Beginning of Essay
The novel, , by John Gunther, is the story of the struggle of a child to stay alive. Johnny Gunther Jr.'s constant hope got him out of bed every morning with a positive attitude. His outright opposition to the fact that he was going to die and his determinatio ....

Middle of Essay
.... his illness. He always obeyed the doctors' wishes and followed their instructions to a "T" because he wanted so desparatly to get well. Although he realized that eventually his life would end, he still never gave up the hope that perhaps he could outsmart his fate to die, if just to steal a few extra hours. Each day, until his last, the determination Johnny had to get well, live a normal life, and even maintain his schoolwork was phenominal. After being away from school for sixteen months, being tested constantly by doctors, and having a rapidly deteriorationg brain, Johnny still managed to graduate with his class an ....