Life In A Waterfall In Bryce Courtenay's The Power Of One

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Life in a Waterfall Water, like age, continues without stopping until reaching an obstacle which ends the flow completely. In The Power of One by Bryce Courtenay, Peekay, the protagonist and narrator, retells his life story starting at age five. Courtenay separates Peekay’s life into three sections divided by books, representing childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. Each section of his journey corresponds to a cascade in the waterfall mind trick revealing that waterfalls are a metaphor for his own life, ultimately suggesting that his life and the mind trick end together. Inkosi-Inkosikazi introduces Peekay to the waterfall mind trick which draws parallels to his childhood. Peekay first learns of this waterfall trick when he goes home after his first term in boarding school, afflicted by chronic bed wetting, earning him the name Pisskop. In order to cure the bed wetting, Inkosi-Inkosikazi teaches Peekay the waterfall mindtrick. Peekay recounts his experience as follows: “I took a deep breath and launched myself into the night” and then “I hit the water below, sank briefly, rose to the surface, and expelled the deep breath I had taken”(16). Courtenay uses the word “launched” to start the experience because Peekay is thrown into a new life style. Then Courtenay uses water imagery such as “hit the water”, “sank”, and “deep breath” to mirror Peekay’s journey. Peekay “hit the water” revealing the sudden change in his living condition and then “sank …show more content…

The name Peekay comes from Pisskop, because Peekay had “night water” as a kid. The Judge gave Peekay the name Pisskop, however, with the defeat of the Judge, Peekay is able to overcome the origin, emotions, and feelings behind his name. Furthermore, only now does Peekay stop the influence of the Judge on his life. The “night water” finally ends. Although the narrator’s life continues, The Power of One ends with Peekay’s life coming to a

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