“Raymond’s Run” and “Everything Will Be Okay” Comparative Essay
It might seem like “Everything Will Be Okay” and “Raymond’s Run” are extremely different stories. One is a story about a boy who found an injured stray kitten, and the other is about a girl, her running, being overprotective, and acting as tough as nails. However, when you dig a bit deeper, you might find that they are not as diverse as they seem. In both stories, “Raymond’s Run” and “Everything Will Be Okay,” the authors focus on teaching us that it is important to have the courage to be an individual.
In “Raymond’s Run,” Squeaky realizes that she can be her own person, and commits to nonconformity. In this story, the main character, Squeaky, shows us her independence in a variety
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In the beginning of the story, James finds a scrawny, injured kitten in the woods, and takes it home and wants to care for it. He names the kitten Smoky and says that Smoky will be his very own pet. His mother says the kitten is full of disease, and James says, “I cry so hard my body shakes.” Later he and his brother Paul bring the kitten to see Dr. Milk. In the middle of the story, Paul decides that there is nothing he can do with the kitten, so he euthanizes it and tells James to be a man when he starts to pump gas into the can and James starts to cry. James disagrees and exclaims “I don’t want to be a man!” At this point in the story, we as readers realize that James will not become his brothers and father. Towards the end of the story, James comes to realize himself that he doesn’t have to be like his brothers, and he can create a life for himself, which is very much unlike the main character, Squeaky, from “Raymond’s Run,” who has known this all along. My opinion is that James has a heart of gold. Thus we can say that Squeaky and James are very much alike, but come to their realizations at different points. Ralph Waldo Emerson once stated that “To be yourself in a world that is trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.” This lesson is also clear as day, be yourself no matter who tells you not to be, or through whatever stands in your
He was offered a “Club cap” but James “gave it back” to his friend, Kris. They waited until Kris left the apartment building, then played a game of checkers. James had wanted to fit in with his friends in the “K-Bones” club but had realized that his brother was more important. He pushed his friend away to play games with Isaac. Furthermore, James has to “take care of” Isaac when his mother is at work. Even when he is trying to fit in with a devious club, he would still “hold Isaac’s hand” or even “carry him home”. James is a very nice and caring brother. This is logical because, that is what a good brother should look like. James must truly love Isaac as his brother, and admires his family more than his
Unknown, to James at this point he did not realize that he was having a problem with a psychological theory called behaviorism. Now this theory is one that is saying human behavior is developed through learning experiences which in this case would apply to James. His behavior as an adult was reflected by the way he was treated as a kid by his father and mother because they fought all the time. They never truly paid any attention to him, which in terms taught him how to stay out of their way and learn how to steal and burglarize places without getting caught. Therefore, within the psychological theory of behaviorism Behaviorists saw crime as something that is a learned response to life’s situations such as James situation which led him to a life of crime because of his parents. Although, he was never truly mistreated, he did not receive his father attention due to the fact of the way his father was treated as a child growing up an abusive household. Therefore, he did not want to place his son in the same situation. There is also the fact that James could be suffering from the psychodynamic theory which says that a person’s personality can be controlled by their unconscious mental process and that is grounded in them in early childhood. These entire things such as the id, ego, and superego
The short story Eleven by Sandra Cisneros, focuses around the main character Rachel as an insecure developing girl who lacks the experience to handle everyday encounters. Rachel, an eleven year old girl truly encapsulates the thoughts that are present within an adolescent. The lack of confidence in herself, excessive fear of being judged, and ideas of growing up are ideals that are relevant within each and every one of us. The reader is able to relate to Rachel because her feelings and experiences that are described by the author are similar to what most people have been through and are currently experiencing. The characterization of Rachel is expressed through the author’s usage of point of view, imagery, and repetition.
As a boy, James questions his unique family and color through his confusion of race issues. Later in his life, as an adolescent, his racial perplexity results in James hiding from his emotions, relying only on the anger he felt against the world. It is only when James uncovers the past of his mother does he begin to understand the complexity of himself and form his own identity. As James matures, issues of race in his life become too apparent to ignore. His multiracial family provides no clear explanations on prejudices and racism, and when "[James] asked [Ruth] if she was white, she'd say, No. I'm light skinned and change the subject.
Individuals are prone to fear regardless of whether it relates to something as minute as choosing between clothes, or it can be something life altering, such as making a bold decision to leave home in search of a better life. In the memoir, “The Iron Road”, Al Purdy describes his fear as it relates to his future in his younger days. Al Purdy describes his life when he was just a seventeen year old boy wanting to leave home in search of a Job. He was quick in his decision to leave his parents, rather judicially so in terms of his confidence to climb aboard a train without the consent of his parents. The reader can feel sympathetic for a teen who is unaware of the potential hardships of life, when
At the age of ten, most children are dependent on their parents for everything in their lives needing a great deal of attention and care. However, Ellen, the main character and protagonist of the novel Ellen Foster, exemplifies a substantial amount of independence and mature, rational thought as a ten-year-old girl. The recent death of her mother sends her on a quest for the ideal family, or anywhere her father, who had shown apathy to both she and her fragile mother, was not. Kaye Gibbons’ use of simple diction, unmarked dialogue, and a unique story structure in her first novel, Ellen Foster, allows the reader to explore the emotions and thoughts of this heroic, ten-year-old girl modeled after Gibbons’ own experiences as a young girl.
The novel "I'm Not Scared" explores the playful and interesting world of childhood through the eyes of a nine year old kid. In the hot, dry summer of 1978, Michele, the main character, and his friends have nothing better to do than play new games and dares. Their small town Aqua Treverse only occupies four houses. Michele and his friends usually ride on their bikes across the deserted countryside, while the adults stay indoors shielding from the enormous heat. This gives the children the freedom to do anything they want.
“Unbroken” by Laura Hillenbrand is a capturing, inspiring, and unforgettable tale. Hillenbrand excels in narrative storytelling, expressing feelings and experiences that are difficult to capture in this style of writing. In this book, Hillenbrand provides a balance between facts and the story itself; she portrays the story by stopping at intervals and going more into depth about different facts that will help the reader to understand. The combination of the two create a story that’s both informative and emotionally capturing. Hillenbrand seizes the readers emotions through the use of morals and themes.
Curley’s Wife experiences extreme exclusion from society. However, in her case, it is her gender and her husband that are the
Children have often been viewed as innocent and innocent may be a nicer way to call children naive. Since children’s lives are so worry free they lack the knowledge of how to transition from being a child to becoming an adolescent. Their lack of knowledge may be a large part of their difficulties growing up, which could be a few rough years for many. In books like the boy in the striped pajamas the story is told from the point of view of a little boy, this way we get a full view of how innocent he is. In this book the writer shows the reader first hand how a child viewed the holocaust and how his innocence cost him his life. Then in books like the perks of being a wallflower Charlie is a teen whom is struggling with the transition from being a child to becoming an adolescent. In this book the writer gives a first hand look at how difficult it can be to transition into an adolescent. Charlie has many difficulties in this book; he is in search of his identity and how to fit in.
"Of Mice and Men" is a play written by John Steinbeck that focuses on life during the mid 1930's. This play has many recurring themes, and one of these themes is that of loneliness. This loneliness is because of the intolerance of society on those who are different. The underlying, yet stunningly obvious, theme of loneliness can be found in many characters with many examples. This loneliness due to isolation and intolerance is found in the characters of Candy, because he is old and useless; Crooks, because he is black and crippled; and Curley's wife, because she is a beautiful woman and the only girl on and all guy ranch.
Packer gave the readers a depressing message that unfairness and intolerance are the biggest battle that the people have to fight in the present day. The text shows how racism left a huge impact on the children’s minds, as they were insecure about their identity and surroundings. Overall, the story was excellent teaches the readers a powerful lesson, not judge others by their appearance or shortcomings. If one does not learn from the past mistakes, we will not have a pretty picture of our up and coming generation.
Experiencing a traumatic event can be emotionally challenging; however, many people have shown significant psychological growth and positive psychological change as a result. Speak illustrates the story of a girl who grows stronger as she overcomes her traumatic life event. It demonstrates that by facing her trauma she is able to deal with difficult memories and emotions. As she comes to the realization that she is not responsible for her victimization, she is able to heal and recover. At first, she is negatively affected, but as she grows, she finds the courage to speak up for herself. In Speak written by Laurie Halse Anderson, Melinda’s personal growth is positively impacted by overcoming her depression, isolation,
Amory Blaine, raised and influenced solely by his hedonistic mother, begins his education unable to fit in. Amory’s mother, Beatrice, influenced his unconventional habits throughout his childhood. Without a father figure in his life, Amory could only benefit
James was an authoritarian parent. He was controlling, in-charge and no one questioned him. He would play the role of the doting father. When his children made mistakes, he made a point to criticize them. He often compared them to other kids that he felt were “more perfect.” When his often unspoken expectations were not met he would yell and scream striking fear into his entire family. “He’s not a warm, fuzzy kind of guy, and he’s not going to inspire feelings of intimacy. But when his system works, he can boast about one thing: His recruits tend to obey” (Dewar).