Margaret Peterson Haddix's Running Out Of Time

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Change is defined as the building blocks that are required for one to achieve a long term goal. It is a powerful force that pushes one out of their comfort zone. Whether it is taken on by a group of people or an individual, change can be for the better or worse, depending on how people perceive it. Change is necessary when the practices of the past no longer work for a society and when altering one’s lifestyle is the only way to fit in with the rest of the world. Changing a big part of one’s life can be uncomfortable for some because the outcomes are always unpredictable. It is a risk one must take in order to advance as a society and contribute to the future of their generation. Margaret Peterson Haddix’s Running Out of Time introduces the …show more content…

In Lewis James Clair’s Power of the Individual, he states “I understand that an individual can feel overwhelmed by the system and feel insignificant, but when you step outside yourself and look at the big picture, you gain great power”. One may relate this to how Jessie in the novel was scared to travel into the real world at first, but once she looks at the big picture, she discovers that it is her duty to save her village from disease. It may be concluded from these sources that the power that each individual has can play a big role in advancing society for the better, such as the works of a scientist or doctor. Each individual has a purpose in life and it is their duty to discover how they can contribute in a way to improve society because everyone has that ability inside of them. As quoted by Haddix, “When I was little, I thought Pa knew everything and could protect me from everything. And now it’s not like that”. This example shows that one must learn to eventually separate themselves from parenthood or other influences in order to find their own power and strengths as they spend time isolated to realize their personal meaning to life. One must recognize the greatness that lies within themselves in order to know their powers and

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