The book Autobiography of My Dead Brother also deals with the identity crises of youth. It begins with three teenagers attending a funeral of their friend who died in a drive-by shooting. The main characters, Jesse and Rise, are not actually blood brothers, but they consider themselves brothers because of their close friendship. However, over the course of the book, the two young men began to become estranged. Rise becomes more and more interested with making a living on the street, selling drugs and living the life of the sort of people who killed Bobby, the boy whose funeral both young men attend at the beginning of the book. Rise justifies this because Bobby played by the rules and still died -- but in contrast, Jesse finds himself growing apart from his brother and instead finding refuge in art rather than violence. Defining his own values in contrast to those of the rest of society is important for Jesse, even though he must aspects of his relationship with his friend Rise behind. The book provides, like Whale Talk, an inspiring example of how someone can still be an individual, even if society perceives him as different or pressures him to make immoral decisions. Jesse's experience resonates with the developmental psychologist...

Jones does in Whale Rider (Crain 1985). Kohlberg believes that it is essential to have a broad sense of universal rights and what makes life worth living to become a fully moral individual (Crain 1985). Jesse's need to move on from old friendships and past values in Autobiography of My Dead Brother may be particularly resonant with the experiences of ESL students, who are likewise coming to terms with a new identity and future that may seem to conflict with the cultural values of their past.
Works Cited

Crain, W.C. "Chapter 7: Kohlberg's Stages of Moral Evolution. From Theories of Development.

Prentice-Hall, 1985. pp. 118-136. 10 Jun 2008. http://faculty.plts.edu/gpence/html/kohlberg.htm

Cutter, Chris. Whale Talk. New York: Dell, 2001.

Harder, Arlene. "The Developmental Stages of Erik Erikson." The Learning Place. 10 Jun 2008. http://www.learningplaceonline.com/stages/organize/Erikson.htm

Myers, Walter Dean. Autobiography of My Dead Brother. Amistad/HarperTempest, 2005.