Stefany Alspaugh
9/15/15
2nd Hr
Book Report Part 2
A minor character adds a lot of depth to a novel, they are usually the protagonist’s closest companion who plays a larger role than the reader can recognize. The main minor character in Treasure Island is Dr. Livesey, a very trustworthy and honorable man. Jim Hawkins puts his trust in him by handing over the map and information about the treasure to Dr. Livesey. “‘Here it is sir,’ said I, and gave him the oilskin packet. The doctor looked it all over, as if his fingers were itching to open it; but instead of doing that, he put it quietly in the pocket of his coat” (Stevenson, 44). In an earlier part of the novel, Jim was nearly attacked by men for the
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documents that Jim gave to him, showing a trustworthy character, as the leading minor character is. After Jim’s father died, Livesey moved his way in as a father figure to young Jim by watching him and looking out for his well being. As the adventure unfolds, Livesey shows that Jim’s respect towards him is merited, proving that he is a loyal friend.
Livesey devises the crafty plan of stalling the pirates by sending Ben Gunn to give the imitations of their dead leader, Captain Flint. He also comes up with the plan of sending the pirates on the chase to find the treasure. Livesey is not afraid of some action and bravely fires at the pirates at the site where the treasure is burried. He is willing to do the honorable thing, like providing medical attention to the wounded pirates, who are his enemies. He speaks tenderly to them and seems genuinely to care for their health. More than Captain Smollett or the naïve Squire Trelawney, Livesey represents the best of the civilized world of men. Despite his great achievements in the journey, however, Dr. Livesey is not very charismatic toward anyone. He does what is reasonable, practical, and ethical, in thought, but never acts spontaneously, as the pirates and Jim do constantly. Livesey thinks up the ingenious plans for the group, but only puts them into action if they are safe and foolproof. He gives the pirates the treasure map only when he knows it is useless to them. On the whole journey, Livesey never risks anything major, and therefore Jim sees him as a good and respectable
ally. Dr. Livesey adds a depth to the novel, which without his presence wouldn’t be sufficient. Jim needs a truthful and loyal companion to guide him on the journey and fight with him until the end of the story where they celebrate the victory. Jim was also in need of a “father type” after the passing of his father, when they unite as allies, this friendship begins and he keeps a close watch over young Jim. A minor character creates that bond because the reader wants Jim to be successful and triumphant; this is usually a result of the main characters’ friend. The minor character is also often the conscience of the struggling protagonist. Livesey is this conscience to Jim because he is young and innocent. He is guided through the story by the wisdom and kindness of Dr. Livesey. He leads a very strong and friendly relationship with most of the crew and is very smart with his actions. He is also recognized as a main character because he narrates a few chapters in the book. He is very important in the conflict in the novel. Jim needs help dealing with his struggles and the knowledge to fight back. Dr. Livesey can give that help and guide him in the right direction. He doesn’t often act on a whim because he sees it as unwise and illogical because knowledge is the key to solving the problems at hand. Showing up at the near beginning of the story, the reader sees a closer relationship at the end of the novel as they grow closer in terms of friendship. Symbolically, Jim Hawkins is like Pinocchio; he is naïve in many ways, lacks some knowledge and the necessary skills he needs to survive and solve the conflict. Dr. Livesey is the Jiminy Cricket of the novel because he can supply the wisdom and aid Jim in his long and challenging journey because they need each other to survive. Dr. Livesey is a very important character in the story and is likely the reason Jim lived to solve the struggle. In conclusion, the minor character is very important to the overall plot of the journey.
A man, once curious, thought highly of and condoning cold blooded murder. Has no found a new love of killing people. A murderer, loving to see people in pain from the suffering of dying or getting injured, creating a hole with sharps stakes for people to fall into, and feeding a powerful person to hounds. He is no more obsessed with hunting animals, but hunting humans. This man is now the general of Ship Trap Island. Rainsford becomes the next general of Ship Trap Island. He becomes the next general of the island because he has a similar outlook on life as General Zaroff , and he has changed from not wanting to hunt humans to wanting to hunt humans.
There are characters in every story to help build a meaning to what is being told. Just because the story is build upon a major character, that doesn’t mean that minor characters aren’t as important. Three reasons that minor characters are important is that they help develop the plot in the story, they can influence how the major character might act, and having minor characters intrigues the audience.
However, with the sighting of land, new worries and troubles are in the air. The pirates are not content with their leadership—a doctor, a wealthy man, and a weak captain. With land and mutiny in view, most of the crew heads to shore and lines are drawn for the standoff that is to come; Jim sided with the “leadership” and a few other faithful crew members, and the other side was the rest of the crew led by Long John Silver (an infamous pirate and the antagonist of the novel). With drawn lines and already many deaths, the first days were eventful and full of excitement. On Treasure Island, tensions were high as were the death rate and the number of those wounded.
The Lord of the Flies by William Golding is a peculiar story about boys stranded on an island, and the plot and characters relate to many prevailing events and problems. A specific problem that is currently occurring is the mutual hatred and enmity between North Korea and South Korea. This is a current event, but the North and South’s hostility has been ongoing since 1945, when Korea was split into North and South, Communist and Capitalist. When the 38th parallel(Border between North and South Korea) was created, Kim Il-Sung ruled the North, and Syngman Rhee ruled the South. As of now, a power hungry dictator, Kim Jong-un rules the north, and an optimistic president who wants to see change was recently elected in the South, named Moon Jae-in. In Golding’s book, Ralph is a character who aimed to keep everyone alive and to stay together. Jack on the other hand, wanted to have fun and hunt, and although he also wanted to be rescued, he made no effort to help. In this sense, North Korea is a clear representation of the character Jack and his quest for power, and opposingly, South Korea is a representation of Ralph and his strive for order, democracy, and civilization.
Minor characters also add plot and volume to the story and keep it alive. For example Leper’s going to the war. When Leper goes to the war, it is brought as a surprise. This is because Leper is not expected to be a war going type of guy. Leper is a quiet, non athletic guy, making him not a very ideal war person. Brinker would have been expected to be the first to enlist in the war because he is so big and athletic. This is one part of the minor characters adding plot to the story.
The “Glass Menagerie” by Tennessee Williams shows a family facing economic and social hardships due to the father abandoning them. The father’s absence forces the rest of the family to fill roles that they wouldn’t be obliged to face if the father remained. The mother, Amanda, is a strong single mother who pushes her kids to be economically self-sustaining individuals. Amanda tries to impose her desires for her kids in a very direct and controlling manner which causes them to dislike her initiatives. The son, Tom, is the breadwinner for the family, however is dissatisfied with his situation due to his increased responsibilities. The daughter, Laura, is handicapped and dropped out of business school. Each member of the family is limited by their ability to grow out of their negative habits, however, it is likely that these habits or characteristics came from the family situation and the roles that each member was forced to fill.
In the novel “The Kite Runner,” by Khaled Hosseini, Hassan is a loyal, selfless and compassionate young boy. Hassan is a small, dark haired, green eyed Hazara who has a cleft lip. Hassan and his father are servants to Amir and his father, Baba. Hassan’s mother abandoned him when he was newborn and since he has lived in a mud shack at the back of Amir and Baba’s mansion with his father, Ali. Hassan is illiterate, but smart and is also the best kite runner in Kabul. Hassan’s world is Amir! He loves and worships him; his first word was Amir. Although Hassan has many notable qualities, he lives a hard and sad life.
One of the many ways Jim Hawkins tries to find the treasure is leaving his crew members to explore the island and try to find the treasure on his own. “I was so pleased at having given the slip to Long John, that I began to enjoy myself and look around me with some interest on the strange land that I was in.” (pg 59). Leaving Long John and the rest of his crew has made his journey easier and more relaxing. “I now felt for the first time the joy of exploration.”(pg 59). When faced with danger he was going to call help for from Long John his crew but his fear of Long John and his hunger to try to find the treasure allows him to stick with his plan. “I was within an ace of calling for help. But the mere fact that ...
The play “A Raisin in the Sun” was written by Lorraine Hansberry marking her first ever written play. Lorraine Hansberry was the first African American woman to write a play that was to be produced on Broadway. Although a brilliant writer, Hansberry’s opportunities of writing were cut short when she died at the age of thirty-five from cancer. Lorraine lived from 1930 to 1965, dying on the day that Broadway closed her second play, “The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window”. “The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window” was written in 1964, only 5 years later than “A Raisin in the Sun” which was written in 1959. Later in 1959, “A Raisin in the Sun” won the New York Drama Critics Circle Award, becoming the first
In the scene where Lemon Brown shows Greg his “treasure”, it’s not shiny jewels or a stack of money. It’s just a badly dented, rusted harmonica and faded news clippings. But to Lemon Brown, it is not just a battered harmonica and worn out news clippings. They are memories of his son and the memories of his golden days as a blues singer. This is something that Greg can’t understand until he claims a special treasure of his own that holds true sentimental value. In my opinion, family matters the most and you should cherish it like it's your last. My first supporting reason is that Lemon Brown fought against the gang to protect his treasure. My second supporting reason is that Lemon carries around worn out item that meant something to his son. My third and final reason is Greg finally understands his dad and his reasons for his lectures. These are my supporters for why family matters so much is the main idea.
Jim finds a map in Billy's sea chest just before Blind Pew returns with a band of evil pirates. Jim and his mother quickly hide before the pirates ransack the Inn looking for the map. Soldiers arrive and the pirates escape, except for Blind Pew who is accidentally trampled to death by the soldiers' horses. Jim takes the map to Squire Trelawney and Doctor Livesey who realize that it shows where Captain Flint, an evil and heartless pirate, has buried his stolen treasure. The Squire and the Doctor decide to go and find
All children and teenagers will discover character traits and qualities that they want to possess from the adults they come into contact with. Jim Hawkins is no different. He uses the attributes he learns from Ben Gunn, Dr. Livesey, and John Silver to help mold him into the man he is becoming. Works Cited Stevenson, Robert. A. A. Treasure Island. City: Publisher, Year of Pub.
Individuality is deeply stressed through the character of Jim Hawkins. Though there are moments in which Jim spends time with his family or the pirates and other adults, these moments are punctuated by far more important periods of time when Jim is alone. Jim is alone when he meets Pew who delivers the black spot that sets the story in motion, when he is in the apple barrel and overhears information about the impending mutiny of Long John Silver that allows him to save the rest of the crew, and when he meets Ben Gunn in the woods and learns the directions to the treasure. Because he is alone during these scenes, Jim is forced to take each of the matters into his own hands, fostering his growth into a more mature individual. These scenes are critical to the overall plot, and Jim’s solitude during these times expresses the importance of individuality in the novel as a
The main protagonist of the story, Elizabeth Bennet (nicknamed both Lizzy and Eliza), is the second daughter in the Bennet family. Second only to her elder sister in beauty, Elizabeth’s figure is said to be “light and pleasing,” with “dark eyes,” and “intelligent…expression” (24). At 20 years old, she is still creating her place in society. Known for her wit and playful nature, “Elizabeth is the soul of Pride and Prejudice, [she] reveals in her own person the very title qualities that she spots so easily” (“Pride and Prejudice”) in others. Her insightfulness often leads her to jump to conclusions and think herself above social demand. These tendencies lead her to be prejudice towards others; this is an essential characteristic of her role
Tennessee Williams of Columbus, Mississippi, and author of the play The Glass Menagerie creates a well-rounded character by the name of Tom Wingfield. The author reveals many aspects of this character throughout the play, which focuses on the memories of the three main characters that live in a St. Louis apartment in the late 1930s. As the story progresses, the reader observes how each of the characters unravel and unfold to their needs and wants. Tom is displayed as a character who lives in a world that is different from reality, so, therefore, he behaves in a fashion that makes him seem falsely selfish, creative, and adventurous.