Book #3 post: List

5 ways Prayers for the Stolen and Room are similar 

Although both very different stories, Prayers for the stolen and Room are surprisingly similar. The main character in Prayers for the stolen, Ladydi, and main character Jack in, Room, have to learn how to cope with life after being released into a world completely new to them. Along with trying to figure out the world they are both trying to learn to love and how to live life without their mothers.  

1. They both rely heavily on their mothers 

In Prayers for the Stolen, Ladydi lives on a mountain top with just her mother and a couple of other women. She has rarely ever left the mountain top, but when she did her mother was always by her side. She relies on her mother to give her guidance and help her when it comes to protection against gang members. Before Ladydi leaves for Acapulco her mom tells her, “Just keep in the shade, don’t walk in the sun” (107). She is so reliant on her mom even at this age she has to tell Ladydi to be careful in the son.  In Room the only life Jack has ever known has been in the tiny room with his mom. He has never talked to any other people and has never done anything or been anywhere without his mother.  

2. They are both put into a “new” world 

In Prayers for the Stolen, Ladydi accepts a job offer in Acapulco which is far from her little mountain top home in Guerrero. She accepts this job mostly to keep herself safe from the gangs that come looking for girls to take. Ladydi has to leave her mother in order to go to Acapulco which is something she has never done before. Jack goes through a similar transition into a “new” world. His mother comes up with a plan that requires jack to escape room and go into the real world by himself.  He has never been outside the room, so he is actually entering a new world.  

3. They both learn to love 

In Prayers for the stolen, Ladydi leaves her mother to go to Acapulco where she meets a guy named Julio. She has never really been around anyone other than her friends and her mother therefore she hasn’t loved anyone other than her friends and family. She ends up learning to love Julio and that’s something that was very new to her. Jack was also in a similar situation in Room. He has only ever loved his mother, but when they get out he starts to meet all of these family members he never knew he had and when something happens to his mother he is separated from her and has to live with his grandmother. At first he is very reluctant to stay with his grandmother but in the end learns to love her and his step-grandfather who he calls “steppa”. 

4. They both learn to cope without their mother 

Like I just said, Jack had to be away from his mother for a period of time while she was getting help. In the beginning he wanted nothing to do with his grandma and he was miserable without his mother but eventually he came to learn how to do things by himself and for himself without his mom. 

5. They are both reunited with their mom and they both face their fears 

Ladydi eventually gets reunited with her mother and they discuss something they always thought to be impossible. Illegally crossing the border was never an option because of the dangerous stories they have heard but despite these stories they are still going to try and sneak across the border. Although Ladydi is scared to do this she will because she knows it is what needs to be done. Jack's situation is similar to this. At the end of the book they go back to visit "room" and say goodbye. This was mainly for them to get closure but it was something that required a lot of bravery. The end of the book says, "'Good-bye, Room.' I wave up at skylight. 'Say good-bye,' I tell Ma. 'Good-bye, Room.'"(321). 

 

As you can see these books although different, are very similar. The characters are both children so they handle things in a similar fashion and they are both learning the same things as they are growing older.