Compare And Contrast Nanuk And Harvey

“Don't worry about society's conditioning and the labels that are put on you by

external forces. Hold onto your true self.” This quotation by (Gugu Mbatha-raw) states

that negative external forces can affect one's characteristics and identity by urging them

to change. Unfavourable external forces are all around the world, the environment that

you live in, family and friends are some examples of rejecting external forces. They all

have the power to change one's characteristics and identity. In the short story “

Half-Husky” by Margaret Laurence the two main characters Nanuk and Harvey are

incredibly affected by negative external forces, Nanuk is abused by Harvey; Harvey lives

in a bad neighbourhood; He also lives with an abusive aunt.

Harvey abusing Nanuk

Nanuk was

also not permitted to stay outside in the backyard because he was not safe which caused

Nanuk to leave the house forever and go to a “farm” by freehold who were willing to

take care of her.

Nanuk isn't the only one affected by negative external forces,

Harvey living in a catastrophic neighbourhood can affect his characteristics. He

lived in the North End of Manawaka which “was full of shacks and shanties, unpainted

boards, roofs with half the shingles missing, windows with limp hole-spattered lace

curtains or else no curtains at all, The cement sidewalks were broken, great chunks

heaved up by frost and never repaired, for the Town Council did now pay much attention

to this part of town” (page 70). The description of the environment states that the

community that he lived in wasn't very wealthy and healthy. It also shows harvey not to

care about other people since the Town council does not care about his neighbourhood.

Harvey living in a catastrophic isn't the only thing affecting him. Harvey