Essay/Term paper: Rosemary well's when no one was looking: ambition

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Rosemary Well's When No One Was Looking: Ambition


Rosemary Well's When No One Was Looking is a suspenseful story of a
girl's ambition, friendship, and love of tennis, that takes her to the top.
Although she is not beautiful, rich, or good in school, fourteen year old Kathy
Bardy has a natural talent for tennis. One day, Kathy loses a match against
Ruth Gumm that should have been simple for her. The next day Kathy finds out
that Ruth is dead. Although Julia, Oliver, and Kathy's parents try to comfort
her, Kathy feels guilty for wishing Ruth was dead the other night. Because of
Ruth's death, Kathy has problems concentrating, and she starts lazing off.
Kathy's will, spirit, and love from her friends takes her to the New England
championships.
Kathy loves tennis. She finally finds something that she is good at,
and practically makes her into a celebrity. Kathy is told by many people,
including Marty her tennis instructor, that she has got what it takes to make
it to the top. When Kathy plays against Ruth, she becomes annoyed because it
should have been a simple match. When she finds out ruth is dead, people accuse
Kathy of it, and kathy even blames herself. Kathy proves she was at the ball
game the night of the murder. She regains her confidence, and works her way up
to the top.
Julia and Kathy have been best friends since they were in first grade.
Because of Julia's wealth, she is different, and is treated just that way.
Kathy would defend her when she used to get picked on. Since then, Kathy and
Julia are inseparable. They have such a good relationship, that they would do
anything to stop the other from getting hurt.
Ruth Gumm has no special talent when it comes to tennis, she is just
okay at the sport. When Kathy competes with her, she expects it will be a snap,
but she actually loses. Annoyed by the match, Kathy wishes Ruth was dead. The
next day, she finds out Ruth was drowned in the pool. Some suspect Kathy of the
murder, and because of some clay (that appeared to be from a tennis court)found
on the floor surrounding the pool, investigations are done. It turns out the
clay is molding clay, and Kathy proves she was at the game. Finally, after hard
detective work by Kathy, she discovers that Julia put extra chlorine in the
pool to distort Ruth's vision. Kathy doesn't tell Julia that she knows, but she
sympathizes with Julia and tries to imagine the guilt Julia must be feeling.
After a while, the murder case is forgotten, but Julia and Kathy's friendship
is not.
The mystery When No One Was Looking is proof that where there is a will
to accomplish something, talent to do it with, and the help of the ones who
love you, you can conquer the world.