Paula is a student. She lives at home with her parents and her younger brother, Richard.
Since the family arrived in this country, Paula has become concerned about Richard’s behavior; he
spends little time studying, and Paula has learned that Richard was fired from his part time job.
Furthermore, Paula has seen him hanging out with a group of local teenagers who have a bad
reputation in the neighborhood.
The other night, she went into her brother’s room to discuss her concern with him, and
discovered that he had been drinking. At first he was angry, but then he claimed that he had only
been trying it out for the first time. When Paula threatened to tell her parents about the incident
unless he agreed to stop drinking alcohol, Richard agreed.
Now Paula is confused because she cannot tell her parents about Richard’s drinking.
However, if she breaks her agreement with Richard and tells her parents, she is afraid that they will
react angrily and perhaps even throw Richard out of the house.
Paula goes to talk with her friend; Susan has seen one of her own brothers ruin his life with
alcohol and drugs. She feels that Paula is justified in doing anything she can to save Richard. Now,
Paula is confused. What should she do?