What is the conflict in Gary Schmidt's Okay for Now?

Another conflict in Okay for Now is Doug versus himself (character versus self).

In chapter 3, Doug is upset that Jane Eyre is the assigned reading for his English class. He insists that he will not read it. At this point, we can only surmise the reasons for Doug's dismissal of the book. In chapter 4, we discover (along with Mr. Ferris) that Doug cannot read. Privately, the educator consults with Miss Cowper, who sets out to acquaint Doug with the rudiments of phonics. This changes things for Doug, and he begins to gain an appreciation for reading. The description of Doug's struggles demonstrate the difficulties he has to overcome in his journey toward a greater sense of self. 

In chapter 4, we also discover that Doug's terrible secret has been discovered. His peers now know that he has an embarrassing tattoo with the words "Mama's Baby" etched onto his chest. As Doug pours out his pain to Mr. Ferris, we come to understand how deeply our young protagonist has been scarred by his father's abusive actions. In order to heal from his past, Doug must learn new ways of relating to himself, his father, and others. 

It is a difficult process, however. In chapter 5, Doug wrestles with his sense of shame and anger. He begins to indulge in self-destructive behavior, gets into fights in school, and stops going to the library. In other words, Doug finds himself on the losing side in the battle against his rage. Later, however, after Mr. Swieteck lies about having taken the hundred dollar prize and signed baseball from Mr. Ballard, Doug decides to challenge his father. He barely dodges his father's fists as he races out of the house.

This interaction between father and son demonstrates Doug's changing perspective and his growing appreciation for the power of truth. No matter the circumstance or challenge, the truth is irrevocable and unflinching. Mr. Swieteck may be bigger, but he cannot argue with the facts. The moment inspires Doug with the realization that his father's outlook on life is flawed and that he, Doug, has the power to choose his purpose and destiny. It is only after Doug rejects his father's distorted perspectives that he is able to begin his journey towards emotional healing.

What is the conflict in Gary Schmidt's Okay for Now?

The conflict in a story is the "struggle between two opposing forces," and those forces are usually the protagonist and the antagonist (Literary Devices, "Conflict"). Since a conflict is literally a battle or a struggle, we can easily describe conflicts as something vs. something else. There are four major conflicts found in literature: character vs. character, character vs. society, character vs. nature, and character vs. self.

In Gary Schmidt's novel Okay for Now, the greatest major conflict is that between the protagonist Doug Swieteck and his abusive father, which we can describe as character vs. character. Doug suffers from many conflicts in the novel, but all other conflicts stem from this poor relationship with his father. For example, as a result of his father's abusiveness and poor example as a role model, Doug also experiences other conflicts with his brother Lucas, who is as abusive as their father. Doug even suffers conflicts with society as a result of having an unstable family. For example, when Spicer's Deli is burgled, police suspect Lucas since they are new in town, making Doug feel like, as Lil phrases it, quoting Mrs. Merriam, "a hoodlum in training" (p. 95). Another way in which Doug struggles against society is his inability to read, which is also a result of his unstable family. However, his English teacher starts coaching Doug in reading, and he proves to be a very fast learner.

What are the important events in Gary Schmidt's Okay for Now?

The first important event is the moment Doug meets and starts to become friends with Lil in the opening chapter. They don't hit it off the first time they meet because she thinks he looks like a "skinny thug" and locks up her bike, and he acts like a jerk. The next time she sees him, however, she brings him a coke from her father's deli and challenges him to drink it down in an uninterrupted series of gulps. She then offers him a delivery job at her father's deli.

A second major event is the moment Mr. Powell sees Doug pretending to recreate John James Audubon's drawing of the Arctic tern in chapter 2. Mr. Powell recognizes Doug's genuine admiration and interest and offers to teach him how to draw. At first, Doug rejects the offer; however, by chapter 3, Mr. Powell has persuaded him. These drawing lessons become a critical way for Doug to begin overcoming his tribulations. As he notes in the final chapter of the book, Mr. Powell "taught [him] that sometimes, art can make you forget everything else all around you" (Chapter 10). His drawing lessons also help Doug gain confidence, enabling him to tackle problems around him, such as finding ways to return the sold Audubon plates back the book in the library.

Other major events in the story concern Doug's brave pursuits in restoring the sold portraits of the birds to the library. Everywhere he goes, he notes who is in possession of a plate. He then either boldly expresses his opinion that the plate really belongs in the library or negotiates with the person to have the plate returned to the library. For example, Doug witnesses one of Mr. Ballard's employees frame the plate titled Yellow Shank. When Mr. Ballard asks Doug where he thinks the picture should go, Doug very boldly replies, "I think it belongs back in the book" (Chapter 5). Mr. Ballard is surprised but very quickly comes to agree with Doug and orders it to be returned to the library. Doug's boldness with Mr. Ballard and success in achieving his goal shows us how much Doug is beginning to mature. He achieves many other great accomplishments throughout the book due to his boldness.

What important events happen in Gary Schmidt's Okay for Now?

Doug meeting and becoming friends with Lil Spicer is one of the most important events in the novel. At first, Lil doesn't think much of him because he acts the way his oldest brother, Lucas, acts "when he was being the biggest jerk he could be" (Chapter 1). As Doug matures throughout the novel, however, he resists exhibiting the worst behavior of his family members. By chapter 5, Lil and Doug have developed a very close boyfriend-girlfriend relationship.

Doug seeing John James Audubon's drawings for the first time and beginning to take drawing lessons from Mr. Powell are other major events in the novel. Artwork exposes Doug to a new world of beauty he has never known before that helps him better cope with the hardships he endures. By the end of the book, Doug has come to understand that "art can make you forget everything else around you" (Chapter 10).

Other major events are the moments Doug meets new people around the town. The more he meets new people, the more he gets to experience the caring side of humanity he doesn't witness at home. For example, when he works as a delivery boy during the winter for Spicer's Deli, all of the customers he has made friends with offer him something warm to drink. Even Mrs. Windermere, whom he is warned is the town grouch, starts being friendly with him and offers him coffee. All of these friendships help Doug mature into a caring, confident person, ready to see what "next great thing" the future has in store for him (Chapter 10).

What is the climax of "Okay for Now" by Gary Schmidt?

The climax of "Okay for Now" occurs when police arrive at the Swieteck home to announce that the person who stole Joe Pepitone's jacket has called to confess. Although the confession was anonymous, the jacket was returned and the police will not be pursuing a hearing against Doug's brother, Christopher. In addition to the jacket, the thief returned Doug's stolen Babe Ruth baseball and the goods taken from the hardware store. This moment is triumphant for Christopher and Doug, who have endured the brunt of the tension in the family after Christopher's arrest.

As a result of Christopher's proven innocence, Principal Peattie calls Doug into his office to apologize for all of the negative things he said about Doug and his family. He agrees to give Doug the Brown Pelican plate from the Autobon Society, nearly completing the library's collection. This moment is a personal triumph for Doug and it reflects the culmination of all his hard work and optimism throughout the story. The retrieval of the plate seems at first to be an anti-climax when Mr. Powell informs Doug that the only remaining missing plate was purchased by an anonymous collector. Despite the fact that this means Doug is unable to complete the official collection, Mr. Powell uses his drawing of the last plate as a replacement. In this way, the climax of the story symbolizes the message of realism woven throughout the text. In real life, resolutions are rarely perfect but, like Doug's rendering of the last plate, they can be more than satisfying for their own purposes.