Augusten Burroughs' Running with Scissors is a memoir about his life as a young boy trying to find himself in the crazed surroundings in which he grows. All Augusten wants is a "normal" life, but that is the exact opposite of what he gets. Augusten lives with his parents, Norman and Deirdre Burroughs, for the first twelve years of his life. Norman, a drunk professor, and Deirdre, a psychotic and bipolar poet, get divorced after Norman displays that he is a threat to their lives. Before the divorce, Norman and Deirdre saw a psychiatrist, Dr. Finch, to see if their relationship could improve. Though this did not help their relationship, it seemed to help Deirdre stay sane, for the most part. When Deirdre could no longer take care of herself, let alone Augusten, she put Augusten in the hands of Dr. Finch, who took him into his home and became his legal guardian.
Augusten lived in the Finch home, on Perry Street, most of the time. But from time to time, he would stay with his mother at her apartment in Almherst. The Finches consisted of: Dr. Finch, Agnes, his wife, Hope, his favorite daughter, Kate, slim and sophisticated, Natalie, Augusten's new best friend, Vickie, who lives with hippies, and Neil Bookman, the Finches adopted son and previoius mental patient. For most of Augusten's adolescence, he dreamed of becoming a famous hairdresser, a star like his mother was supposed to be. He wanted to matter. After some time, Augusten discovered and admitted to his new family members that he was gay. He assumed it must have been due to the fact that his mother was a lesbian, as recently uncovered. Neil Bookman, a thirty-three year old who was also gay, became Augusten's first "boyfriend". Bookman made Augusten feel like he mattered; but at the same time, Bookman hated that he was so attached to Augusten. In the end, Bookman left Augusten because he was afraid that he may harm Augusten.
Through the many adventures and mishaps into which Augusten and Natalie get themselves, it displays that he is constantly "running with scissors". He has no track for his life: he drops out of school, lays around the house, and causes trouble. There was no confines to his life. He could blame the Finches for their care free attitude on life, and how it is his choice what he does with his life, but he does not. As the memoir progresses and comes to a close, Augusten and Natalie realize that they are chasing something bigger; they are chasing their futures. Augusten and Natalie begin to think of the long term. They decide that they will make something of themselves and they will not always be known as the kids who are causing mischief. Natalie becomes a singer and psychologist and Augusten becomes a writer. Although they had many bumpy paths along the way, and probably thought they would never reach anything with the non-normal life they were leading, they "made it" after all.
Augusten lived in the Finch home, on Perry Street, most of the time. But from time to time, he would stay with his mother at her apartment in Almherst. The Finches consisted of: Dr. Finch, Agnes, his wife, Hope, his favorite daughter, Kate, slim and sophisticated, Natalie, Augusten's new best friend, Vickie, who lives with hippies, and Neil Bookman, the Finches adopted son and previoius mental patient. For most of Augusten's adolescence, he dreamed of becoming a famous hairdresser, a star like his mother was supposed to be. He wanted to matter. After some time, Augusten discovered and admitted to his new family members that he was gay. He assumed it must have been due to the fact that his mother was a lesbian, as recently uncovered. Neil Bookman, a thirty-three year old who was also gay, became Augusten's first "boyfriend". Bookman made Augusten feel like he mattered; but at the same time, Bookman hated that he was so attached to Augusten. In the end, Bookman left Augusten because he was afraid that he may harm Augusten.
Through the many adventures and mishaps into which Augusten and Natalie get themselves, it displays that he is constantly "running with scissors". He has no track for his life: he drops out of school, lays around the house, and causes trouble. There was no confines to his life. He could blame the Finches for their care free attitude on life, and how it is his choice what he does with his life, but he does not. As the memoir progresses and comes to a close, Augusten and Natalie realize that they are chasing something bigger; they are chasing their futures. Augusten and Natalie begin to think of the long term. They decide that they will make something of themselves and they will not always be known as the kids who are causing mischief. Natalie becomes a singer and psychologist and Augusten becomes a writer. Although they had many bumpy paths along the way, and probably thought they would never reach anything with the non-normal life they were leading, they "made it" after all.