In Tin Man, by Judy Budnitz, the theme of manipulation causes us readers to consider how it only has a negative impact on our mental and physical health. The conflict arises when Arnie is pressured to donate his heart to his sickly mother, despite the fact that he believes that it's senseless and insane.The author uses a somber yet fictional tale to illustrate how compelling persuasion can be. In Arnie's situation, he sacrifices his heart, the organ that keeps him alive, in order to appease others. His aunts belittled him and began to make him feel guilty, only aggravating the situation, “…