Liza Frazier Page’s Look at Companionship as Explained in Her Book, The Pact

Powerful Friendship

In the book The Pact, the three doctors employed interdependence in order to beat the odds and reach their success through friendship. They give me motivation and insight, and I want to have a friendship like theirs when my friends and I are into trouble, sharing time and making each other stronger. The three learned to help each other stay focused and achieve their dreams through their strong friendship, leading them into a world of success, intelligence and happiness. Every chapter is based on one of the doctors’ life or struggle they had to overcome to get to where they are now. The three men share their stories of friendship between one another during their adolescent years until present day. They talk about the promise they make to each other to always have each other’s back and to always do their best.

Sampson Davis, George Jenkins, and Rameck Hunt, authors and main characters of The Pact, grew up in the violent streets of Newark, New Jersey. It was survival of the fittest, or in their case, the baldest. They would put up a show for their boys to show how “gangster” they were, and Rameck was the biggest performer of them all. He got into the most trouble out of all three. However, the worst act of all was when he broke the leg of one of his fellow classmate. After causing trouble, Rameck thought, “Now my stepbrother and his boys were looking at me as if to say, “Man, this white boy is getting to the best of you. What you gonna do?” if I did nothing, I’d look like a punk.”(Rameck 133). He was put on trial for what he did, and if it hadn’t been for the mother of that student, he would have gone to jail with little to no chance of being the successful man he is today.

Rameck was not the type to learn his lesson the first time. After being put on trial, he was put on probation. That meant that if he was caught misbehaving on school grounds again, he would be kicked out of school for good. Within no time of his hearing, he fell back into trouble. He was nearly caught shoplifting a school sweatshirt, and if he had actually been caught, the pact and the boys’ friendship would experience a devastating blow. Not only they would have lost a friend, but they would also have lost hope and motivation. The whole point of their pact was to keep up each other’s motivation and hope, so that they would be able to reach their goals of becoming doctors. To discover self-motivation is find purpose in their lives by discovering personally meaningful goals and dreams. As Downing asserts, “Discover self-motivation is to find purpose in their lives by discovering personally meaningful goals and dreams” (Downing 9). I also believe that they have the same potential as Inner Guide. Downing notes “Your Inner Guide can help you regain focus by addressing one question: what are my goals and dreams?” (Downing 128). Rameck’s delinquency would only appear as if he wasn’t taking their promise seriously. “I couldn’t keep risking everything. College was different from anything I had ever known, but I could get so much out of it if I just tried. I was marking good grades, which meant I was smart enough to be here. All I had to do was stay out of trouble. If I got kicked out of college, where would I go? Back to Ma’s house? That would surely break her heart. And what would happen to Sam and George?” (Rameck 139 - 140)

Although Rameck’s negligence caused trouble for Sam, George, and himself, it also had a positive effect. He learned that it was time to take responsibility and change his life. He realized that the pact was something that needed to be taken seriously because Sam and George were taking it seriously. Not only did they believe in the pact, but they also believed in the power of friendship and in Rameck. “The glory of friendship is not the outstretched hand, nor the kindly smile. It’s the spiritual inspiration that comes to one when he discovers that someone else believes in him and is willing to trust him with his friendship” (Ralph Waldo Emerson).

The pact is truly a life changing book which shows the benefits of friendship and hard work. Even though one of the doctors would get themselves into trouble once in a while, their friendship kept them strong and made them the successful doctors they are today. I believe that friendship is a powerful thing. Despite obstacles and setbacks, the doctors continue to move in a positive direction, motivated by the promise of achieving goals and dreams. I support that not only do I gain social skills, but I also learn and experience the feeling of caring for another person. I would recommend the book The Pact to anyone who faces many struggles to accomplish their goals in life and for people who looks for inspiration.