The Assistant shows that Morris Bober as a good example of what one person can be. Frank on the other hand, is the exact opposite although he tries to struggle to rise above his weaknesses and become a better person of who he is, like Saint Francis of Asisi whom he admires. In the beginning of the novel, Frank’s behavior is shown when he steals from Morris and lusts over Helen. He knows that it is wrong to steal from Morris, but he has a hard time controlling himself because he thinks that the grocery would not be successful without making as much if he were not helping Morris. He also had a hard time controlling his sexual urges towards Morris’ daughter, Helen. He spies on her then he pressures her for sex, until it got to the point when he completely lost his control and raped her. Later in the novel, readers will wonder if he would be able to turn his life around and be able to change for the better. In the end of the novel, readers will realize that Morris’ treatment to Frank has influenced him to become a changed man. Frank will also end up having the charitable characteristics Morris exhibited in the beginning of the novel. “It was a strange thing about people—they could look the same but be different” (243), as Helen realizes upon looking at Frank. “He had been one thing, low, dirty, but because of something in himself—he had changed into somebody else, and no longer what he had been” (243). In Bernard Malamud’s The Assistant, Frank Alpine’s transformation was made possible by Morris’ influence to be a better person.
Morris’ is known to be honest, thoughtful, charitable, and compassionate in this novel. His character made him a good example for everyone especially for Frank in this novel. His good deeds influenced Fran...
... middle of paper ...
...ing something wrong. There is always repentance and a chance to change for the better like Frank was doing in the later parts of the novel. He started not to expect anything in return anymore. When Morris died, Frank did everything to act as the breadwinner of Morris’ family. “It’s his store. Let it support you to go to college like he wanted you to” (239). Frank told Helen when he told her he wanted to pay for her college.
“Then one day, for no reason he could give, though the reason felt familiar, he stopped climbing up the air shaft to peek at Helen, and he was honest in the store ” (242). Frank used to be the robber, the rapist and the liar. With all the experiences he has been through, Frank successfully redeemed himself through the help of Morris’ example and his lessons that he gave him. He has become the person he wants to be. He has become like Morris.
At the end of the book, Frank learns to accept his condition and becomes grateful for what he still is able to do. Frank’s Parents: Frank’s parents spend countless hours each day helping Frank and making sure that he has everything he needs. They must learn to adapt to a selfless life of putting Frank’s needs before their own. Although this is often difficult and frustrating, they eventually come together as a family to make the best of their situation. Ruth Stein: Ruth is the mother of Meredith Stein, Frank’s girlfriend who was killed in the accident.
... narrator, those events triggered a moment of hesitation where the narrator had to make a choice, leave his old lifestyle and pursue a relationship with the girl, or he can continue his free lancing and not take things seriously. The narrator changes, but the girl becomes what he was, a seventeen year old who doesn’t take things seriously. When Holden gives Phoebe his red hunting hat, he is making her the next ‘catcher in the rye’. He grows into adulthood and he takes Phoebe as his replacement by giving her the red hunting hat, which symbolizes the role. Both Holden and the narrator grow into new roles and give up their old roles to women. Although, they both give up their roles and grow into adulthood to the same women who helped and influenced them to grow up. These characters helped the protagonists overcome their fear of change and finally turn them into adults.
...eir thought processes are flawed or not. But this unwillingness to conform was what caused James’ jump out the window. Although Holden does admire James’s integrity, he also realizes that if he does not change his ways, he could end up like James. But Holden would not have someone like Mr. Antolini to help him out and cover his body. Holden must find a driving force within himself that wants to make him change. He must find a new outlook on life, and he cannot be afraid of growing up. He must set an example for Phoebe, and show her that running away or flying away from her problems are not an option. Ducks can only fly for so long. And Holden must realize that he cannot progress when he is judging all of the phonies of the world. The Catcher in the Rye must find a balance between becoming an adult, and flying away.
...common in human beings, and the demonstrations that have been considered in this term paper are not the only examples that live in the novel that call up the difficulty of considering with change. believe about Holden lowering out of yet another school, Holden departing Pencey Prep and, for a while, dwelling life in the cold streets of New York town all by his lonesome. The book ends abruptly, and gathering condemnation of it is not rare. It's an odd cliffhanger, not because of the way it's in writing, but because of a individual desire to glimpse what Holden finishes up doing with his life. Perhaps, as he augments up, he'll learn to contend better through change. Imagine the death of Phoebe, decisively an event that would be similar to Allie's tragic demise. if an older Holden would reply the identical as did a junior one, is a inquiry still searching for an answer.
The discontent about The Cather in the Rye is due to vulgar language and sexual themes within the novel. The vulgar and inappropriate content does not prevent the reader from comprehending themes, symbols, and lessons and underlying meaning of the novel. In the novel, the main character, Holden, goes through many experiences that are deemed as inappropriate and are evident to the reader. But once the reader searches and analyzes the underlying meaning of the novel and situations and how Holden reacts to these situations, there is a great deal of redeeming and positive value from the novel. This then further supports the themes and symbols presented in the novel. While people may see the main character as someone who is dimwitted and possesses no ethical standards, he faces such scenarios which put that to the test and prove it wrong. And from that, students can learn the theme of individuality and coming of age. In ...
Frank has an interesting view on the way man has progressed morally. I think that he says that we don’t really know our morals until we have them truly questioned. In this he implies that the people who have strong morals, not only will stay true to them, but will survive. An example of this is Randy Bragg. Randy, on the day of nuclear fallout, stopped on the side of the road to help a woman. This shows that he has respect for the human race as a whole. The opposite of this was Edgar Quisenbury. Edgar valued nothing but money. In the end, the absence of money caused Edgar to become an example of Darwin’s “Only the strong” theory as he shot himself.
Holden Caulfield is the protagonist in the novel “The Catcher in the Rye”. In the book Holden hears a quote “The mark of the immature man is that he wants to die nobly for a cause, while the mark of a mature man is that he want to live humbly for one” (Salinger 188) which he embraces as he matures throughout the story. Holden’s opinions of childhood and adulthood change as he grows through experience.
Many times in literature, the regret that characters feel consumes them. However, in both Tuesdays with Morrie and Catcher in the Rye, the regret that Morrie, Mitch, and Holden all feel motivates them to do right by their loved ones. The most important piece of advice that Morrie give Mitch in the book Tuesdays with Morrie is the importance of forgiveness. When teaching Mitch to learn from the mistake he made with his friend Norman, he tells him, “‘It’s not just other people we need to forgive, Mitch,’ he finally whispered. ‘We also need to forgive ourselves’” (Albom, 166). All three of the main characters studied: Holden, Morrie, and Mitch, struggle with this. They all wallow in their regret due to their inability to forgive themselves, but each character is able to utilize this regret to motivate themselves to do right by their loved ones.
Honesty is a rare trait that few people are able to perfect, but a trait more people should have to make the world a better place. Mrs. Dubois is harshly opinionated and honest leading to Scout learning more about herself, Atticus stays ardent in his morals and beliefs concluding in a new look on black folk in Maycomb, and Tom Robinson is honest with himself enabling him to die with dignity. Honesty is a prominent topic shown through many characters of To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee.
In 1950 J.D. Salenger captures one of society’s tragedies, the breakdown of a teenager, when he wrote The Catcher In The Rye. Holden Caulfield, a fickle “man” is not even a man at all. His unnecessary urge to lie to avoid confrontation defeats manhood. Holden has not matured and is unable to deal with the responsibility of living on his owe. He childishly uses a hunter’s hat to disguise him self from others. The truth of his life is sad and soon leads to his being institutionalized. He tries to escape the truth with his criticisms. Knowing he will never meet his parents’ expectations, his only true friend is his eight-year-old sister Phoebe, to whom Holden tells that he really wants to be ‘the catcher in the rye”. Holden admits his only truth and shows that Phoebe is his only friend. Another form of escape for Holden is his acting, which he uses to excuse the past. Holden has tried to lie, hide, and blame his way through life; when he finds that it is not the answer he collapses.
The world today is very deceptive and phony. J.D. Salinger’s well known novels, The Catcher in the Rye and Franny and Zooey attack this fake and superficial society which is evident through the lives, ideas, actions, and words expressed by the characters in these literary pieces. The transition from childhood, through adolescence and into adulthood is inevitable. The protagonist of The Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield goes through this stage and finds himself in a crisis. He alienates himself from everyone who is around him and tries his best not to grow up. Holden often dwells upon his childhood and the life he had with his family. Franny in Franny and Zooey has already passed this stage but finds it difficult to live in a world where everyone she is surrounded by is only concerned with outward appearances. In these worlds, both characters, Holden and Franny, reveal their struggle of growing up and trying to live as an adult in a world full of deception and shallow-minded people who only care about appearances.
The struggle the other characters face in telling Mrs. Mallard of the news of her husband's death is an important demonstration of their initial perception of her strength. Through careful use of diction, Mrs. Mallard is portrayed as dependent. In mentioning her "heart trouble" (12) Chopin suggests that Mrs. Mallard is fragile. Consequently, Josephine's character supports this misconception as she speaks of the accident in broken sentences, and Richards provides little in the way of benefiting the situation. In using excess caution in approaching the elderly woman, Mrs. Mallard is given little opportunity to exhibit her strength. Clearly the caution taken towards Mrs. Mallard is significant in that it shows the reader the perception others have of her. The initial description the author provides readers with creates a picture that Mrs. Mallard is on the brink of death.
... the officials. The reverend helps Frank, by giving him money as well as shoes, because he was bare foot. Good Samaritans also help Frank by providing him with sumptuous clothing and bus fares to get hi m to his next destination. These smaller resolutions allowed Frank to accomplish is larger resolution to find his sister.
Frank is a person that has dedication in his life; he makes decisions that affect others, and he stands by those decisions. Even though my life isn't as intense and depressing as Frank's was, I can still relate to him. The one very strong aspect that connects Frank and myself is dedication. I am dedicated to film; the same amount of dedication I have for film, frank has for himself and his family. Frank and I both fell in love with film at a young age, we both put others before ourselves and try to make others happy, and we both take time out of our own lives to further our possibilities of ...
I chose “The Assistant” by Robert Walser because the title caught my attention on the book list. It was published in 1908 but translated from German in 2007 by Susan Bernofsky. I seemed to guess that this book would be about inventions and the like. Innovation captivates my interest and I feel as if I am on a journey with the characters as they expand their own horizons.