Nailer lives in poverty on a remote island and scavenges valuable materials from shipwrecks. He finds a wealthy girl, Nita, washed ashore and agrees to help her escape in exchange for riches. They grow close as they wait for her rescue. However, enemies intend to capture Nita. Nailer decides to help her flee on a train. They eventually board a ship from her father's fleet but are captured. Nailer fights off their attackers and rescues Nita, changing himself in the process.

1. Ship Breaker plot line

2. Exposition
• Ship Breaker takes place on a lonely island in the
Pacific Ocean.
• The main character is Nailer. He lives in a small
shack with his father. They are the typical people
of that island, extremely poor.
• His dad is part of a rough group that goes around
beating up people and get drunk.
• Nailer on the other hand, is softer and does what
everyone else his age does. He takes valuable
materials from beached ships with his crew.

3. Rising action
• The first problem that arises for Nailer is that he is left
for dead. In his crew, they have a blood oath, but one
person has broken this oath. She has abandoned him
for a shot at becoming rich. However, Nailer escapes
and the girl is left with nothing.
• Later on, during a storm, a rich girl is washed up along
with her ship, Nita. He and a friend walk down to the
beach to find her and all her riches. At first they think
she’s dead. But right before they cut her up for her
jewelry, she awakes.
• She gives him a desperate offer to keep her alive that
throws his life in a loop. They will wait for her father to
find her and he will make both of them rich, they
agree.

4. Climax
• After weeks of waiting, they grow restless and
they find a horrible truth. Her father has enemies
that are aware of her location. They have come to
capture her and keep her hostage. She knows she
has to run away but needs plenty of help, her
fragile body can’t handle the work. After hours of
thinking and begging, Nailer decides to go with
her. Then out of nowhere, his dad’s heavy crew
friend, Tool, decides to come along. He is a great
asset to them. That night they sneak out to catch
a ride.

5. Falling Action
• After catching a 2 day trip on a train, they
reach the harbor of New Orleans. Then they
wait. After 2 days, his dad shows up and Nailer
is scared, anxious, and desperate. If he finds
the 3 of them, then they all will be severely
punished. Finally, they find a ship from the
girls dad’s fleet. However, at the last moment
when they’re boarding, Tool say’s he’s not
going. Also, Nita has been captured.

6. Resolution
• In the end, after a few long hours of tedious
fighting, Nailer and the ship’s crew defeat the
enemy ship and bring back lucky girl.
• Nailer has changed both mentally and physically
in this book. He at first is not a killer, just a
scavenger. However, at the end, he kills his
betraying dad violently. He will never forget
it, but he doesn’t regret it.
• Emotionally, he has become attached to Nita. He
has feels that he likes her and she is part of his
family.

7. Theme
• The theme of the story is what comes around
goes around. This was portrayed when Nailer
saved Nita’s life. Then at the end of the
story, her dad’s company was going to give his
town materials to reshape their lives.

8. Conflict
• The conflict of this book was person vs. self.
• Nailer in the beginning, had 2 options when
he found Nita. He could kill her and take
everything she had on the ship. All the riche’s
would’ve made him the richest person in the
town. The second option was the one he took,
rescue her.