“ ...the significance of determination in our lives.”
Determination is the fuel that drives man forward; to find, discover, survive, invent, and live. The essence of life orbits around the mind; determination drives the mind forward or lack thereof, inhibits and handicaps the potential of greatness. Great feats of man are showcased in both, the Forest of Arden- by Hannah Grant- and in Touching Bottom- by Kari Strutt-, in the determination and willpower of the individuals presented in these short stories; feats of strength, mind, and emotional control.
As the tide drew her and her step son out farther and farther into the depths of the ocean, she drew upon a deep reservoir of fuel that gave her the power- both mentally and physically- to battle against the current and save both her and her step son. Strutt describes how the fuel of determination can be utilized to provide an individual with raw strength when subjected to times of turmoil and danger. Throughout the main characters life in Touching Bottom, Strutt crafts her as a strong, determined, and naturally able person from her times of learning to swim, to fear of the water, to overcoming fear,
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Grant uses Paul to show the depths that determination can achieve, defined by how Paul travels by train alone, how he lives practically alone expect for a roomates who comes and goes quickly, and how he is self-sufficient in his everyday life. Willpower and the fortitude to not get bogged down by his disability gives Paul the strength to find the determination and meaning to resist his restrictions and strive towards the joy of
When individuals face obstacles in life, there is often two ways to respond to those hardships: some people choose to escape from the reality and live in an illusive world. Others choose to fight against the adversities and find a solution to solve the problems. These two ways may lead the individuals to a whole new perception. Those people who decide to escape may find themselves trapped into a worse or even disastrous situation and eventually lose all of their perceptions and hops to the world, and those who choose to fight against the obstacles may find themselves a good solution to the tragic world and turn their hopelessness into hopes. Margaret Laurence in her short story Horses of the Night discusses the idea of how individual’s responses
"Paul’s Case." Short Stories for Students. Ed. Kathleen Wilson. Vol. 2. Detroit: Gale, 1997. 192-209. Short Stories for Students. Gale. Web. 21 Jan. 2010.
Willa Cather’s “Paul’s Case,” displays the conflict between conformity and individuality through the main character, Paul. On a number of occasions, Paul is forced to lie and steal to escape the conformists who wish to control him and stifle his unique imagination. However, his lying, stealing, and attempts to escape the conformists, only force Paul into isolation, depression, and feeling a sense of shame for his individuality. Throughout the story one might see Cather’s constant contrast of individuality versus conformity, as well as Paul’s lying and stealing. Cather seems to draw the conclusion that extreme individuals, much like Paul are simply misunderstood, and not offered the acceptance they desire from conformist society.
For Paul it all started with being picked at. As a result his self esteem went down and he stopped carrying about school and everyone around him. When he entered college, he still had the same attitude about not putting any effort towards school work or good grades. As time went by, he started to fail classes because he stopped showing up to them, as well as not handing in any school work to receive some type of a grade. It did not take long for him to drop out of college, and find himself pushing the shopping cards at Sam’s Club. “Getting yelled at by his supervisor, while working on his shift at Sam’s Club he had ran into some of his old friends from high school (101). Embarrassment caused Paul to realize that, the path that he was on, was not going to work out for him and that he wanted to get off of it. For that reason he gathered himself together, and entered a community college to prove to himself and others that he was capable of turning his life around. He definitely did not have it easy; he had to over come many obstacles that were in his way in order to achieve his 4.0 GPA. Even failure, as painful as it is, doesn 't have to be an ending. It can be a learning experience—one that builds strength and gives direction. It can also serve as wake-up call that turns a floating student into a serious one…. (logan 102)”. Sometimes it takes a stranger to open our eyes for us to see what we are and what we want to
If everyone thinks that without struggle, it is easy to obtain their goals that is entirely false. Struggle comes from the progress of our success and achievement. It is an indication that we poured all of our time and patience into the things we pursue. Jeannette Walls, the author of The Glass Castle, explain her struggles. She survives by finding foods from the trash can and earns money by babysitting, exchanging scrap metal, finding jobs, and from her parents. As a graduating student from high school, receiving my diploma is an indication that I ...
One example of the theme of determination in this short story is all the obstacles that Phoenix Jackson encountered. Because Phoenix is so determined to get the medicine for her grandson, she goes through every obstacle with spirit. The following quote depicts many of the obstacles Phoenix encounters on her way:
Hope has the incredible ability to make or break someone. People are always told to make large goals in school and employment, and try to reach those ambitions no matter how far they are. Hope is the motivation behind accomplishing dreams, but it also has the ability to break people who have hoped for something so desperately, yet never came to fruition. Only determination and personal situations can persuade hope to fly or fall. A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly highlights this ambiguous hope we depend on through the use of symbolism, characterization, and inner conflict.
A physical journey occurs as a direct result of travelling from one place to another over land, sea or even space. The physical journey can occur individually or collectively, but always involves more than mere movement. Instead physical journeys are accompanied by inner growth and development, catalysed by the experiences and the decisions that impact the outcome of the journey. These journey concepts and the interrelationship between physical and emotional journeys is exemplified in the text; The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost, the children’s book Lost and Found by Oliver Jeffers and the film Stand By Me directed by Rob Reiner.
In ‘Paul’s Case’ Paul has created a fantasy world in which he becomes entranced, even to the point of lying to classmates about the tales of grandeur and close friendships that he had made with the members of the stock company. This fantasy falls apart around him as “the principle went to Paul’s father, and Paul was taken out of school and put to work. The manager at Carnegie Hall was told to get another usher in his stead; the doorkeeper at the theater was warned not to admit him to the house” (Cather 8). The fantasy fell apart further when the stories he had told his classmates reached the ears of the women of the stock company, who unlike their lavish descriptions from Paul were actually hardworking women supporting their families. Unable to cope with the reality of working for Denny & Carson, he stole the money he was supposed to deposit in the bank to live the life of luxury in New York. Only a person who felt backed into a corner would attempt something so unsound. After his eight days in paradise, he is again backed into a corner by the reality of his middle class upbringing, and the dwindling time he has before his father reaches New York to find him. The final way out for Paul is his suicide, for which an explanation would be “In the end, he fails to find his security, for it was his grandiose “picture making mechanism” that made his life so deardful.” (Saari). With all the securities of his fantasy life finally gone, his mental instability fully comes to light as he jumps in front of the train to end his
As their journeys progress, each man is forced to overcome certain obstacles and hardships. At the end
In the beginning of the story, Paul seems to be a typical teenage boy: in trouble for causing problems in the classroom. As the story progresses, the reader can infer that Paul is rather withdrawn. He would rather live in his fantasy world than face reality. Paul dreaded returning home after the Carnegie Hall performances. He loathed his "ugly sleeping chamber with the yellow walls," but most of all, he feared his father. This is the first sign that he has a troubled homelife. Next, the reader learns that Paul has no mother, and that his father holds a neighbor boy up to Paul as "a model" . The lack of affection that Paul received at home caused him to look elsewhere for the attention that he craved.
Obtaining a goal can bring success to one’s outer “world” and to one’s inner spirit, the mind and soul. An achievement may bring recognition and respect from surrounding peers. It can also encourage one’s self esteem as well as give them more courage. In Ernest Hemmingway’s The Old Man and the Sea, Santiago receives outer, material formed success by earning the respect of his fellow peers and by attaining more physical strength. He also receives inner, spiritual formed success by gaining more self esteem.
"Paul’s Case." Short Stories for Students. Ed. Kathleen Wilson. Vol. 2. Detroit: Gale, 1997. 192-209. Short Stories for Students. Gale. Web. 21 Jan. 2010.
In this moment in time, there is no assurance as to where writing will take me as I follow this pathless “woods.” However, I hope that at the end of my journey, this decision will make all the difference as well.
My strong determination and tenacious will power are demonstrated on a daily basis. It is displayed in every aspect of my life. Strong determination is displayed in my school, in just the sole basis of me coming back to school and wanting to do better in my life. It’s also displayed in home life, in ways like creating the best possible environment for me along with my family.