From Selfish to Selfless
Development of characters is an important aspect to all stories. It’s seen in almost every, movie, book and even tv show ever aired or published. Usually it is seen when the character undergoes some game changing events that affect either their own life or the lives of others. For example Benjamin Linus in the show Lost. He was able to cause chaos and destruction with only a few key choice words. Though as his allies were being decimated, you began to see another side of him, that revealed his deep insecurity that drives him. Along with the fact that he never truly had a plan but just faith in a power he never understood. In the end, he ended up getting manipulated by some of the people that he used to control. He
…show more content…
Before he started to run for his life, he would was known to ‘punch people first’ and not ask questions. And on the first few days of being a runaway with Risa and Lev, he acted that way, It wasn’t until he grew close to the two did he start to change. For example, when Lev chose to betray them in the first book, Connor wasn’t angry but rather concerned for his friend’s well being. “[Connor] hauls off and punches Lev in the eye. Not hard enough to knock him down, but hard enough to snap his head halfway around and give him a nasty shiner. Before Lev can react, Connor says, "That's for what you did to us.” Then, Connor hugs him.” (Shusterman 60). As the series progresses, Connor’s selfish behaviors and tendencies fade away. He realizes that he has other people he needs to protect and that he needs to focus on the bigger picture rather than pettiness. In the second book, UnWholly, Connor takes on the role as a sort of leader to the other unwind kids who are in hiding. He still has some moments where he wants to burst out in anger, but holds it together. He uses the thought of Risa as a calming mechanism, often asking himself ‘What would Risa do’. Risa is one of the bigger reasons as to why he wants to change himself. He loves her and believes she deserves better than a reckless, idiot, like himself. Which is why he wants to change himself. “[...] Every time he …show more content…
He is known as the Akron AWOL, who managed to escape several juvey cops and bounty hunters. Not to mention he was able to survive past the age of 17. He’s known as a hero to many and that role is really played on in the last two novels. Whereas in the first two, we see a slow gradual development that focuses more on Connor’s anger issues. In the last two, in focuses on Connor’s will to want to change the world. To get rid of unwinding all together and keep other kids safe from experiencing exactly what his friends and him did. In Unwind, Connor’s biggest concern is himself and after three books it changes to a concern for every unwind kid in America. By the end of the series, Connor is no longer this terrified, angry teen who is running for his life. He’s strong, brave and willingly sacrifices himself to save the girl he loves and to save every other kid. His biggest sacrifice was in the very last book, Undivided. Risa and Connor are caught up in a pretty sticky situation, which leads to Connor having to make a big choice. The one thing he’s always been afraid of, being unwound, is what he now faces. But he’s not terrified, scared or even frightened. He knows what needs to be done in order to save Risa and the others that he cares for. He willingly goes to under the operation to be unwound, but not without saying goodbye to Risa. “I love you Risa, every last part of me.”
The tribulations Connor encounters during the opening of the novel influences his spontaneous choices. Upon rummaging through his dad’s office in search for a stapler, Conner discovers the horrifying news that his life was soon drawing to a close. No other piece of paper could have container a more horrific message. Connor immediately decides to take matters into his own hands. His main focus is to escape this tragedy and flee to safety as quickly as possible. As rapidly as his fear set in, Conner’s
Dylan has not been the same ever since . With all Dylan has been through, he takes his anger out in different ways like stealing and being di srespectful to his mom . He’s seen as a loner in school and keeps to himself.
Much of the book has one startling development after another to the shock of the characters. One of the problems Cal was facing is that he doesn't have the power to help someone that's going through something. And Cal gets angry because "Going through high school, there was always a surprise about someone or something unexpected floating around in the social circles. I believe this is relatable to the average reader in that they no doubt have heard horrible rumors about their classmates and wondered who to talk to or how to solve the problem.
It is important to create complex, progressive characters. Characters should speak with intent and purpose. You can establish who a character is through tone and what they say. You can also reveal character through thoughts and background information. Not all characters have to have an origin; they can just be there. You should have conflicting traits between the characters. Challenging your characters adds
While reading Flannery O’Connor “A Good Man is Hard to Find” we read that a family of five are on a roadtrip to Florida where they go every year. We have The Grandmother who derailed her family from the actual road to see a house she thought was in those parts of town. When all of a sudden her helpers are the murders she is afraid of. The murder “The Misfit” kills off the rest of her family and leaves her to dwell in her sorrow that she will be next. The Grandmother tries to maneuver her way out of dying by sweet talking The Misfit into thinking she can love him as her own child and that he doesn’t have to kill anymore. When she tries to reach for him he moved back and shot her. The Grandmother didn’t want him to be violent anymore and thought
Generally, after watching the movie I can say that Gilbert is at the fifth stage identity versus identity confusion. Erikson as (cited in Newman & Newman 2012), states “A person’s assessment of the importance of certain content areas in relation to others influences the use of resources, the direction of certain decisions, and the kinds of experiences that may be perceived as most personally rewarding or threatening” (PP. 413). Therefore, during adolescence years, individual are challenged in finding out who they are, what they are all about, and where they see themselves in the future. Moreover, struggling to support his dysfunctional family, Gilbert finds it hard to find his personal identity. Because of the pressure of supporting his family and watching over Arnie, Gilbert lacks a social life. When Gilbert tries to have a social life something negative always happens to Arnie. For example, when Gilbert begins to talk to Becky, Arnie once ...
In the history of the United States, there have been many wars like Civil War. Civil War is a war in the United States between the North and the South. In “The Killer Angels” by Michael Shaara is explained of the fogginess that often accompanies warfare. This novel talks about the period of June 30th, 1863 through July 3rd, 1863 when civil war was happening. It is a story of the Battle of Gettysburg, three years into the Civil War. The Killer Angels is also a story that at times questions what the Civil War was about. The Civil War was a war fought over slavery and the North made their own way to South by imposing the South. Slavery was the main reason what got the Civil War started in the South and separation between South and North was stronger.
First of all, even if the past seems too horrible to think of, it needs to be remembered in order to make a better present. When one makes a mistake the first time, they learn and correct that mistake when put in the same situation. This idea presents itself quite clearly when Strayed says, “That I would get an abortion was a fact so apparent it seemed silly to discuss anything else” (56). With a tragic first pregnancy and mistake comes the blessing of a committed and ready person who conceives two children with a good husband in the future. Despite some mistakes being more horrible than others, the mind works its magic by learning how to improve oneself through those mistakes in order to be better not just for oneself but for others, as well. The past leads to acceptance with the hope that a similar encounter and situation brings about a more positive outcome. In addition to that, Strayed uses other characters to show that they can use the past to forge a better future. With this, everything goes back to the death of Strayed’s mother, which affected Eddie greatly when Strayed says, “He acted like he was our friend instead of our father. Quickly, he fell in love with another woman and soon she moved into our house with her children” (153). This presents itself as a great example of reaching a
however, through the lessons he learns on his journey, he matures into a stronger young man.
Is human nature inherently selfless or selfish? Although a seemingly simple concept, the aforementioned question has long been a profoundly controversial topic. While many claim that humans are intrinsically compassionate and inclined to help those in need, others argue that people instinctively prioritize their own individual security over other people’s welfares. Nathaniel Hawthorne’s literary works, “Young Goodman Brown” and The Scarlett Letter, as well as F. Scott Fitzgerald’s renowned novel, The Great Gatsby, all reference the idea that people impulsively pursue perfection, as determined by their community’s values. While different communities establish different standards for perfection, society as whole romanticizes the idea of perfection and subsequently people strive to create the illusion of a perfect life. How an individual represents the values idealized by a given community determines his/her reputation in that community. Although people may appear to wholesomely follow the values idolized by their community, in reality, human nature is inherently flawed, making it impossible for people to achieve perfection.
When approached by Arnold Friend at first, she was skeptical but was still charmed by him. As she began to feel uneasy, Connie could have used her intuition to realize that he was trouble. Once she had been engaged by Arnold, her life was over. The influences on Connie and her lack of instilled reasoning led to her down fall. Her family’s fragmented nature was echoed in her actions; consequently, she was unable to communicate with her parents, and she was never was able to learn anything of significance. She felt abandoned and rejected, because no one took the initiative to teach her how to make good decisions. Connie was unable to mature until she was faced with death and self sacrifice. In the end, her situation made it difficult for her to think and reason beyond the position she was in. By not being able apply insight, she fell into Arnold Friends lure. Misguidance by the parents strongly contributed to Connie’s
Authors develop characters’ personalities in order to add depth to their story and allow readers to feel more connected to the characters. Beyond this, characterization also allows authors to develop the themes of their stories in a more clear manner. A prime example of this would be in the poem Judith, where the author contrasts Judith and Holofernes’ personalities in order to develop the major themes of heroism and having faith in God.
Many talk about the road less traveled; however, words mean nothing without the follow through of commitment. The rare person who is able to follow their true calling in life, must be totally focused on their goal and objectives without distraction, walks alone.
The main conflict Connor was afflicted with is society desiring to get rid of the “problem child” by having him unwound. Besides Ariana-Connor’s girlfriend, Sonia, and the Admiral, everyone wants Connor dead due to his intolerable behavior, resulting in a man verse society conflict. For instance, Ariana’s parents remark about their disapproval of Connor by saying, “We always knew he’d be an Unwind, you should have stayed away from that Lassiter boy” (Shusterman 5). Connor only had two options. He could have run from the Juvey Cops, his parents, and the reality that he’d probably end up being unwound or he had the option to give society their way by giving them exactly what they desired; to have one less problem in the world. Obviously, Connor faced his conflict head on and decided he was going to fight past everything to remain alive. This depth of society’s desire to dispose of Connor rapidly grew early on when the narrator recalls, “Connor makes a split-second decision and bolts, pushing the officer against the truck and racing across the busy highway.” (Shusterman 18). Connor’s action of assaulting an officer and rapidly escaping made the Juvey cops view him as a threat and want to try even harder to get him unwound. Understanding Connor’s conflict to survive when society wants him dead, helps us better understand the choices he made.