Richard Williams came from a wealthy background from Boston. He is the only son of his parents and he was admitted to one of the colleges in Boston. He had everything to he always wanted, including cars, designer wears, foot wears and lots of money. He lived at ease in the midst of excessive pleasure, and surrounded by all conveniences and comforts of life. He was exposed to all good things of life and he was well brought up by his parents, but he wasn’t seem to portray those great attributes his parents taught him. While he was in college, he was known to have the best collections and everyone always wanted to be his friend. Richard freely gives to everyone who requested from him, he posed to be the generous guy and some individuals loved him. Richard was an average student who is not very intelligent to make good grades from each academic session. He wasn’t serious with academic works. He believed his parents had it all to make him achieve all his dreams. He prefers to hang out with friends like him, party hard, play computer games, and other times soccer. He hardly …show more content…
had time to study and he often tells his friends he’s not a fan of books. His parents have tried to correct his behaviors towards academics and his unseriousness. At many times, he had been spanked but refuses to be willing to learn. His teachers had complained so bitterly about him at different occasions, but Richard never cared about what anyone had to say about him. But whenever he’s given assignments, he looks out for people to help him or put him through. It was getting close to the end of the session exams, and he knew if he failed, he would repeat the class. However, his father had also threatened to disown him if he repeats the class. He thought to himself what he would do to make good grades in his exams, so he decided to reach out to the best students in his class. Though everyone knew about his truancy and his non-chalant attitudes towards academics. This discouraged many from giving him any attention. But because of his generosity, he was given attention by one of his peers. Besides, he was filled with humor and loved to cheer everyone up, this gave him an edge to be free to relate to anyone. Consequently, he was also willing to give anything to whosoever was ready to help him. Though, he never revealed this to anyone. In contrast, Paul was one of the best students in class. He was from a very poor background, his family encountered the rough waves of serious adversity, and he was obliged to labor with assiduity, and had to carry out a part time job to sustain a better living for himself. He often felt bad about his condition, but he was pretty sure life would turn better for him when he graduates from high school and starts earning a well paid salary. Whenever he goes to work, he finds a client or customer who gives him stipends for his hard work and skills. Paul was very intelligent and always had most of his time studying to create something unique. He tries to understand physical sciences and always wished he could invent something. Paul’s parents had tried to enroll Paul for scholarship exams, but unfortunately, he’s not been awarded for some few challenges or the other. His teachers liked him for his academic excellence, endurance, learning eagerness and unusual ability to work under pressure. He had been awarded best student in physics and other science related subjects. Therefore, it was very easy for Richard to get closer to Paul and confide in his academic excellence to help him focus and meet up with his grades to graduate from college without repeating the present class he was. Paul was ready and totally willing to change Richard’s life. He knew Richard always wanted to take more time to party, get drunk and lived recklessly. Yet, Paul still kept encouraging Richard to become a serious student and just graduate peacefully. Richard saw the lowest level of life Paul lived and then decided to help him. As a result, Richard took Paul shopping, bought him new clothings, shoes and started helping him on having a better life. This made Paul so impressed to help Richard attain better grades in his subjects. He took time to teach him all the mathematical equations, physics calculations and other related subjects he was lacking behind. On a regular basis, Richard invited Paul to his home, his parents saw his willingness to learn and they decided to be a bit lenient with him . They welcomed Paul warmly and offered him great meals. Richard listened to every word Paul said to encourage him, he was motivated and got ready to learn. However, this did not make Richard change his ways, he was progressively becoming an alcoholic through the influence of the nature of friends who were also as influential as he is. They drive expensive cars around town, painted everywhere red, flirt with girls, move into all sorts of night clubs and spend extravagantly. Richard tried to blend relatively, he wasn’t totally willing to live that way because of his parent’s average level of discipline. But he actually wanted to live the spoiled life just the same way his friends did live. Meanwhile, he wasn’t aware that some of his friends were drug addicts; they smuggled cocaine and other hard drug contents that were contraband to make great money. At a point in time, they introduced him to the business and made him feel it was a norm to make money from the substance. Paul, on the other hand took Richard’s leisure and made sure he did his own part of the schedule agreement they had and Richard ensured he continually helped Paul. This made these boys become close friends despite their differences in attitudes and behaviors. Subsequently, Richard keeps up with his friends and since he saw they were becoming richer than he was; bought more expensive cars than he had, lived in more expensive homes than his family’s, got him tempted into smuggling drugs.
His gang of friends were willing to pull him into the business. Sooner, he got into the contraband business and started to risk his life for more money and wealth. His friends taught him different tactics and strategies on smuggling the drug substances for sales to people who were ready to purchase them. He was more drawn to his temptation daily and he got into the business. With time, he began to get more money too. Paul didn’t notice all this, but he kept showing his care for Richard as a great friend. Sometimes, he writes his homework, does all necessary lab tests and related school works to cover up for Richard. He ensured Richard had all school activities up to
date. But there came a day, Richard was to sneak out of the school as usual when he got a call from one of his clients whom they had finalized their drug business. But unfortunately, he forgot he hid the drug contents in Paul’s bag. As he left the school premise, and got into the street. A boy reported a missing phone in the classroom and the security guards were informed about the incident. So they decided to search the bags of everyone in the classroom. However, Paul had left his bag in the cafeteria during lunch time and later went back to pick it when the next period was set. As the security men got searching bags of students for this reported stolen phone, they found the drug substance in Paul’s bag. He immediately felt like dying to see such contents in his bag. The security personnel apprehended Paul and took him for serious investigation on where he got the substance from. He consistently tried to prove them wrong that he wasn’t the one who possessed such contents and he never knew how it got into his bag. They dealt with him severely, but he keeps insisting he wasn’t the one who had the possession of the content. After a while, Richard came back and found out that his friend was being dealt with for his offense. He immediately turned away from the premise and pretended he didn’t know what was going on. Consequently, Paul was suspended from college for that semester and had to come back later to complete his academics. Richard’s family left Boston after Richard’s graduation and so Paul lost contact with Richard. About six years later, Richard met Paul at a bank while he was trying to make some transactions. Paul was supervising some lower rank engineers to maintain the telecommunication connections and also the database of the bank. They were so happy to see each other after long years apart. They exchanged hello’s, and with so much joy, they decided to meet at a bar to celebrate their reunion again. While they were at the bar that evening, Richard was so filled with remorse, and had a very heavy heart to narrate the sad story that left Paul out of school that year. Richard told Paul the whole scenario. Paul was so shocked and started sobbing. But at the long run, he forgave Richard and they reunited again and became best friends. At this time, Richard was a system analyst, and Paul was a telecommunication engineer; they were financially stable and they lived happily ever after, The End.
Before going to Alaska, Chris McCandless had failed to communicate with his family while on his journey; I believe this was Chris’s biggest mistake. Chris spent time with people in different parts of the nation while hitchhiking, most of them whom figured out that McCandless kept a part of him “hidden”. In chapter three, it was stated that Chris stayed with a man named Wayne Westerberg in South Dakota. Although Westerberg was not seen too often throughout the story, nevertheless he was an important character. Introducing himself as Alex, McCandless was in Westerberg’s company for quite some time: sometimes for a few days, other times for several weeks. Westerberg first realized the truth about Chris when he discovered his tax papers, which stated that “McCandless’s real name was Chris, not Alex.” Wayne further on claims that it was obvious that “something wasn’t right between him and his family” (Krakauer 18). Further in the book, Westerberg concluded with the fact that Chris had not spoken to his family “for all that time, treating them like dirt” (Krakauer 64). Westerberg concluded with the fact that during the time he spent with Chris, McCandless neither mentioned his
A character that was admirable in the novel “we all fall down” is John. John is the father of Will who is the main character, they spend nearly the entire story together looking for a way out of the world trade center during the 9/11 attacks. During the story you learn that John is very smart, brave, and respected. These are all characteristics which play a crucial role in saving lives such as his co-workers and a random lady they find on the way named ting, but mainly in the ending John and Will successfully escape.
“The chilling truth is that his story could have been mine. The tragedy is that my story could have been his” (Moore, 2011). This quote perfectly describes the book The Other Wes Moore. This book was a story about two people who have the same name and grew up in similar environments, but had very different lives. The author of the book, Mr. Moore, became successful and was given the opportunity to receive “one of the most prestigious academic awards for students in the world” (Moore, 2011). On the other side of the spectrum, the other Wes Moore “will spend every day until his death behind bars for an armed robbery that left a police officer and a father of five dead” (Moore, 2011). Mr. Moore decided to contact the
Unable to conform to society’s norms, Richard Eugene Hickcok is raised by his parents who are modest farmers. In spite of his family’s hardship Dick’s childhood is pretty typical, he is popular throughout high school, plays sports, and he dreams of going to college. Due to his family’s lack of resources, Dick is unable to fulfill his dream of attending college. In spite of Dick’s unfortunate drawbacks Dick lives an average life, he marries has three children, and becomes a mechanic. Dick lives a typical American life, but soon after his third child is born Dick has an extramarital affair which ends his marriage. Shortly after his divorce from his first wife Dick remarries, but his second marriage ...
In The Other Wes Moore, the author and a neighbor have the same name, Wes Moore, and they both begin their lives in similar ways. However, as their lives progress, they begin to part. For example, both “lost” their fathers when they were young. Because of the way their mothers respond to this loss, the boys’ lives begin to separate. Both mothers have different responses to challenges in general, which eventually leads them to respond to their child’s actions in contrasting ways. Throughout this novel, readers learn that depending on how a mother decides to react to the negative actions of their child’s actions, the child can either lead a successful life or lead a life of failure.
Murderer, liar, manipulator; these are only a few words that describe the enigmatic Sergeant John Wilson. In the historical book, The Secret Lives of Sgt. John Wilson: A True Story of Love & Murder, written by Lois Simmie, we get acquainted with the complex balancing act of a life John Wilson lived. We find out about his two-faced love life, the bloody solution, and the elaborate cover up. In Simmie’s thought-provoking book, John Wilson abandons his family in Scotland, for a better life in Canada on the force. John battles debilitating sickness along with the decision to double-cross his wife. His young love interest Jessie cares for him as he battles tuberculosis. While, “many young women Jessie’s age would have had second thoughts about commitment
Tobias Wolff’s “The Rich Brother” is a story of two brothers, Donald and Pete. These brothers have very contrasting lifestyles; Pete is a successful businessman with a wife and kids. Donald, on the other hand, is an outcast. He’s unemployed and irresponsible. He lives his life as a vagabond. Despite these facts, the successful brother, Pete, still lacks the self-esteem he desperately craves. Therefore he tries to make his brother, Donald, feel foolish with every chance he gets.
In ?A & P? John Updike gives a story of a man faced with two choices for his life in a seemingly unimportant circumstance. He can stand up for himself and for his rules, as his manager encourages him to do so. But as the story goes, he remains oblivious to the forces at work, and decides to bend his will to three girls in bathing suits, or more generally, to those who have the power and nobility of wealth behind them. Sam makes the wrong choice, and subsequently, makes the rest of his life more difficult, as he admits that he must life his life under another class of people, the wealthy, as though he is less than them. By admitting that he is less than them, Sam has started to live his life not for the happiness he can obtain, but for the wealth he can obtain.
Will Allen (2013), a multi-talented, meticulous man who turned his profession from a basketball player to a professional salesman and then finally, into an urban farmer, in his book THE GOOD FOOD REVOLUTION precisely elucidates the significance of being patient in everyday life and how farming played an important role in teaching him this extremely important life skills.
Wolff, Tobias. “The Rich Brother.” Making Literature Matter. Ed. John Clifford and John Schilb. 2nd Ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2003. 391 – 403.
On the Sunday afternoon paul and his family were talking the young man about his work and about the exciting and exuberant life of his boss, paul sited that he wanted all the same experiences as the man's’ boss but he had no desire for part where one had to work hard for such lifestyle,wants to be rich without actually working hard and earning it for himself, “yet he rather liked to hear these legends of the iron kings that were told and retold on Sundays and holidays; these stories of palaces in Venice, yachts on the Mediterranean, and high play at Monte Carlo appealed to his fancy, and he was interested in the triumphs of these cash boys who had become famous, though he had no mind for the cash-boy stage”(paragraph 25).He believes that one can not climb up higher in life, but that one can only be born into that society. When he had the opportunity to steal the money from the company he was working, Paul did not think twice about taking the money and running away with it “Not once, but a hundred times, Paul had planned this entry into New York. He had gone over every detail of it with Charley Edwards, and in his scrap book at home there were pages of description about New York hotels, cut from the Sunday papers”(paragraph
Richard undergoes a transition in mindset and character throughout chapters 3-4, shown when he describes himself as “...grown taller and older..” (103). This grown up mindset is displayed in page 109, when Richard narrates, “Once, in a battle with a gang of white boys, I was struck behind the ear with a piece of broken bottle… Her [Richard’s mother] words did not sink in, for they conflicted with the code of the streets. I promised my mother that I would not fight, but I knew that if I kept my word I would lose my standing in the gang, and the gang’s life was my life.” This is unalike from the young Richard in chapters 1 and 2, because young Richard was scared of fighting in the streets when he was a little boy. This shows the impact of environment, because as Richard is growing up in a black neighborhood that encourages fights, gangs, profanity, etc., he is growing accustomed to the gangster life. Moreover, his mother encouraged Richard to fight in the beginning chapters, but is now telling him to stop. This displays the change of character of both Richard and his mother, because his fighting habits are becoming excessive to the point that he is getting hurt.
Being remarkable and having the traits that never leaves one forgotten is what makes a memorable character. Such a character is Laurie, from Shirley Jackson’s story “Charles”. Laurie is the main character who possesses several interesting qualities that leave him memorable. Laurie’s intelligence is one such personality trait that makes him significant. Moreover, having flaws and being elusive also make him indelible and endearing to the reader. All in all, it is the combination of these traits that makes Laurie such a notable character.
It’s difficult to imagine being in this situation, but if I was in Carolyn Savage’s shoes, I hope that I would do the same as she did. Although it would be unbelievably difficult to give birth to the child, I would know that this was someone else’s baby and feel a duty to carry the child safely. Again, the pain of this situation is impossible to imagine, but I do think that the Savages did the right thing. Though I would understand if they had wanted to keep the baby instead, I’m sure the damage would still have been immense for both families. The case would be emotionally exhausting and its outcome would affect the families, especially the child, for long after it ended. Legally, I would imagine the law would side with the Morells, but either way, the case would certainly have long-lasting repercussions on what it means to be a child’s parent.
One male authority figure in Richard’s life that was significant, is his father Nathaniel Wright. Growing up, Richard had hardly any ties to his father in terms of love, time, and affection. He only saw his father as a cold frightening shadow that came and left every once awhile. Because his father left with only bad memories, Richard was able to develop a sense of maturity and realization as a child. Without a figure to look up to, Richard would quickly learn to do what it took to survive with his mom and brother. When Nathaniel left, Richard was given many hardships such as starvation, fear, and a lack of a permanent home. Richard would go starving for days, which resulted in eating leftover food from customers at his mother’s job. And because