy let Dumpa to get into the house. Dumpa agreed with a price of a strawberry rocket from the freezer. Dumpa will get into the house after he had finished the ice lolly. Unfortunately, the ice lolly did not melt in the icy air. So Mum decided to fetch Dumpa in but afraid of triggering another argument with Roy. Robbo told the truth that Roy felt unwelcome in that house. Mum was flabbergasted with such a remark. Robbo persisted and finally Mum agreed with his reasoning. Callie can never seem to get along with Roy and Mum was always stuck in the middle. Despite all the persuasion, Callie never wanted to compromise with Roy nor accept him as part of the family. Then, Mum realised that the only solution to the problem is for Callie to move in with her Dad. Before that, she went a dozen times to Dad’s house to make sure Callie’s favourites were in the house. Mum also read out a list of duties for Dad. Dad then suggested that Mum and Roy should go on a holiday to solve their problem and have a break. The story ended with Robbo’s optimistic view of his family as they can now start afresh.

Ralph compared Robbo’s story to Richard Harwick’s story because his sister, Callie and Richard both hate their stepfathers and had to leave their family. However, unlike Richard who ran away from his family, Callie tried something different in order to make things work at home. Ralph also mentioned that everyone in their group had tried their best to solve their family problems. Claudia then put the journal back into its place, but took out Charlotte’s little wooden cow, removed a tiny splinter and gave the little wooden cow to Ralph who then thrust it into Colin’s bag, hoping that Colin could find his stepfather again.

SETTING

SETTING

• Mum’s house

• Dad’s house

PLOT

PLOTExposition

Robbo and his sister Callie live with their biological mum, Hope. Their mum marries

Roy and they have a son called Dumpa.

Rising Action

Callie does not like Roy and tried very hard to break Roy’s relationship with her mum so that she can join back her mum with her biological dad. She tries very hard but fail. Roy and Hope do argue

because of Callie.

Climax

Dumpa is the problem. Roy loves Dumpaso much that he returns back home after having a fight with Mum . Mum

gives up patching up Callie with Roy for if she takes side, she may lose Dumpa. The problem is every one loved Dumpa.

PLOT

FallingAction

After discovering that Callie cannot tolerate Roy at all, Mum

agrees to allow Callie to live with her Dad.

ResolutionDumpa is not the problem. Callie, Robbo and even their Dad agreed

that Dumpa can stay with them any time.

Ending

Ralph points out that Robbo’ssister, Callie has something in common with Richard Harwick. They come to a conclusion that

they should not end up like Richard Harwick.

THEMES

THEMES

• Robbo’s mum marries Roy, Robbo’s step father. However, Robbo’s sister does not likes their stepfather and always argue with each other. She can never accept Roy as a part of the family and cannot tolerate with him at all.

Acceptance and tolerance

• Robbo’s mum does not give a single chance to Roy to become the head of the family because she does not allow Roy to interfere with their family matters.

Playing a good role in a family

• Even though Robbo’s mum and their biological father split up, they are still taking a good care about their children, Robbo and Callie that stay with their mother. Plus, they visit their biological father’s house regularly. Besides that, Roy whom is their stepfather never miss to send Callie to school and always buys her favourite food.

Taking a good care of children

CHARACTERS & CHARACTERISTICS

• Robbo

• Callie

• Robbo’s mum (Hope)

• Roy

• Dumpa

• Robbo’s dad

ROBBO

Matured - He is able to live in any condition and does not have problem with the divorce between his Mum and Dad. He can

also accept Roy as his stepfather.

Intelligent - He suggested that their family should begin

afresh and start over again with Callie living in their Dad’s house as Callie dislikes Roy in

their Mum’s house

Helpful – Robbohelps Mum to

persuade Dumpa to come inside the house during the heavy snowfall.

CALLIE

Stubborn - Callie is unable to stand her step-father. This

is mainly due to the fact that she does not

want her parents separated.

Hopeful - She tries very hard to patch her Mum

and Dad back with a hope that her biological

parents will get back together.

Compromises - She loves her Dad very

much. In the end she compromise with her mum and decides to live with her Dad.

Immature - She really hates Roy and unable to accept him as their step-father. She even called him “The Beard”

Mean - Sometimes Callie stands behind a door and does this

imitation of Roy under her breath.

HOPERobbo’smum

Caring - She tried to persuade Dumpa to get in the house.

She worried about Dumpa and does not want him to freeze during the heavy

snowfall

Protective - Callie’s mum was the umpire between Roy and Callie.

She wanted to protect her daughter as a mother. The

protection created a shell for Callie where she began to attack Roy where as Roy was not able

to discipline her. Compromises - She tries very hard to be

fair to her husband and her children. And eventually gives up maintaining peace

between her husband and Callie. She

compromises with Callie and allows her to stay

with her Dad

ROYRobbo’sstepfather

He loves his biological son,

Dumpa so much

Roy is fair to his step-children. However he

is unable to be on the good side of Callie as she never

gives him any chance.

Sulking - He stop sending Callie to her school and

refused to buy her favourite brand of cereal after their

argument.

Responsible - He get up half an hour earlier to drive Callie and Robbo

to their school and trail round the supermarket for Callie’s favourite

foods

DUMPARobbo’s half brother

Lovely - Dumpa is only 3 years old and

very intelligent. Dumpa loves his

father so much. And everybody loves him.

Cunning - Dumpa promises to get into the house after he has finished his strawberry

rocket ice lolly. Callie, Mum and Robbowatched for nearly an hour as Dumpa

outsmarted them. He didn’t take so much lick from that strawberry rocket so that it will not finished quickly and the ice lolly didn’t

even begin to melt in the icy air.

ROBBO’S DAD

Robbo’s dad never get along with

Robbo’s mum and they always argue

everytime they meet.

Compromises - Dad was happy to accept Callie into his house and had no problem with Callie moving into his house

ROBBO’S DAD

MORAL VALUES

• Robbo helps Callie to tell their mother the truth about Callie’s problem for accepting Roy as their stepfather. Callie can never accept him as a part of the family. After the confrontation, Robbo’smum decided that the only solution of the problem is for Callie to move in with her Dad.

We must be a confrontational

person whenever there is problem.

• Roy is a responsible stepfather. He get up half an hour earlier just to drive Callie and Robbo to their school and trail round the supermarket for Callie’s favourite foods.

We must be responsible

when becoming a parent to our

children.

THE END