One of the themes clearly shown in Michael Lewis’s book The Blind Side is “Kindness & Generosity”. This theme is expressed throughout the book. Tony quotes”His name was Michael Oher, but everyone just called him “Big Mike.” Tony liked Big Mike, but he also could see that Big Mike was heading at warp speed toward a bad end.
He’d just finished the ninth grade at a public school, but Tony very much doubted he’d be returning for the tenth. He seldom attended classes, and showed no talent or interest in school. “Big Mike was going to drop out,” said Big Tony. “And if he dropped out, he’d be like all his friends who dropped out: dead, in jail, or on the street selling drugs, just waiting to be dead or in jail” (41). Tony was trying to find a Christian school for his son Steven, who was good at studies and sports. He wanted to make sure his son would get a good education. Of course, he couldn’t afford the tuition to a private Christian school. He was looking for scholarship.
Along with son, he also thought about Big Mike. So, one day he decides to take his son Steven and Big Mike to visit Briarcrest, a private Christian school. He meets with the School’s Basketball coach Harrington and convinces him to consider both the kids who can play basketball for the school. Mr. Harrington watch them play basketball and was very impressed with their ability.
The coach convinces the school management to give them Scholarship admissions. Tony’s and Harrington’s kindness and generosity gave Big Mike and Steven an opportunity to get free education at private Christian school. The author Lewis quotes ” By the time Michael Oher arrived at Briarcrest, Leigh Anne Tuohy didn’t see anything odd or even awkward in taking him in hand.
This boy was new; he had no clothes; he had no warm place to stay over Thanksgiving Break. For Lord’s sake, he was walking to school in the snow in shorts, when school was out of session, on the off chance he could get into the gym and keep warm. Of course she took him out and bought him some clothes.
It struck others as perhaps a bit aggressively philanthropic; for Leigh Anne, clothing a child was just what you did if you had the resources. She had done this sort of thing before, and would do it again. “God gives people money to see how you’re going to handle it,” she said.
And she intended to prove she knew how to handle it” (59). It was Thanksgiving holiday break, one snow cold winter evening Leigh Anne sees Big Mike walking towards the school gym. She asks Big Mike about his situation and without any hesitation asks him to get in the car and takes him to her home. She makes sure he stays warm and asks him to sleep at her place. He asks him to stay for Thanksgiving, feeds him and buys him some clothes to wear. This shows, Leigh Anne Tuohy was very kind and generous towards Big Mike, who was a stranger to her family, who had no food or home to stay. In December 2004, Leigh Anne and Sean were officially legal guardians of Michael Oher. .
The author Lewis quotes “Leigh Anne did everything two months before it needed to be done, and her Christmas card was no exception. She snapped the portrait of her three perfect children in October, and sent it out to several hundred friends and distant relatives, without it ever occurring to her that most of the recipients would have no idea about the strange new addition to the family. A few weeks later, the phone rang late one night. It was a North Carolina cousin. ‘All right,’ he blurted into the phone. ‘I’ve just had my fifth beer. Who the hell is this black kid in y’all’s Christmas card?” (147). This quote shows that Leigh Anne thinks it’s perfectly normal for Michael to be included in the family Christmas card.
It shows how strongly they all felt that Michael Oher was truly a part of the family. It shows the bond that has formed between Michael Oher and Tuohy’s family members. It shows the love and affection the Tuohy family shares.
It shows how strong a family can be, even when they’re not related by blood. And for Michael Oher, this family was the strongest thing he had ever known. This shows Tuohy’s family’s kindness and generosity towards Michael was exceptional.
