The relationships an individual shares play a role in each other's behaviours; there is this saying where the five people you are the closest to are those who define you. As for the two main characters in Richard Wagamese’s Medicine Walk, they are mainly around one other character at most times throughout the plot, thus being heavily influenced by that individual. The persons who heavily influence the lead personalities — Franklin and his father Eldon — are as follows. The old man, Bunky, shaped Franklin, as he practically adopted him and acted as his true father throughout Franklin’s life. In the early years of Eldon’s life, they became friends with a boy named Jimmy, and they were inseparable since, copying each other's mannerisms and behaviour. …show more content…
Eldon grew up with no father figure as he passed away in the Second World War. As a result, he acted as the man of the house, taking care of his mother and providing for them both. He felt lonely, as if he was maturing too quickly. Fortunately, he met someone in school with a similar past, his soon-to-be best friend, Jimmy. They became one, operating in tandem from then on, with only death being their kryptonite. Since they were so similar, they mentored and guided each other through life, following where the other led. Eventually heading to the Yukon to work as a boomer in a logging mill in 1948. Together, they moved in with Eldon’s mother, who ended up falling in love with their boss, Lester Jenks. However, things quickly turned sour when Eldon realised his mother was being abused by Jenks, noticing bruises all over her body. Since Jimmy and Eldon both moved as a unit, Jimmy had his best buds back and helped him confront Jenks. Together they ran in on Jenks in a position ready to beat Eldon's mother. “Jenks was bent over her with one hand at her throat and the other drawn behind his shoulder ready to slam it into her” (94). This erupted into a large fight, ending with Jimmy knocking Jenks out with an axe. Ultimately, Jimmy and Eldon fled while Eldon’s mother stayed behind. Since then, they have been closer than ever, now only having each other. Now that …show more content…
This prompted Eldon to be a mentor to Franklin, but not in the way one might expect. Franklin looked up to Eldon as to what he would not want to become. Not wanting to be an alcoholic. Not wanting to be a slut endorser. Not wanting to be a deadbeat. Not wanting to be with him. All until he confronted his dad after years of silence, finding him in a place that “had the look of an old garage” (17). Here, Eldon presented him with an ultimatum: embark on a final journey, which would culminate in Eldon’s death. After much back and forth, Franklin agrees, and they set off with the necessities — taught by the old man. Throughout the mission, Eldon recognises how mature and independent Franklin is. This gradually causes Eldon to change his habits and opens up to his biological son, giving him what he needed: an explanation. He explains a plethora of things, his traumas, his hardships, and why he is the way he is: “Life became the ins and outs of drunkenness and the forced and miserable dryness of work in order to pay for another binge” (174). Eldon had always run from his problems, but being alone with Frank, it drove him to change. In a way, he adopted his mentorship in how he matured enough to tell Frank the things he needed to hear as a son. Finally, receiving the apology he always deserved. Frank heard most of what he
Franklin also educates the reader on how he is a squad kind of participant by backing up his married woman who is working hard almost twenty-four hour the clock and to help her out, Franklin attends to their young boy. The role that
Micah and Henri from Deborah Ellis’ book, A company of Fools, are a classic example of how a character’s personality can be influenced by their upbringing and background. Micah was raised in the streets and therefore has developed a wild, self-sufficient manner unlike Henri who has only ever known the sheltered but strict life of the Abbey and is very introverted and well mannered. However as the story progresses similar traits between the two boys are uncovered and they both start to lose features of their personality that at first made them seem so different from one another. This shows that the two boys who at first appear to be polar opposites are actually remarkably similar, and only differenced in background which provides opportunity
In the novel, Eldon and Frank Starlight, who are father and son, have a strained relationship. When Eldon accused Frank of an inability to understand war because he had never fought in one before, Frank said, “‘Not one of my own, leastways.’ ‘What’s that supposed to mean?’ ‘Means I’m still livin’ the one you never finished,’ (Wagamese 168).” He was explaining to his father that experiences don’t need to be physically experienced; they may also be mentally experienced. Frank knows a different type of war. It is the war where he grew up not knowing anything about his past, other than the fact that he is an Indigenous person. Whereas, Eldon’s war experience was a physical experience with the trauma and post traumatic stress of fighting in the Korean War. Inevitably, Frank ends up realizing that these stories though different, through empathy and an attempt to understand each other, they can bring people together. Wagamese’s strong connection to empathy is a grueling one. In an interview done with Shelagh Rogers, Wagamese spoke about not being there for his children. He said, "The lack of a significant parent is really, really a profound sorrow, a profound loss. It's a bruise that never really heals" (Rogers). With the difficult history of Wagamese’s family, he wanted to be able to pass on those meaningful lessons learned to his children. This is important because having learnt something like that from a parent or guardian is really meaningful to a child; it is a part of the parent and their past that will never leave and carries on through the child. The authors empathetic portrayal of his characters is direct result of the cultural influences of his
Another link between these three characters is their family ties. They highly regard their elders, and consider the effects of the decisions they make on t...
In her personal essay, Dr. Grant writes that she learned that most cases involving her patients should not be only handled from a doctor’s point of view but also from personal experience that can help her relate to each patient regardless of their background; Dr. Grant was taught this lesson when she came face to face with a unique patient. Throughout her essay, Dr. Grant writes about how she came to contact with a patient she had nicknamed Mr. G. According to Dr. Grant, “Mr. G is the personification of the irate, belligerent patient that you always dread dealing with because he is usually implacable” (181). It is evident that Dr. Grant lets her position as a doctor greatly impact her judgement placed on her patients, this is supported as she nicknamed the current patient Mr.G . To deal with Mr. G, Dr. Grant resorts to using all the skills she
Each person has a distinct, identifiable personality. These personalities are the basis of who we are and how we live our lives. Growing up, these personalities are formed through associations and manipulations of the personalities of others. This is clearly evident in Mordecai Richler's The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz. In this novel, we follow Duddy Kravitz's life from early adolescence to adulthood. Throughout the novel, signs are given as to the development of Duddy's good and bad personalities. Even at the early stages, Duddy's uncle Benjy was the only one who could identify them and knew what the end result was going to be. Despite all this, we watch these personalities grow to the point where they are beginning to overpower each other and eventually, only one will remain.
Before the war, the Lamartine brothers, Henry and Lyman, are naive and carefree. They spend all of their time together. They even buy a car together. This red convertible is the most notable way that Erdrich represents the boys' innocence in the story. To get this car, they spend all of the money they have, without even thinking about it. "[B]efore we had thought it over at all, the car belonged to us and our pockets were empty" (461). Soon after purchasing the red convertible, Henry and Lyman set off driving with no real destination. They simply explore the country, going where the road takes them. They have no responsibility, no worries, nowhere to be, and nothing that has to be done. The boys "just lived [their] everyday lives here to there" (461). Lyman and Henry fall asleep under willow trees, wake up, and begin driving again. During their expedition, they meet a girl named Susy. Susy lives in Chicken, Alaska, where they agree to take her. Upon reaching Alaska, the boys do not want to return home. There, where the sun never really sets in the summer, they hardly sleep at all. They live like animals. Before they leave, before winter, an interesting thing happens that truly exp...
Family should be of the upmost importance. Through the use of characterisation Frank McCourt questions the significance of his family unit through the use of his selfish actions. In the text the father gets his first job and “Mam is happy”. Frank Senior does the right thing by getting himself a job to support his family. In 1930, Ireland Friday was payday “Mam is out of bed … cleaning … and singing” This is explicitly showing that the mother is a traditional housewife that is happy she doesn’t’ have to rely on charity. However, later on in the text, Mam has cooked dinner and is waiting for Frank to return home, but Frank does not come home until well after the p...
... age of Gene Forrester. Because Finny causes Gene to grow up, we are able to realize that one must grow up to move on in life. In that process of growing up, several people impact your life. This novel shows us how our identity is basically created by those who are present in our lives; however we must not measure our abilities against another person (Overview: A Separate Peace 2). We are shown how the impact of one person can make a great difference. The goodness in people is what one should always take away from a relationship. This is shown in the relationship between Gene and Finny. The experiences Finny gives Gene cause him to grow up and become a better person because of them.
Another technique Franklin uses to maintain the audience’s attention is her sentence structure. She uses very long sentences throughout paragraph 4 and has 2 short sentences in the middle of the paragraph.
Elroy spends a great deal of time with Tim. He allows Tim to help him with the work that is needed for the winter around the lodge. Tim helped Elroy sweep the cabins, bring the boats in, and cu...
Doc is important in the story because he helps and loves everyone but he always seems to feel like he is always so lonely.
...to doctor affected her relationship with her dad. They got closer and she was surprise that when her dad heard the news from his doctor, they didn’t have to tie him down in fact of his aggressive behavior “I sat beside him. This was my father” (Olds 440). She was expecting her dad to act crazy since she had always known him as an aggressive person but she did not get that from him. However, his attitude changed instantly and starts and the way her daughter viewed him as an alcoholic changed her perception of her dad.
Questions about God, knowledge, freedom, and immortality are asked not only by philosophers, but by all individuals. Answers to these questions are extraordinarily contradictory because different beliefs and opinions are held by everyone. A major philosophical issue is that of personal identity and immortality. Most commonly, philosophers attempt to discover what makes someone the same person they were ten or 20 years ago. Some argue that memory is the key to personal identity: however, others object.
By not taking that opportunity, Eveline probably missed a life of exploration with Frank. Eveline would have had the chance to know what independence feels like and she would have had the chance to experience individual freedom. Instead, her life afterwards is a life of regret and imprisonment with her family. Being an only child, she is bound by her family’s actions and their duties. Eveline has taken on an incredible part of the burden in keeping the family together. Her father is an overbearing and unfair man who takes his daughters earnings for himself; and rather than appreciating her sacrifices, he ridicules her. As she now lives with her dad and her two brothers, she feels tired and frustrated with her dad’s commands and her everyday life. Everyday, she sadly waits for frank to come back into her life once again and fill her life with happiness. Eveline may possibily in the future live her freedom when her controlling father passes away, but perhaps it will become too late for her to experience the freedom she wanted.