The search for a boys personal legend...

The Alchemist is a novel that truly touches me. Some have argued to me that this author is not as profound as he is made out to be due to the simple nature of his writing. I dissagre. I think that is part of what makes him so great. His novels were all written in pourtugeese originally and then translated into around sixty different languages world wide. I think the simple nature of his writing helps him get his message out across the world. I believe that people can relate to him in ways they never thought possible because they are able to understand him from the beginning. His message in the Alchemist is to follow ones personal legend. In this a boy has a dream and decides to follow that dream as far as it will take him. Now the goal of the dream is to find treasure so he may become rich and do as he pleases, but what makes this his own personal legend is the journey that he takes along the way. This is a profound book because it teaches to follow your dream no matter what but that one must always keep their eyes open along the way. If not then they will not learn what they need to learn in order to succeed. To me this book has opened my eyes and made me search for my personal legend. I am not really sure what it is since I do not have anyone telling me what it is. But I have felt a calling to a few places in my life and it does seem that the whole universe has been conspiring to help me achieve those calls. The first was to Baylor, the next two are what I have not fully understood yet. I have always wanted to be a lawyer and I am on the right path to become one, but I will not be going to the schools that I feel most called to go to. So it seems that the universe has been helping me realize that I must do and learn a few things first before I can go to the school that I want to go to. I feel the call but am not sure what to do yet.... if you want to know what that call is you will have to ask at another time, for I am still not completely sure myself.

Buildung the House

Is the house on mango street a buildungsroman? I am not really sure. I think it is in the sense that we see her grow up and begin to deal with more adult things in life, for instance her relationships with boys, her father, sally, and her sister. All those relationships do seem to mature and develop along the lines of what a buildungsroman story would imply. But this was not a true story. Not in its validity but in the way the book was represented. It was in pieces. The story was not that linear and was simply a collections of memories. Because of that I do not think it should be considered a buildungsroman. I liked this story, don’t get me wrong. I just do not think it showed enough of her life and experiences in a set order that would illustrate her growth, that a buildungsroman needs to succeed. If the story had a plot, or at least two very similar situations in which something happens and Esperanza responds to the situations in two very different ways depending on her growth, then yes I would say that this was without a doubt a coming of age story of this little girl. But as it is the book focus just as much on Esperanza as it does for the rest of the characters, which in my opinion hinders its ability to be a true buildungsroman. Some may argue that it could be a buildungsroman for one of the other characters. This may be true but the only one I can possibly agree with that being true for would be sally, and even then we do not get to see why sally grew up the way she did and what were her major influences. We came to understand what was going on with her father but we did not get an insight into sally’s mind which is what we would have needed to truly understand her growth.

The mango is starting to mold

I really enjoy the style that she uses here, but sometimes it can be a bit distracting. Her poetry really moves me and allows me to feel more of her imagery than I would have thought possible. It adds to the flavor of the book as well as the flow of the read. However, when it comes to understanding her meaning, the poetry can sometimes get in the way. When I look at this book I cant help but try to sing along with it. I believe that she does this to give the work a more childish feel, in the way that it may seem like it was written by a young girl sitting on a swing in a play ground. This adds to the story without a doubt, and gives the readers a sense of authenticity that we would not be able to find any other way, but is it constantly necessary? I am not going to try to claim that I can understand what she went through as a little girl. Growing up in that area with so little money must have been real hard on her and I have been fortunate enough to not have to deal with that too much, however I do not think surviving that was her best feat in life. I believe her vision is her best feat. Her ability to change memories into song and her ability to touch her readers. But when it comes down to a story about how she grew up, I think she may have hidden her true desire of this book by using too much of what her best feat is. She is wonderful with poetry, but I think the poetry should stay with poetry, but that’s just my opinion...

A mango flavored house...

The house on mango street means a lot to me. I have read this book a few times before and every time it keeps speaking to me. I wonder each time how much of this was stylized and how much of it was true. It gives an amazing insight into what growing up in a poor area was like with a lot of other kids living through the same thing as well. I was a bit confused as of why it was placed on the reading list for the class, unless it was simply to give an insight into a poor persons coming of age possibly. This novel is more focused toward the poetry lovers and literary lovers in my opinion. It focuses on life in general and not specifically the coming of age for this one young girl. In this novel we see many different characters grow up and develop and some not in the best ways. I think we may get a clearer picture of how sally grew up rather than the main character. Sally goes through her childhood, development into the woman who was attracting all the boys, the girl who was abused, and then the married woman who is still abused. She was forced to grow up fast and dealt with things no child should have to do, but we hardly get to see the development in Esperanza. Maybe that’s what makes this such a good book then. The fact that we can still watch her grow up through her memories of her past that mostly focuses on other people. But still that makes for a harder discussion in this class I think. This book is wonderful when read in a poetry class however.

Life of Pi the end...

Is the life of Pi a buildungsroman? I really do not think so. Well at least not as much as some of the other books we have read. It might be a bit different had the book continued on a bit longer after Pi landed and was rehabilitated into society, but from what we were able to see I really do not think it was enough to make a full decision from. Granted Pi did go through a lot, changed a lot, and grew a lot, but was it necessarily a buildungsroman? He changed because he had to do what ever it took to survive. He had to adapt to live with life on the boat, and that does not necessarily mean that he grew and came of age. He became a lot more self sufficient that is true but it was only because he had to. It does not mean that he learned how to be self sufficient in the world he grew up in or in the world that he was going to go live in, but ask him anything about how to live life on a boat, and how to tame a tiger, or share quarters with a tiger then he will be able to help. But that type of knowledge is not sufficient enough to justify a buildungsroman in the sense that we have been studying it. It was a great story, and we learned a lot about life and religion from Pi. It just seems a bit incomplete as a true buildungsroman for my tastes.

Life of PI ch 22

This chapter really makes me think of going after cacciato because it reminds me of the saying that there are no atheists in fox holes. Meaning that when ever a person who may not normally believe in God or at least practice their chosen religion will start to pray to God for protection and forgiveness during the times when they are afraid for their life. This chapter hits on that aspect and the possibility of seeing the light at the end of the tunnel however it also stammers in the more scientific belief, such as that there is a scientific explanation of the reason we see white light at the end of a tunnel right before we die; that is the white is our vision being blurred and distorted till all we can see is white and the tunnel is our pupils loosing focus and disconnecting thus causing a moving sensation that could explain the tunnel vision and moving towards the white. I am not sure if these scientific explanations have been proven or not, however it does make me think that if it can be proven then what would happen to those who believe it is a sign of heaven? If the answer is scientifically proven then wouldn't that give reason to not believe in the light being a sign of heaven and then wouldn't that weaken the argument for religion? I believe so, however I also believe that no matter what the arguments religion will always remain in their hearts as true. This concept also got me thinking about what we discussed last class, in my group that is. The concept of agnostics and if we knew any one who was an agnostic. We decided that the only people we knew who fit that description were the most intelligent people we knew. Those who valued reason above anything else. These people would argue firmly for the scientific explanation for the white light, and if they are the people we trust to be the most knowledgeable then why not value that opinion as well. Of course these are just speculations and none solid fact, I am just reflecting on the what if's.

The Life of PI

While reading the Life of Pi, I was struck by the author’s intro, and how he was brought to this story by the comment "I have a story that would make you believe in God." That really struck me and I began to look for God in what I had already read. I really could not find anything until the part about the zoo and how people in religions are like zoo animals. Are religions zoos for people? Do they usher us in, feed us, seem to take care of us, but really just hold us captive? The story goes on to discuss how most animals in a zoo do not feel that they are captives. It mentions a few cases where with the gates left open the animals still choose to go back to the zoo. The book contributes this to the fact that they liked it there, but I am more inclined to believe that by that point the animals really did not know anything else of life. An animal in the wild may not have anyone looking after it, but that has never stopped them before. They have survived a lot longer than we have without help, so what makes people think they need it. Granted when an animal gets hurt it may need the help of a practiced vet, but not before. Most animals in the wild are free to do what they wish, and are perfectly happy and successful doing just that. Some may argue that it is the lack of higher intelligence that makes them happy without religion or social help, but is it really? Do we really need to be bogged down by religions? Religions do make things more organized and uniform but isn't just the word and message all that is needed. The message should be spread to those that are willing and desire to hear it, but should it be forced? I believe in a personal relationship no matter what, what ever works for the individual person. Beyond that I am not opposed to what others choose, but for me I am like the animal that prefers the wild.

The guest vet

I was very impressed with the guest speaker that we had. He seemed really well spoken and was willing to talk about a good number of things that happened to him in the war, which surprised me. When I was studying Tim O'brien last year I actually had my dad come and talk to the class, because he was in the Navy while he was in Vietnam. So it was very interesting to me to hear another perspective about the war. Granted my father did not see much action being in the Navy but he was very willing to talk to the class about the effects of being drafted into the Army, then enlisting into the Navy during a war, had on my dad. He had received a letter from the army in which he was sure was his draft orders, so he went with his father to the Navel recruiter, a friend of my Grandpa's, and was able to enlist as a higher rank because he had not opened the letter yet. I mention my dad's experience here because it seems to be a big contrast to that of our speaker. Where our speaker saw a lot of action and was right in the middle of things, my dad really experienced the mental aspect of the waiting and not knowing what was going to happen part of the war. My dad did a complete 180 during the war; from the straight laced MP he was at the beginning, to a complete full 8 inch long beard wearing hippy who looked exactly like Tommy Chong he turned into by the end of it. So by contrasting my dad's story of the war and with our guest speakers I really can see how Vietnam can change a person. With our speaker, it gave him a greater connection to Christianity, granted he was already deeply involved with it but there is no doubt that the war solidified his beliefs in ways nothing else could. As with my dad, it did some what the opposite. My dad experienced a war in his mind much like the "dull period" that is found earlier in our book, and as a result he separated from some of his former beliefs. Our speaker experienced the war first hand and as a result trusted more and more in God, my dad did not so trusted more in the popular rebellious beliefs of the times...

Going after what is already gone...

I have read Tim O’Brien before and I like what he does with his novels. I have read the things they carried and I can see striking similarities within both novels. On the back of my book there is a quote that says "To call going after Cacciato a novel about war is like calling Moby Dick a novel about whales." I completely agree with this. This novel is no more about a search for an AWOL soldier than it is about the war itself. This novel was written to give an insight to how a 17 year old boy would find himself in a terrible war. In this novel we see how this boy who normally was considered nothing but a quiet, brave, and trustworthy solider, could just decide to leave it all behind. Tim O’Brien knows what it was like to be drafted at a young age and where he did a lot of his finding himself and growing up into an adult while he was trying to come to terms with being drafted, he still is no stranger to how war can affect a young man. The war brought out the best in Cacciato, he was a good solider, but it also made him question everything, question everything so much that his only answer was to go away to some place safe; give it all up, and that is what he does. He seems perfectly nonchalant about it too, because he knows that was his only choice. Stay and die for a cause he did not understand, or live the rest of his life with only his reputation in the Army to be harmed. It was an easy decision. I also think another important aspect of this novel can be seen in how Paul Berlin handles the search. He seems to be the only one really affected and connected with the reasoning behind Cacciato's departure, and that connection seems to help him come to terms with his own role in this war.

The violent Buildungsroman

The question of whether or not the Violent Bear it away is a buildungsroman novel is a hard one for me to answer. To me the point of this novel was to disturb people. It seemed to be a novel made to make people aware of the insanity that some families can be forced to live with as well as the insanity that can only be brought about in a person by something infinite, and ultimately powerful. By that I mean religion in general. The novel illustrates how someone can be driven so far into insanity (whether they were already insane before or not) to the point that they could not control themselves, or function as a normal human being, all by the belief in their religion. They see themselves as the only true prophets of their times, and the only person with the will to go the distance. This novel focuses on Christianity but I believe it is symbolic of all religions and the power they can possess in a persons mind. Now with that in mind the questions remains; "is this a buildungsroman novel?" Well in the traditional sense I do not think so since the novel seemed to focus more on relationships than the development of any one character, however, it may be considered a buildungsroman in the religious sense. In the development of the characters religious beliefs in contrast to their growth in the world, however twisted it may be it can be seen as a buildungsroman. The characters, old Tarwater included, all are forced to come to terms with the way the religion is being treated in the world, as well as what it really means to them, and in that sense it most certainly is a buildungsroman.

The Violent Bear was a misleading title

I had been referring to this novel in my own head as the violent bear, so naturally I had gotten my hopes up that it would be another hunting story about a violent bear just like our previous one. I was sadly mistaken however. This novel to me really touched on the relationship issues between disgruntled families. Also I understand how a family member can really hurt you emotionally and physically if they are a danger to themselves. I have been an uncle since I was 4 months old and I have had to constantly deal with a nephew who just kept going down the wrong path. And because of that I felt drawn to the relationship between Francis and Rayber. Although my own nephew is not mentally ill (or so I think) he has definitely committed acts that would make me think so sometimes. He has been in an out of correctional homes and has only now finally gotten his life back together. He has gone through many traumatic experiences in his life and has felt a connection to me throughout all of them. I am the one he comes to for help, a place to stay, necessities, and sometimes just advice, and I love that he feels comfortable enough to come to me with that. So when I read about the relationship Rayber has with Francis I can not help but see the similarities between my own with my nephew. So I know how difficult it can be when a person you are related to and love cannot seem to get things right. This rings true for those with mental disorders and those who just make poor decisions.

The bear grows

Throughout the story of the bear, it is clear in the beginning that it is a coming of age story. The development Ike makes through the process of becoming a hunter, an outdoorsman, and even an equal, is the exact development needed in a coming of age tale. However, there is even more than that in this book. This book also goes into the deeper growth that a man must do when confronting his families past. Faulkner devotes an entirely controversial chapter in this book in which Ike learns about his past and is forced to deal with it. Ike learns that his families fortune is tainted with slave blood and other disturbing events, and as a result in order to clear his grandfathers name as well as allow him to live comfortably with himself as a person, he denounces his inheritance. He takes only the small amount that he needs to survive but ultimately rejects it, saying that he would rather make his own way. A way that was free from tainted past and one that was entirely his. This way proved that his development was complete and that he was genuinely a good man. And I believe that the forest and his relationship with the bear helped him become this man. The bear taught him to overcome his fears as well as his past, and to respect nature and the natural balance of things. This natural balance is what made him ultimately opposed to slavery and anything gained by slavery. Former slaves and other black people already influenced his life in a positive way so it was completely foreseeable that Ike would take that lesson to heart most above the others.

The Bear Dies

In a novel that was so centered around the bear, I was surprised to find out that it died fairly early on in the story. I figured that it would follow the route of the old man and the sea, and remain until close to the end of the book and even then still remain a major part of it. With the death of the bear came the death of Sam and Lion which I saw both somewhat fitting. For Sam this was because he was an older man whose life seemed to be centered around the connection with the bear. His deep love for the forest also symbolized his love for the powerfully old and wise bear, and when the bear was killed so was Sam's drive to carry on. With Lion, his whole purpose was to fight the bear. He was the one dog and final element that the hunters had been waiting on for so long that could possibly contend with the bear. They left him simi-untrained just for that reason, so he could be just as wild as the bear but yet still be civil to most humans. After he did the job of cornering the bear and holding him in place there was really nothing left for lion, at least as far as this stories message was concerned and therefore he kind of had to die. I also found it interesting that it was Boon with a knife that killed the bear. This brought my thoughts back to the idea that the bear was above some of the sophisticated weapons and needed to be treated like an equal. So it took a man to see it as a threat, like Boon did with the fact that it was killing his dog, and then fight it head to head without extra help. Boon dug deep within himself and developed a connection with Lion that was being destroyed by the bear, so naturally Boon had to destroy the bear to even the score.

GO BEAR GO

The Bear is a deeply symbolic novel that not only symbolizes relationships but also what every man must go through; the right of passage. This novel has the boy desperately waiting his turn to go along on the hunt and when that turn finally arrives he naturally is not sure if he is ready. He mentions a few times, that if given the option he would not be able to shoot the bear; he already feels some sort of deeper connection to it. The bear itself represents a greater power in the forest. It seems to be the wisest creature there and the strongest, yet at the same time cleverly elusive. The bear, to me, represents something more, something ever-present, and something deeply in touch with both the men and the forest. The bear is there reason for being there. He is the legend they all hope to be a part of, and the one creature they all respect. They call it his forest because that is what it is. He sees them more than they see him, and the men know this. It is the boy's turn now to experience the bear, and that truly is what it is; and experience. Sam has to teach the boy how to be patient and wait for the clear shot. The boy has to learn how to be a man and find his own way without taking the stupid risks that could lead to other hunter’s deaths. He has to learn how to be stealthy and quiet, patient and careful, and above all else the boy has to learn to be smart; all the same qualities that are prized in the bear. Without these the boy is still a boy and will never be the man that he went out there to be. It is for these reasons why it is so important to the boy to see the bear. He knows the bear knows about and has seen him, but he is not going to be a true member of the forest, or even of the pack of men, until he sees the bear and becomes an equal.

Buildingsroman? or BOLD feminist novel?

When I first began to read this book I was a bit confused of why it was considered a buildings roman book. It seemed to me to be about every thing but the growth of the main character and a coming of age tale. I could see the growth of the city much more than I could the growth of Janie. It was not until much later did I realize the growth that Janie was going through. It really becomes evident in my opinion when Janie gets beat for the first time by Jody, and then again during the storm. When she gets beat, she begins to realize that she had been living in a pretty bad fantasy world and that she needed to lock herself out of the real world that she had created for herself. She began to grow and deal with things like a rational adult. However, she began to become impulsive when the opportunity struck and so she ran away again with Tea Cake after Jody’s death. But while with Tea Cake she was able to do all the things that she always wanted to do. She was able to do all the things the men did, she could hunt, listen to the jokes and conversations on the porches, go to parties, and even work in the fields along side her husband like an equal rather than another work horse. She was growing and was completely happy about it. Now one thing that still is bothering me about our discussions about this book is that the general consensus seemed to be, all from the female majority I might add, was that this was a BOLD feminist novel. I remain unconvinced and to be honest, all the arguments they made for the bold aspect of it actually pushed me further away from believing that it was. Every example given was a minute aspect of the book that could be taken in so many different ways. Yes the grandmother raised Janie on her own but what other choice did she have? She was also still very poor and clearly uneducated, both of which could be argued as downsides to being a woman in that time period. If this were a bold novel the main women would have at least persevered a bit more. That was just one example but there were many more, but I just do not have time to name them all. The arguments made in class were such that they could be put to any novel. By their standards Harry Potter is a bold feminist novel because the main female character is so powerful, she converts the men around her, and she makes her own decisions. The other female characters could also boost that claim by their actions as well, well at least according to the arguments made in class. I can see where there is some feminism in this book but to call it a BOLD feminist novel is stretching it as far as saying Harry Potter is one too, and that just is missing the point in my opinion. Sorry to rant, but I just do not agree, and it is safer to do it here than in a class full of women…

There eyes were watching God ONCE

The phrase "there eyes were watching God," only appears once in this whole book and it comes near the end when Janie, Tea Cake, and Sop were all huddled together in the shack watching the door as the hurricane started up outside them. The hurricane had been going on for a bit and put out all the light, and they could already hear things flying around and crashing into things, which meant that the winds were already really strong let alone the rain and lightning as well. This phrase comes then because in the dark they could not see anything and yet their eyes were wide open. They also could not see anything outside the door yet they continued to stare at it. They did this because they believed that they were watching God's wrath and might, and that it was God's test for them and they were completely in his mercy. Their lives have always been up to God in their beliefs, however, in this moment they were never as aware of this as they were then, and all they could do was watch. It seemed odd that Zora would choose such a small line to be the title of her book, but when one looks back I guess it becomes a bit more obvious. She seems to choose this title because all of her characters believe that their lives are completely up to God and in the greatest moment of crisis or simply in completely key moments of everyone’s lives, their eyes are only watching God's work and not their own. No matter how much they like to believe in their own work, or trust themselves above all others, they will always fall subject to God's deeds and that was proven many times in this book. Also this title could be directed towards the reader. The reader’s eyes were watching God through this book because this book is about life, and only life. It is about growth, love, security, nature, society, all things controlled and created by God. So by reading about Janie's life, and her love, and her hardships, we are really watching God's work.

Their eyes were watching Janie

This novel was a bit difficult to get into due to the language used and the accents. But once I got past all that and was able to get to the meat of the book I began to realize that at least in the beginning of the book that this was a story about both the development of Janie and her growth, but also of the growth of the town. Janie noticeably grows up from a troubled and confused teenager forced into marriage for security and not love. She then realizes that she can be happy elsewhere and runs off with a man who seems to understand what she wanted. How ever she soon learns that Jody is more interested in the town than he ever really was with her. That makes her angry but she begins to hold back her anger and becomes more accepting of things the way they are because she has what her grandmother always wanted for her, and that was the security and wealth to protect her. She begins to work and develop into her life as the mayors wife but she still had to struggle with the oppression of her husband. He is trying to keep her away from the lower class people and also away from the prying eyes of the other towns folk. This really hinders Janie's growth and even though there are events where she noticeably acts and thinks in a more adult manner she is still repressed by her husband, and she resents him for it and begins to fall out of love with him. The town develops in somewhat a similar way. With the town being this small group of shacks and then being added to and recruited to in order to make it a more habitable place. This one man is at the center of it all, Jody, and as a result he shelters the town and makes it develop in the way that he wants it to, just like Janie.

Thrown through the View

I was not a fan of three of the main characters of this book, Lucy, Lucy's mom, and Cecil, however, I can understand why these characters were created this way. They all seemed superficial, fake, selfish, and ultimately ignorant in relations with others. The mother in particular, was my least favorite. Although, when I look back at these characters and their relationship with one another I can seem to understand what Forster was trying to do with them. The mother represents the haughty wannabe upper class British society and she forever pushes her daughter and everyone else she "believes in her mind" to have societal place over. She pressures her daughter to marry the man who will move her up in the world, she pressures her boy to be the proper gentlemen and become a doctor, she strikes me as the person who would purchase nice things but never use them for fear of them getting ruined, she is the person who wants everyone to see how well off she and her family is and keeps up those pretenses to an absurd level. Yet some how despite all of her faults Lucy is able to overcome her mother and others, and is able to allow herself to grow up and be thrown through the window. She has all these things holding her back and telling her how to act, she finally becomes sick of it all and gives it up. She gets lost both literally and metaphysically in her mind and is able to overcome it. She realizes what she wants and that she was old enough to take it and so she did. She is still a bit afraid and that is why she seems to cling to George a bit tightly now, he is her firm hand there to catch her if she falls, but she is still free and flying out on her own which is what she was searching for in her life and in Italy.

Lucy Gets Her Man

Throughout this book it seems that Lucy has gotten everything she has wanted. She got the trip to Italy, she got the room, she got the Italian adventure, she got the drive, she got the man that her mom would approve of, etc... But she never seems to be satisfied. Lucy always wants more and that is why she was never happy with Cecil. She knew that he could not give her the happiness that she really wanted. She wanted to be free and if she kept following the conventions of what her mom and class told her she should follow then she would always be repressed. This is evident in the fact that she constantly chose to play depressing music, go off on her own, and change her mind. Lucy was always attracted to those things that seem to grow on you, she did not like Beethoven at first but latter in life started to like it, she did not like the Emerson's until they grew on her and proved to her that they meant well and could entertain her. She also did not like the Miss Alan's and all their gossip, but then later in the novel she asks for them to be allowed to move into the vacant house and to go on their trip to Greece with them. It is understandable then why she would eventually realize that Cecil was not for her and she fell madly in love with George. George intrigued her in ways that Cecil could not. He loved her fully and was able to make his own decisions and not the ones that society, which is what Mrs. Honeychurch represented for Lucy, told him to make. Lucy recognized these things and that is why she chose him.

A Room With A View?

A room with a view refers to the beginning of the novel when the main two characters Lucy and her Cousin are compelled to change rooms with two strangers who are staying at the same hotel that they are. Lucy is over heard to remark how terrible her rooms are because they smell and over look a blocked off courtyard that is really nothing to look at at all. She was very upset that she was promised a room with a view of Florence and instead she was given nothing at all in the back of the hotel. The Emerson’s hear her and offer to switch rooms with them because they have a great view and it is wasted on them because they are men, and women greatly enjoy views more than the men do. The women then rebuke this offer because it is un-lady like to accept it and the men offered their rooms in un-gentlemen like ways. This episode sets the background for the moral character of the “lady,” or at least what is thought by these two women a true “lady” would do. This decision and reasoning behind this decision shows these women to be superficial and concerned with irrelevant aspects in life. They reject people solely on the class of the person and how educated they seem to be when they themselves are completely uneducated in the true ways of the world. They busy themselves with trivial aspects of life such as being without a guide book, playing the piano for other people, arranging seating for groups on a trip to insure the best “day” for every one. They seem to have not grown up in any way and are completely self-centered.

Huck's Final Journey

Many critics argue that the last portion of this book does not fit or even flow with the rest of the book. This seems to be because the character of Tom Sawyer appears to revert Huck back to the beginning of the book before his growth. I think this may be a different challenge for Huck. These scenes represent Huck confronting his past self and how he used to act before his adventure with Jim. Huck shows himself to be the person who enjoys being back with his old friend and pursuing those old crazy adventures that he used to have with Tom, however now he also seems to realize that they are just for fun. He understands how ridiculous they actually are and only seems to go along with them because he wishes to be a kid again and have the life that Tom seems to have. Huck had lost his childhood and wanted to regain some of it through Tom. Huck still in a time of crises makes the adult decision and chooses to send for a doctor to fix the bullet wound in Tom's leg which means his growth and his adventure with Jim actually had a positive effect on his development. If it had not, then he most likely would have done as Tom foolishly wanted and would have gone the more story book route of not calling for a doctor and having Tom die on the island. Huck then allows himself to be adopted by Aunt Sally and have her attempt to civilize him once again, even though he announces his disapproval of being civilized and how he does not think that it will work once again. Although despite all his worries and cares, Huck still allows all of this to happen so he may have the actually childhood that he deserves and grow up like he has wanted.

Jim and Huck

Huck and Jim, at least according to conventional standards at the time, should have been complete opposites. Jim the strong ignorant black man who was a slave and had a slave family, and Huck the poor white boy who was being given all the opportunities that befitted a young prosperous young man of his time, by the Widow Douglas. However, these two struck a very uncanny bond together and connected in a way that was previously unseen in a white male slave relationship. They carried each other through on their journey and it is safe to say that neither would have succeeded in their goals had not the other one been there. Huck was Jim's face in public, and Jim was Huck's strength and shelter on the raft and their feelings towards one another can be found in every separation scene. When they get separated the first time on the river, Huck frantically searches for Jim even through the dense fog. Jim had multiple chances to run away and be free from the company of this white boy for good, and yet he always stayed and searched for Huck even in places he was not welcome. Jim allowed himself to be ridiculed by the con-men when he had the opportunity to leave at any moment. They had not earned Jim's trust, but Huck had and Jim considered the word of his one true friend the most valuable so he never questioned the other men on Huck's trust. Also this relationship is a deep insight to the way people should have been treated during this time. And the love these two had for each other and the rareness of the amazing morals that Huck possessed culminates when Huck decides to help Jim no matter what the cost to his own soul.

Huck Finn the original Poor American Hero

Huck Finn is perhaps one of the earliest and most descriptive of the abusive child father relationship. Huck has always held a special place in the hearts of readers everywhere. Whether it is those who relate to his troubles, those who know someone like him, those who wish they were as carefree as he claims to be, or those teenage girls who would undoubtedly fall madly in love with him just because he was different and confident. Despite his wild out going side there are three key points in this book in which Huck really illustrates his remarkable maturity and understanding of the way the world should be. The first can be seen when Huck realizes his father has come back and so Huck runs off and sells his money away to the judge for a small price. He knew what his father was after and what his father would do if he were to get the money so he got rid of it in a completely unselfish gesture to insure his father would not waste it on getting drunk. The next can be seen when Huck sits throughout the entire night with a shotgun pointed at his dad while he was sleeping after his father had savagely beaten him the night before. He could have ended the abuse right then and there without any one being upset or even blaming him but he showed restraint that not even most adults could show and he let his abusive drunk father live. The next and perhaps most monumental and true test of Huck's worth can be seen in his willingness and understanding of his relationship with his former slave and current companion Jim. In a world over run with slavery and harsh anti-black sentiment Huck befriends Jim and takes him on as a equal and even mentor in some cases and grows attached to him more that he has ever been to anyone before, even Tom in many ways.

HP the Final Blog

Yes this book is a buildingsroman, or at least the entire series is. This book really focuses on the transformation that Harry goes when he understands what it is like to be out on his own in the real world facing problems that most adults have never faced. He begins the work in his usual self of the defiant and self reliant boy who was determined to do things on his own and convince his friends to let him go alone. However, he soon realizes that he would have had no plan and would never have been able to succeed on his own with out his friends there with him. His transformation in this book is most clearly seen during the shell cottage scene when Harry begins to make his own decisions and take charge of the group. He also has to make the decision to go after the Horcrux's first and not the Hallows. This decision shows Harry's understanding of what was at stake and his understanding of what he needed to get done. He ignores the great "Childlike" desire that he and many others had to pursue the Hallows and he realized what Dumbledore really wanted him to know about the Hallows. That they were for only those who were worthy and that he needed to be able to be responsible with his destiny before he could ever obtain the Hallows and that is what he did. The rest of the series is much more of a Buildingsroman because it carries through much more of the emotional and physical transformation that Harry and the other main characters undergo throughout their entire lives. It goes from their development of magical skills, their understanding of how to interact maturely with others, their understanding of real world problems as well as their understanding of how to deal and understand their true selves.

Neville Longbottom

Neville has been perhaps one of the most dynamic characters in this whole book even if he did not show up till the last few chapters. Neville has been dealing with the desire to avenge his parents as well as dealing with his own inadequateness as a wizard throughout all the other books. Only in this final installment do we now find Neville in the forefront of the fight. He became the critical corner stone for the opposition at Hogwarts and he stayed there still even after he had become an outlaw to the place. Despite all the damage the Carrows had done to him he still took it and did everything he could to fight back both on his own and with the help of the D.A. His fight culminates with his understanding of what he had to do in order to help Harry when he showed up as well as his skills in the actual battle of Hogwarts. Neville learned to play to his skills in Herbology and he used those to help him fight, but the true turning point when we see Neville becoming a true leader is when Harry meets him on the empty battle field helping carry off both the injured and the dead. That takes abilities that Neville had never shown before and helped him develop the courage and loyalty that it must have taken when he stood up against Voldemort and drew the sword from the hat and was able to kill the great snake with it. Neville's transformation had become complete and had fulfilled his life long wish of avenging his parents.

HP the final showdown

As I have read through all the books, and in particular this last one I have come to feel that I fully know Harry. As I watch and live his struggles with him I can’t help but notice how he has grown and developed into the man that he is at the end of the book. Perhaps the best way and most certainly the easiest way, to view his growth, can be seen in his relationship with his closest friends as he tries to cope with his own destiny. He struggles with his own stubbornness throughout the majority of these books, and he seems to have a revelation in the first quarter of this last one, that no matter how badly he would like to go it alone it is ok if he confides in others. His friends have made his journey monumentally more bearable and yet monumentally more frightening at the same time. While he now has the help and companionship that he needs to fulfill his mission he also has to deal with his desire to protect his friends as well as to trust their judgments. The book concludes with him facing his enemy alone one on one, however, it is clear that he never would have made it past the first trial, let alone all the way to his final showdown, with out the help of everyone of his friends. I believe this final book shows the true value of friendship through almost every possible trial.