In order to survive we need to Grow
-Peter W. Brachman

Graduating

Examples of People graduating?

After leaving

Leaving

Elwood's escape

The Fact that Turner and Elwood escape is largely igonered, showing that it's not a big deal

The court intervening

them letting you out

"Turner's"accpeptance of his circumstance (and lack there of)

"I ain't faking—that soap powder is awful," Turner said. "But it's me choosing, not anyone else." -Turner; Page 79

Even while Turner frequently maintains that he doesn't care about resisting Nickel Academy, it becomes evident that he does resist the school in certain ways that are more passive, but nonetheless contain an element of rebellion.

After leaving nickel, he changed his name to Elwood, as if he was trying to shed who he was, and tried to become someone new, someone who wasn't Turner. He later went by jack again, a name that'd been locked away, reclaiming who he'd been before Nickel

Abused

"The White House"
(insert quote describing it)

"Elwood's beating at the White House had him scarred all over, not just his legs. It had weeviled deep into his personality." -page 121

The fact that the shed where they were beaten was called the "White House" or the "Ice cream factory also symbolizes how normalized the violent space is for the boys.

Starved

Their food and supplies are sold off.

Not having tooth paste, having soap paste

"I ain't faking... that soap powder is awful," Turner said.

Staying Human

Losing your humanity

"More than once Elwood caught himself swinging the scythe with too much violence, like he was attacking the grass with a leather strap. He'd stop and tell his heart to slow down."
-Page 85

His Heart is a metaphor for his heart and how he's trying to preserve his humanity as he shouldn't be there, and this quote emphasises Elwood's distinction from the other boys at Nickel Academy.

Elwood is around some actual criminals which couldn't of helped anyone who was still developing