g eighteen years old that she was mature and responsible enough to take care of herself. However, when Jo meets Jimmie, a black sailor, he makes sexual advances towards Jo, which she cannot refuse. Jo does not understand the meaning of a true "relationship". All she knows is what she has learned from Helen. He proposes to marry Jo on the first day they meet and she accepts. Months pass and it is Christmas, Jimmie comes back and impregnates Jo and then vanishes and is never seen again. Jo claims that Helen cannot say anything harsh because she too got pregnant with Jo at the age of 18.Jo being afraid and lonely is befriended by a young homosexual named Geoff. He wants to help Jo through her pregnancy although Jo is reluctant because she feels he wants more. Geoff wants the baby and is ready to accept the responsibility of taking care of him/her. In order to do this he moves in with Jo and takes car eof her, anxiously awaiting the birth of the baby.As we can see, Helen's relationship had a tremendous impact on the way Joe perceived relationships. Helen's influential behaviour caused Jo to make immoral decisions through the relationships she encountered.Pregnancy is also a huge factor that is very influential in a teenager's life. In someone else's eyes a baby is a bundle of joy. However, in reality, raising a child requires hard work and devotion. Raising a child also requires great independence.When Jo first gets pregnant it does not seem to be a great deal, although as she goes further into her pregnancy she begins to think differently. Jo now realises that she is in fact alone and that is when she becomes dependent on Geoff. For Jo states, "looking after a baby isn't that nice, three months of exercise, constipation and four months of relaxation" (56). Jo is too young to understand the responsibilities of taking care of a child. She is insecure and cannot handle the pressure of properly raising a child. For example ...
