Reshmi Chavva Mr. Richardson ENG3UI-09 Monday March 31 2014 Novel: Three-Day Road Author: Joseph Boyden ISU Themed-related Quotations Three-Day Road explores the story of two young Cree men, Xavier and Elijah, as their journey together tests their friendship, identity and numerous challenges that they face. World War one has come to an end, as soldiers return home, badly wounded and scarred. The aunt of Xavier, his only family, patiently waits for her nephew’s arrival, whom she had last seen as a young boy. She is shocked to find him lose a leg, addicted to morphine, and troubled by the nightmares of the war, mostly in the brink of death. As they paddle their way back home, in the three-day journey, both Niska and Xavier share untold experiences of their pasts. As Xavier shares his life in the war, while Niska hopes to heal him with her stories of the past, and try to rekindle the lost relationship between the both. Theme: Situations and surroundings can shatter the innocence of friendship, but more the identity of the individuals. Problem Context: Xavier and Elijah had been friends since they could remember. They would always hunt and live together. Xavier had always looked upon Elijah, since he was always the center of attention of the wemistikoshiw (white men), with his smooth talk and stories. However as the war progresses, Xavier notices a radical change in Elijah. Elijah slowly starts to drift way from their long friendship, now more interested into the world of the Europeans, rather than the Cree culture: Quote: “To make it all worse, Elijah’s taken to talking in an English accent in the last days. This makes the other soldiers laugh, but I wonder why he really does it. It’s like he wants to become something he’s not.... ... middle of paper ... ...he prolonging sleep, to find himself at the hospital. As he struggles to wake up, he realizes that his left leg has been amputated: Quote: “A long time has passed. Many days. I’ve made the decision to live, and each morning crawl out of my bed and pick up the crutches beside it. I am able to hobble down the hall now.” (Boyden 375) Explanation: Though Xavier’s left leg has been amputated, and his chances of dying appear great, his will for survival seems undimmed. Though in constant pain, his motivation to return home to his aunt seems to have grown stronger. Though constant fighting had cost him to sacrifice the lives of many, and also his leg, Xavier was finally able to find his freedom, and survived the horrors of his life. His sole reason was only to escape that place filled with terror, which he finally accomplished. He survived due to that one will.
I fear many things in this place. But I do not want to fear my friend.” (Boyden 246) This is a quote from Xavier, explaining his growing fear of his dear friend. Elijahs soul is tarnished and lost, and as the drugs take over his mind and body he loses any love he had left in him. Elijah grows to love to kill and no longer sees these dead bodies as people, rather as a score he must keep. Elijah’s mind has always been pulled in different directions and he never had a chance to create a sense of self. His only friend was reserved and incapable of saving Elijah, but perhaps no one could. In the end of the novel, when Xavier has decided to kill Elijah. I feel as though Niska’s strength is now within Xavier. He has an epiphany and knows what he must do and that it is the only way Elijah can be stopped. Throughout the novel it appears at times that maybe Elijah is the more self assured and Xavier, with his depression and falling in love is the more lost one. I believe this to be wrong, as confused as Xavier might be with his sadness and emotions, he is aware that this is not how life ought to be. He sees the wrong and he feels deeply. Elijah's mind is overtaken with anger and darkness and he knows not how to escape the demons. So much so, he becomes the thing he fears. In this novel we are made to believe that these three people are separate entities. I believe these three people make a
He was driving in Iraq when the bomb went off. His legs and left hand are gone. He spent 13 months in the hospital and had 40 operations. Bryan does not like to celebrate his Alive day because he thinks of it as the worst day of his life and he doesn't want to be reminded of that every year. . When he first starts talking the camera is zoomed into his face and upper body so he didn't seem injured at all. The he discussed his injury and it showed his fake hand and that he had no legs. When he talked about what had happened he seemed shocked. He mentioned that if he lost both of his hands he said it wouldn't be worth it. His one hand gives him hope to live his life. He expresses that he believes that his hand will heal and he could be able to feel again. His tone of voice is very positive, he looks on the bright side. Bryan says, “I can still pick up a fork and feed myself” (Anderson). He talks about the daily task he can do and not what he can't
“Slowly, very slowly, like two unhurried compass needles, the feet turned towards the right, north, north-east, east, south-east, south, south-south-west, then paused, and, after a few seconds, turned as unhurriedly back towards the left. South-south-west, south, south-east, east.” Unexpectedly, his feelings, that he so frantically needed to clutch, wound up being the death of him yet that is what being a human is about.
According to Tannen, differences in childhood can impact individual’s communication with each other in relationships. At a young age, children tend to play with other children who are the same gender as them. Both groups of genders have different ways of building a friendship. Tannen says that “Little girls create and maintain friendships by exchanging secrets” (276). It is important for girls to share secrets to get closer to one another and to have a mutual understanding unlike boys whose bonds are “based
Elijah has a legacy to live behind. His sister graduated early and got a full ride to John Hopkins. His other sister got a full scholarship for basketball. He uses them to mentor him. He uses what he stands behind to actually push him forward to be a better person. Elijah is a hero. A person that you would want your kids to look up to. Elijah is my hero. That’s why I chose his story to tell. Not because he is family and because he is my best friend. But because he lives by what he preaches. He sets a great example for not only me but for anyone that is around
Due to the fact the lack food Elijah has gone insane and starts to consume human flesh, whom are known as a windgo. With starvation Elijah’s madness commences from the highness of his medicine causing him to take upon relentless actions. Where is best friend Xavier experiences his spirits, “The meat is gamy and a little tough.’ Is it a horse?’ I ask, pulling gristle from my mouth. Elijah smiles his wicked little boy smile.’ No. it Is human. German to be exact.”’(pg.310) Elijah is eating human meat for the only contentment for survival, turning himself into a windgo. Elijah has been eating many Fritz at the journey at war considering his friend Xavier will not notice at all but however Xavier mentions,” [Elijah] looks at me, a sad smile on his bloody face. He says something to me, something I can’t make out in the noise.” (pg.368) Leaving blood all over his face after a kill, is evident he instantly devours the dead’s flesh. Therefore, becoming a windgo is constructed under stress causing Elijah to become
Emotionally, the journey is a whirlwind for Xavier, it starts off with him, the usually optimistic one getting very scared for the first time, and doubting his decision made to fight in the war, when almost shot for the first time: “It is real. All of this is suddenly very real. The other side wants to kill me, and I’ve never even seen their faces” (33). Xavier and Elijah both portray these various roles based on their childhood upbringing. Xavier was brought up more spiritually, while Elijah was brought up scarred, to hide his emotions by pretending to be someone else. The key to Xavier’s sanity is to forget about the bad things in his life, and think of something more pleasant, this keeps him from dwelling on bad feelings, but keeps him from dealing with them. Earlier on in TDR, it talks about the first time they are allowed out of their trenches, Xavier tries to forget the things that have happened to him. His ways of coping were at least a little successful as he demonstrates, “Maybe Elijah is still over there, Auntie. Maybe the army has kept him there longer” (110). This is a quote from Xavier that is said after he has come back from the war. He was there with Elijah almost the whole time, so it would make sense that he would know what happened to him. However, Xavier has pushed these thoughts out of his mind
These men had volunteered to be part of the war, with their duty being snipers. The upbringing of a person affects how one may act/perform later in life. Hence, Xavier and Elijah’s upbringings help explain to the audience why they may have reacted in a certain way. Throughout the novel, it may be noticed that Xavier is more of the calm and reserved type of person whereas Elijah is perceived as a more energetic and loud person. Elijah was raised as an orphan in Moose factory by nuns at a residential school whereas Xavier for a large chunk of his childhood was raised by Niska his Aunt. As stated, these upbringings play keys roles in their decision making, responsibilities and fates. As the novel proceeds, the reader may note that the characters Xavier and Elijah in many ways expose the differences between them as the tyrannical realities of warfare become increasingly clear. Although from similar backgrounds, the contrast between them that had been presented has shown that warfare impacts ones psychological and physical
Although everyone was captured by how amazing of a sharpshooter Elijah was, Only Xavier was able to see the madness that was developing in his best friend’s life. The ego of Elijah was powered by the amount of praise and attention he got for being an excellent sniper, saying, “They acted nervously around me after that. My reputation is sealed, I think.” (310) Elijah after killing the German he would then collect their heads, this effected Xavier making him very bothered by what he was doing. Since Elijah was praised by all of the soldiers he began to feel reckless and invincible, all the while becoming manic (due to the morphine). He would even pester Xavier by saying “its human meat, German, to be exact.” (310)When Xavier killed Elijah he never thought he would ever had to do such a thing to his best friend but he couldn’t handle who he’d become. As Xavier was choking him, Elijah did in fact admit that “it has gone too far…I have gone too far, haven’t I” (369) after hearing that Xavier told him, “you’ve gone mad, there is no coming back from where you’ve travelled.”(370) Xavier went through with killing Elijah because he realized that he has gone to a point where there’s no coming back, and he is not the same person he grew up with nor joined the war with. Even though many people have different opinions, on “mercy killing” Xavier looked at it has him setting his best friend free from
This stage is important to the social development of the child as it paves their progressive path into adolescence and later adulthood. Childhood friendships also tend to display the characteristics or situations that society has developed. The sandlot has multiple social contexts of friendships from gender and age-related differences within the types of play that the children engage in. These social contexts are seen though out the film. “The important psychological benefits that a child gains from friendship are an increased self-esteem, a greater emotional intelligence, and an enhanced set of social skills.” (Salisch,
Friendship is the greatest gift in the world between two people. It is a bond in which two people accept each other for whatever they are, positives and negatives. In the novel, ‘Don’t Call me Ishmael’, by Michael Bauer, the power of friendship is shown with James Scobie and Ishmael Leseur. Ishma5el is a 14-year-old new boy at Saint Daniel’s Boys College. Ishmael has low self-esteem, which leads to him calling himself “the mayor of loserville.” (2006, p.4). Ishmael’s problems include a school bully called Barry Bagsley, who delights in mashing his name and generally making his life horrible. Barry mashes Ishmael's name into weird things like, ‘Fishtail Le-sewer’ (2006, p.19) instead of his real name Ishmael Leseur However, one new arrival
Initially, Rios illustrates a young boy perplexed by a new-found maturity. As the maturation from childhood to adolescence begins, he is facing unfamiliar feelings about the opposite sex. An example of this is apparent as Rios explains that the boy cannot talk to girls anymore; at least “not the same way we used to” (Rios 453). Since his emotions have new depth and maturity, the young boy realizes the nature of his friendships has changed. Innocence is further lost as the girls who are former friends, “weren’t the same girls we used to know” (453). The boy has matured from his casual, youthful interactions, and is now seeing the girls in a new light. Another example of his maturity manifests sexually as he reflects about the girls, “and all the things we wanted to do with them” (454). Although he is unsure how to act upon his thoughts, the innocence is none the less tainted by his desires for mature relations with the young girls. The maturity and sexual maturity bring forth a storm of emotions that prove to be both exhilarating and confusing for the young boy.
One literary device Rodman Philbrick uses the reveal the theme of the importance of friendship is characterization, what Max thinks. In the story when the first
In the Novel The Road, by Cormac McCarthy, survival becomes the biggest quest to life. The novel is set to be as a scene of isolation and banishment from people and places. The author uses the hidden woods as a set of isolation for the characters, in which creates the suspense of traveling to an unspecified destination near the shore. Cormac McCarthy creates a novel on the depth of an imaginative journey, which leads to a road of intensity and despair. The journey to move forward in an apocalyptic world transforms both of the main characters father and son tremendously as time progress. In particular, the boys’ isolation takes him from hope to torment, making him become fearful and imaginative. The images indicate that McCarthy’s post apocalyptic novel relies on images, particular verbal choices, and truthful evidence to how isolation affected the son emotionally and physically.
...tentially be cured with a one surgery. He uses this story of death to share that life is short. “Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by Dogma. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most importantly, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.” He uses repetition and parallelism to drive his message home.