Problems – whether small or large – cannot be run from permanently. Eventually, they will catch up and action must be taken. This is displayed largely as one of the main themes in Borderline by Allan Stratton. In the novel, fifteen year old Mohammed Sami Sabiri is faced with several obstacles – the most prominent being racism – which eventually lead to his father’s arrest. Along with his best friends Andy and Marty, they travel to Toronto from the United States in order to uncover the truth behind the arrest of Sami’s father and prove his innocence. It is shown several times in the story that those who do not have the courage to face their problems will never accomplish anything, and this theme is demonstrated through the characters, the setting …show more content…
Throughout the novel, Sami shows incredible growth in his personality. He starts out as spineless and afraid to stand up for himself, which leads him to be constantly pushed around by bullies: “And at public school, I never fit in. There was this little clique that used to point at me and make bomb sounds.” (9) Furthermore, instead of fighting for his innocence, he is given the blame because of his pusillanimity: “’Your cowardice speaks to your character, Sabiri.’” (105) These problems eventually build up to the point where Sami is at risk of being expelled, and only when he is pushed to the brink is he able to realize the graveness of his situation and take action. He also takes the huge initiative, by his own free will, to go to Canada in order to rescue his father from prison – risking his own life in the process: “Then – I don’t know how it happens, but it’s like I force myself out of my body – I’m not this scared useless kid anymore. I’m on a mission to find the truth.” (261) Sami’s problems were resolved after he decided to quit running from them, and instead faced them. As well, Andy faces problems of his own. He has issues within his family, which eventually leads to his mother to begin taking pills again. His inability to take action results in the condition of his family’s relationship to worsen. Since he does not do anything about it, nothing is accomplished and the problem persists. This is a recurring situation for Andy shown throughout the novel and it highly emphasizes the result of not standing up to your problems. In addition, it serves as a contrast between Sami’s and Andy’s situations and how when one has the drive to put the situation into their own hands, the outcome is always much better. Moreover, the character of Mr. Bernstein acts as a conscience for Sami and is constantly encouraging him to stand up for himself. He is always assisting Sami when it comes to
Ender’s Game, a book about futuristic war, betrayal, compassion, and friendship. It tells the story of Ender Wiggins, a boy who is sent to an army battle camp when he is only six years old. Ender learns independence and creates friends as well as enemies as he learns to fight for the sake of humankind. Ender goes through a lot of struggles as a young boy, and in the end, learns to accept and learn from it. In the book Ender’s Game, Mr. Card uses conflict to send the message that growing up in pain can lead to a hardworking but dangerous lifestyle.
But life is not a fairytale. Standing there lonely, having no job is our Sammy. This is when Sam realizes his path, the true way to become mature. The moment when “Lengel sighs and begins to look very patient:” Sammy, you don’t want to do this to your mom and dad” (Updike) hold him back a little bit, we can feel the regret in his heart. But he cannot go back anymore, decision has been made. He gives up his last chance; from now on, he’s on his own. Sammy finally understands that it is responsible behavior but not playing “adult-like” game that will make him a true
One of the main themes throughout the book is the title of the book “Night”. There are references from Eliezer about night during the book, which are full of symbolism. The word “night” is used repeatedly, and Eliezer recounts every dusk, night and dawn through the entire book. For instance, Night could be a metaphor for the Holocaust—submerge the family and thousands of Jewish families in the darkness and misery of the concentration camps.
“Trust takes years to build, seconds to break, and forever to repair. - Anonymous”. If you have ever felt isolated from society, or feel that you are constantly begging for the mercy of your own subconscious, then you know the pain accompanied by expending trust. It is imperative for humanity to cultivate trust; if we lose it, we will simply degenerate into insanity. For instance, in the texts “On the Sidewalk Bleeding”, “The Tell-Tale Heart” as well as “The Landlady”, characters were tasked with uncovering the role that trust plays in conquering challenges. In doing so, they also suffered through fluctuating degrees of tailored hardships.
This lead to one of the biggest questions from the movie, how did he become that way? Hirschi’s Control Theory is a theory that states “that social control depends on people anticipating the consequences of their behavior”(Macionis 248). It was shown in the movie that Sam had a complicated relationship with his family, so his past is a big reason as to why he acts so deviant in the future. On of the four types of social control is attachment. Attachment is family, friends and school relationships. Sam was first introduced as one of Benny’s friends “crazy cousin”. It was clear that he did not enjoy having Sam around. This can reveal that Sam has a weak relationship with his family as a whole because he wasn’t even living with his parents. This would lead Sam to acting deviant without worrying about what they would think of him. It was also later revealed that Sam was kicked out of school based on his actions. Sam never had to worry about his family or school once that relationship broke off. Another type of social control is involvement. Involvement can mean many things, but it’s basically about holding a job, going to school, or participating in a sport. The character of Sam, as stated before, was kicked out of school. So, he didn’t have school keeping him away from deviant behaviors. And then there 's the reveal that Sam can’t write or read well. Sam had made an attempt to get a job at a movie store, but he would 've had to do an application, which required him to write. He was shown to be scared and nervous after he attempted at write on the form. Sam had little involvement in anything because he was a poor writer and reader, which lead him to act more deviant. A final reason as to why Sam acted so deviant, was because had little opportunity in life. He was self conscious about that fact that he couldn 't write, so he never made attempts to move up in the world. He
Orson Scott Card uses many themes in Ender’s Game to portray the type of person that Ender is becoming. The importance of the mind game, Ender’s techniques, and isolation from others are extensive themes that provide important in depth information about the world around Ender. The situations that he is put through ultimately give the reader an understanding of what Card is trying to show while also showcasing the events that Ender is put through.
Christianity is supposed to be practiced. Too often as Christians we separate our faith from our everyday life; this is not Biblical. Christ calls us to take Him into enter every aspect of our lives, and for Him to shape each and every way we view these areas of our lives. A good way to get into the practice of seeing and relating the things we do with God is to make connections between what we see and what we know about God. When looking at the film “O Brother, Where Art Thou?”, I was able to look at how Biblical principles and themes were displayed throughout the film. Some of these themes displayed may have been intentional, or they may not have been. Regardless of intention, it is important to be able to relate everyday activities to God
The Illegal, and Some Great Thing by Lawrence Hill both contain several important themes. To explain, The Illegal features the main character’s loss of innocence, and the racism towards people because of their country of origin, and ethnic background. Next, Some Great Thing includes the themes of racism and prejudice towards not only the protagonist, but also to French Canadians because of the colour of their skin, or the language they speak, and the courage of characters to stand up for what they believe is right.
Are classic novels still being referred in modern society? Yes. Yes they do. – David Ngo claims
In the story “Recitatif” author Toni Morrison, published in 1983, tells a story of two young girls, Twyla and Roberta, with two different ethnicities, who grow up in an orphanage together. Due to the fact that the story is narrated by Twyla, it seems natural for us the readers to associate with this touching story, as many of us have encounter racial discrimination back in the 1980s, making it clear that Morrison states the two girls grow up to always remember each based on the similarities and the childhood they both encounter together, come from different ethnic backgrounds, and as the story reveals, destiny is determined to bring the girls’ path together.
In One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey there are multiple themes portrayed throughout the story. Some of the themes such as emasculation and societal pressures are introduced at the very beginning of the story and are then slowly made more insignificant by other themes. A few of the themes are introduced when the protagonist, Randle McMurphy is arrives early in the story and starts to mess up Nurse Ratched’s outfit. The themes that come with McMurphy include the necessity for the expression of sexuality and the power of laughter. Throughout the story Nurse Ratched uses emasculation and societal pressures to control the patients until McMurphy shows them how to express their sexuality and use the power of laughter to regain their dominance.
Though some may rise from the shame they acquire in their lives, many become trapped in its vicious cycle. Written by Khlaled Hosseini, The Kite Runner describes the struggles of Amir, his father Baba, and his nephew Sohrab as they each fall victim to this shameful desolation. One repercussion of Baba hiding his sinful adultery from Amir is that Amir betrays Hassan for his father’s stringent approval. Sohrab’s dirty childhood also traumatizes him through his transition to America. Consequently, shame is a destructive force in The Kite Runner. Throughout the course of the novel, Baba’s shameful affair, Amir’s selfish betrayal, and Sohrab’s graphic childhood destroy their lives.
Being in the wild is a great experience, it opens doors and bridges inside one’s mind. It allows people to be inspired, to find hope. It gives people a sense of direction and helps people conquer challenges that they never thought they would achieve. The example left behind by a young man named Christopher McCandless in Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer demonstrates how living on the road and surviving off the land can prove to be a pilgrimage and help enlighten others to go out in search of their own philosophical ideals. Whether it is being away from home and travel all across America, not settling down in one place, but staying long enough in one place and have an affect on someone else, or being with your family hiking up a mountain and be able to look at the scenery that nature brought forth.
Sam physically exposes Charlie to new experiences that change him into a more confident person. At the start of the school year Charlie is an anti-social and introverted freshman who is reluctant and unsure of himself. He enters high school with no friends, but soon becomes friends with a small group of seniors, most importantly Sam, that influence him to become a stronger individual. Sam introduces him to many new things that he never would have experienced before. For example, drugs, alcohol, love, sexuality, parties and relationships change Charlie into an more confident person by breaking him out if his comfort zone. Sam plays a huge role in his development from being easily influenced to making decisions for himself. Sam motivates him to explore a new side of life and he realizes that life needs to be lived and not watched. Charlie grows from being someone who sits by and watches life to a person who fully participates in life. Charlie begins to develop and mature as his character is faced with unfamiliar situations that take him out of his s...