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“Why is it the words we write for ourselves are always so much better than the words we write for others?” (Forrester, 2001). Jamal does not show his true potential in the public school. Jamal does not show how smart he is in his daily work because he wants to fit in. He is given a scholarship to go to a private school where he can evolve into a better student. Jamal meets the old man with binoculars in the window who turns out to be William Forrester. William Forrester was a famous author who wrote a book, Jamal was reading for his class with Mr. Crawford. Jamal learns and adjusts into a better writer with the help of William. William is changed into a more friendly person and embrace who he is as a writer. In the movie Finding Forrester …show more content…
settings that one is not used to and people who are influential can transform one into who they are meant to be. Throughout life people transform to be a better version of themselves. In the movie Finding Forrester, William Forrester is a very influential character, especially when he first opens his door and lets Jamal into his apartment from sitting in the hallway on the steps. William converts from wanting to be alone, to becoming fine with letting Jamal into his life and his home. William has a rough personality at the start of the movie because he separates himself in his apartment for so long. He did not go out of his apartment because he did not want to hear what others thought his book meant. We see William evolve to open up and become vulnerable with Jamal. When Jamal and William met they were “ compelled to look past skin color and suppositions, Jamal encounters not only his first fan but a mentor who will challenge and change him forever, and Forrester has his first reason in years to emerge from his self imposed solitude” (Movielocity, 2001, p.1). Here we see transformation in both Jamal and Forrester. Life tells them to stop and see the outside world. Jamal and William look past each other's differences, race and challenges to find a better version of themselves. They challenge each other and help each other and emerge as an unlikely set of friends. In this movie Jamal is also an influential character in this movie and he writes a great letter about his family to give to William. In Jamal’s life, his surroundings tell him not to try or give effort, but, when Jamal went to the private school he converts into a great writer and shows his intelligence. The better version of Jamal is shown because his smarts are not suppressed by peer pressure. His old life is not totally lost, he can always shift back into his old self. We see Jamal transform “ Frustrated Jamal turns to Forrester for help with the confusing turns his life has taken. Slowly the boy and the man begin to trust each other.” (Clinton, 2001 P. 1) Jamal’s life is not the version he wants it to be. Life has twists and turns that William and Jamal are not happy with. William takes Jamal in and helps to remake the image of him and his writing. Transformations do not always happen in a short period of time, some people take years to get to the best version of themselves. One’s life may go through a transformation to make them the best they can be. Conflicts will teach and transform one into who they are meant to be.
One conflict that adjusts the characters is when Jamal gets caught by Forrester, in his apartment after sneaking in on a dare. Jamal is very conflicted, does he listen to his friends or does he respect William’s privacy? When he gets caught Jamal learns that it is wrong to go into another person’s house without permission. He is changed by meeting and working with William to be more respectful and a better writer. Another example of this is Jamal in Forrester’s house, “He is caught in the act and accidentally leaves behind his backpack, which contains his journals. Forrester writes comments in the notebooks and returns the backpack” (Berardinelli, 2000, p.1) Jamal leaves his backpack at this Forrester's apartment. He is evolved by meeting Forrester and working on his writing. Jamal is taught to be the writer he is meant to be. He learns to be respectful and that he can fix his writing by improving his skills. Another conflict in this movie is when Crawford does not believe Jamal wrote the paper, and he accuses Jamal of plagiarism. Jamal is very offended by this accusation but also learns what not to use for a paper. Crawford accusing Jamal of plagiarism taught him what exactly plagiarism is. This adapted Jamal’s writing from starting with William’s words and to write from his heart. Jamal became a great writer “ They’re so brilliant in fact that professor Crawford, Jamal’s haughty, effeminate writing …show more content…
teacher suspects plagiarism” (Holden, 2000, p.3) Jamal is shaped into a better writer. This conflict with Crawford shows how Jamal is taught about plagiarism. He becomes the writer he is meant to be through this learning situation. One can be taught or transformed by conflicts into who they are supposed to be. Settings one is not aware of can transform them in a good way.
A location Jamal is not used to is William Forrester’s apartment, but he learns to be a better writer here. William’s apartment diversifies Jamal in a strong way. Jamal was able to get away from his everyday life and learn from William. Jamal was also able to write with the help and expertise of a professional writer. In the mysterious apartment, “ Forrester is very much a Chamber piece for two, with more than half the scenes set indoors in Forrester’s Cluttered apartment” (Levy, 2000 p.2) William Forrester’s apartment is a main place for learning and improving. This apartment transforms Jamal in a good way. This is a setting that no one has been in because Forrester lived like a recluse for so long. Another setting Jamal is not used to is the private school is also a new setting that Jamal is put into after leaving public school. Jamal got a scholarship to learn and show his knowledge that he did not feel he could show in the public school. In the private school Jamal was reformed in a valuable way. In this new school Jamal did not feel the pressure to hide, suppress his knowledge and what he could do. He could express himself through writing and learning. This is a major transformation from how Jamal performed in public school. “ Forrester is Jamal’s unlikely guide on his journey into the strange, strait- laced academic community in which he must now prove himself as a writer.” (Movielocity, 2001, p.2) Jamal
is in a new place that he unfamiliar with. He has to establish himself in this new place to set a good example for others. This adapts Jamal into a better writer and able to show his skills. One can be transformed in a good way when they are in a new setting. One can transform into their best self when they are in abnormal settings, and with people conflicts that occur. Influential people have an impact to help transform one into a better version of themselves. One can also be transformed through conflicts into who they are meant to be. In a place that is unfamiliar can transform one in a good way. Transformation in each person shapes them into who they are destined to be and is a positive thing, even if it does not seem comparable at the time.
First, the author uses conflict to show what the characters have to overcome throughout the course of the story, such as Mrs. Baker forcing Holling to do chores at school and
When Mailor-Callow offers Jamal a scholarship, Forrester tells Jamal that he knows he will accept the offer because Jamal’s current school cannot offer Jamal the answer to a question he needs answered: What does Jamal wish to do with his life? William and Jamal’s relationship is beginning to form and William reveals Jamal’s true self to him in order to nudge him to make the right decision. He informs Jamal that his present school does not fit his desire to write. Jamal also helps Forrester in the words of Rob Brown, whom Levy quotes approvingly, “Jamal Gradually becomes committed not only to his own writing, but to cracking Forrester’s shell” (Levy, 2000, p. 2). Since Jamal and William become trusting friends, Jamal hopes to break his shell, meaning Jamal wishes to unveil Forrester’s true self, a man with a passion for writing.
Within his journey he was able to learn a tremendous amount of information about himself as well as the society he lived in. Although in order for this to happen he had to exile from his former hometown. After graduating high school the narrator went off to college and had the honor of driving one of the schools founders. While driving Mr. Norton, one of the school founders, the narrator went on a tangent about different things that has happened on campus. He soon mentioned Trueblood and his actions with his daughter to Mr. Norton, Afterwards the narrator led Mr. Norton to the bar/asylum. This is when the real troubles begin. Mr. Bledsoe, the college’s president, found out about the narrators doings and expelled him. When he expelled the narrator, Mr. Bledsoe sent him to New York with seven letters to get a job. By the narrator being exiled he now has a chance to experience life on his own and use the knowledge from his experience to enrich his life and others. The narrator’s trial and tribulations will speak for the feelings and thoughts of many African Americans in the 1940s
The film develops Jamal as a character whom has all the intellect and abilities to become a top student and writer. But due to circumstances and environment he chooses to hide this side of himself. After meeting through a series of events, and being intrigued in the way his writing had been critiqued, he pursues Forrester for more. Although their relationship began on shaky terms, Forrester relented to Jamal, agreeing to aid in the development of his writing, on the conditional basis that Jamal follows all the rules that he laid out. Although the lessons usually extended further than just writing, the main advice in terms of writing that Forrester gave was sometimes you just need to stop thinking and write. Further to get his creative juices flowing, Jamal was allowed to begin his pieces with Forrester’s past work. Teaching him it’s not where you begin, it’s how you finish. Not only was this conducive to his writing, it related back to Jamal’s upbringing and environment. The mentoring of Jamal was not so much for the improvement in the product of his work, but the development in the processes of his writing. The results of these lessons showcased the vast improvement in his writing. So profoundly great was his writing that it was accused of plagiarism. Additionally, the lessons not only made him a better writer, he became more comfortable in his own shoes, no longer afraid to display the true limits of his
In the film Finding Forrester, their was a big conflict between Jamal and Mr. Crawford. Mr. Crawford and Jamal had their difference though out the film. Their were lots of problems that Mr. Crawford had against Jamal. The conflicts were based Jamal race, and his intelligence.
This book is telling a story about two African American boys (Wes A and Wes P) who have the same name and grew up at same community, but they have a very different life. The author, Wes A, begins his life in a tough Baltimore neighborhood and end up as a Rhodes Scholar, Wall Streeter, and a white house fellow; The other Wes Moore begins at the same place in Baltimore , but ends up in prison for the rest of his life. Then why do they have the same experience, but still have a totally different life? I will agree here that environment (family environment, school education environment and society environment) is one of the biggest reasons for their different.
As a school teacher and with limited income from teaching and a family to take care, the narrator is still stuck with housing project in Harlem, he cannot make a bail or hire the best lawyer to defend his brother. The distress from losing his baby daughter; the feeling of guilt, desperation and failure to care and protect his younger brother from the deadly touch of drugs weight down the narrator’s life. Damaged while getting out of Harlem’s trap, and like his descended father, the narrator sees the darkness in every corner of
In John Knowles’s novel, A separate peace, all the types of conflict were shown through the main character Gene. Gene had countless battles between other characters and the society of his time, which in turn created conflicts within himself. These unfortunate events eventually changed Gene, and he could no longer return to his old self. Conflict is a dangerous subject because it can change not only your own self, but also the things around
Jamal did not push himself any harder in the classroom than he needed to. Jamal’s passion is writing, He meets a famous old writer named William Forrester through a dare, who has been watching him when he plays basketball at the parking lots. Little did they know when they first met what a great difference they would eventually make for each other. William is the first to help Jamal by helping him with his writing. Jamal is a great writer, but just doesn’t know it yet.
A character named Jefferson, an African American male, is wrongly accused when he is in the wrong place at the time during a shoot-out between two African American men and a storeowner. During the shoot-out the storeowner and both men were shot and killed, Jefferson in shock stays at the scene of the crime until authorities arrived and arrested and tried Jefferson for murder. Jefferson being found guilty and compared to a hog fills him with hate and anger. Jefferson has an aunt that reaches out to a creditable teacher at a local school named Grant; she gets Grant to help Jefferson find a purpose. Grant helps Jefferson find a sense of dignity, although it took some time he was successful. Grant later focuses his time and energy on the importance of Jefferson’s death and tries to explain it to him. Jefferson doesn’t really understand it until members of the community come to visit him; young children, old men, strangers, friends, all come to see Jefferson in his cell and speak to him. The onslaught of attention makes Jefferson begin to understand the enormity of his task. He now realizes that he has become much more than an ordinary man and that his death will represent much more than an ordinary death. Gaines emphasizes the worth and dignity of everyday heroes like Jefferson; just as Christ did during his
The author has used plot to portray the theme of displacement successfully and effectively. The government found out about the illegal school on page 32, therefore they had to leave their house for safety. On page 31 Jamal's dad said “ we've got to leave this house” This shows how displaced they will be because they leave the valuable house that their ancestors lived in.
Forrest’s IQ is significantly lower than the average person’s and as a kid, it restricts him from going to a normal school. Even though it is not him who creates the opportunity to have a proper education, when he is given the chance he makes the most out of it by graduating high school, and going further to attain a college degree. Academics are not the only part of school that pose a challenge to him; Forrest has to put up with exclusion as well as verbal and physical abuse. Even though it is not easy for Forrest to get along with others, he is able to get through his social hindrances by finding someone special named Jenny. She loves him, looks out for him, and through the bullying Forrest ends up finding great happiness with his one special girl. After school, Forrest joins the military, which is one of the best solutions for him. As a result of his IQ, finding a long lasting career would be very difficult. The army is a respected job that Forrest excels at far past the ordinary person. Thus, joining the army creates many opportunities for Forrest, changing his life for the better. He wins a medal of honor and discovers ping pong which he goes on to play in the Olympics. Something far better than honor and fame that he finds in the military is friendship, and out of the friendship Forrest finds riches. There are
Jamal went up to the apartment because he found that the man had written in all of his notebooks, but the man told him to write a 5000 word essay. When Jamal went to his school he was greeted by a person telling him that he got an academic scholarship to go to a private school. Jamal accepts the scholarship and goes to the school only to find an irritable teacher Robert Crawford. Jamal wants to do well in Professor Crawford's class so he asks William to help him become a better writer. When Professor Crawford sees Jamal's writings he does not believe they are his and quickly finds that part of one of his pieces of writings was part of William Forrester. Crawford calls Jamal out on this and tells him that unless he has William Forresters permission to use part of his writing he can not read his piece in a contest. Finding Forrester is an amazing movie about how anyone can be friends no matter what their situation or age is. The setting, characters, and plot made the movie
Firstly, one of the many ways conflict develops the characters’ is through their struggles with each other. At the beginning of the novel, Keisha’s struggle with Ms. Hill introduces her character into the novel. One day, Keisha is called down to the office alongside other Primm students, she secretly hopes it is because of her application to Avery University. In reality, the students are called down to the office because Ms. Hill has put them into SCARF (Save the Children At-Risk Foundation), because of this Keisha is now unable to apply for Avery. Keisha gets into an argument about Avery with Ms. Hill which escalates fairly quickly: “I needed to get to her head. My fingers curled around her long, hay-looking hair and I snatched my hand back
By using figures such as Louis Armstrong, Abraham Lincoln, and Harriet Tubman, the author deals to provide a relevance to the readers. Some characters within the novel are old enough to remember slavery and their presence lets Nathaniel be influenced by their experiences. The author introduced us Jericho who was half-white; yet, his own father treated him as a slave. The history of his family and other African Americans pushes the narrator to develop a perspective of being disliked because of his race. The incorporation of slavery in his ancestor by the author revives history and its effects on the narrator. The novel deals with the 1960’s as well as connecting to the past through Sweetie’s letter to the president. We are introduced to issues such as the War on Poverty and student revolts, along with African American concerns. In addition, Forrest’s indulgence of various historical events are purposed to evoke the moods of darkness and fear. The detailed episodes of the Great Flood, Middle Passage, and the migration of African-Americans, along with the vision of a black Mary under a tree more ancient than Eden, invokes the conscious acknowledgement of the suffering of the black race from centuries ago. The author injects such episodes into Nathaniel’s stream of consciousness to suggest the continuity