The Bicycle By Jillian Horton: An Analysis

2189 Words5 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: How a family can influence your personal choices

Have you ever had to make some kind of choice in life, that resulted in something significant? Hannah is a 14-year-old girl who moves in with her aunt, Tante, Rose. Hannah is an aspiring pianist with an enormous amount of talent who is taught by Tante Rose. Her dream is to be a pianist like Tante Rose. At first, Hannah chooses to obey her aunt. Tanta Rose influences Hanna’s life greatly by telling her what she should do and what she should not do. In the short story “The Bicycle “by Jillian Horton as well as in examples from my experience, it is shown that the choices that you make will have a great influence on your future because the future is very sensitive and highly dependent on the present resulting in as events that might seem insignificant …show more content…

Now that Hanna risked her gift, how Tante rose views Hanna has changed. Despite the horrible decision Hanna made, I also believe that Hanna was pushed to her limits by Tanta rose, who thinks she knows what is best for Hanna. In the story “The Bicycle” by Jillian Horton, I believed that the author used the character of Tante Rose to show the importance of maintaining freedom over major life decisions. I thought that Tanta Rose was too much because after knowing the fact that Hanna rode the bike, Tante Rose could have still forgiven her and advised her to not do it again. The fact that Tanta Rose made Hanna feel like she had no control over her life was not good because it made Hanna feel bad about herself and she was unhappy at that point. In this case, I thought that Tante Rose’s “wisdom”, lack of emotions and feelings for others seemed to creep up unexpectedly and turned the life of a dedicated and committed girl into a disaster. But because I believe happiness is a choice, Hanna could still have the ability to create real and lasting happiness for herself by choosing a different path or even chose to continue playing the piano, with passion and

Show More
Related

  • I Go Back To May 1937 By Sharon Olds

    696 Words  | 2 Pages

    In “I Go Back to May 1937” Sharon shows that the will to live helps people make life’s difficult decisions. She demonstrates this by telling the story of her parent’s ignorance, their betrayal, and her own difficult decision. Sharon had to go through a rough childhood but when given the chance to end it all she decided to live through it and be able to tell her story. In the final line of the poem she says, “Do what you are going to do, and I will tell about it” (Olds 848, 30). She made her difficult decision using her will to live. She knew that she would have to suffer and that her parents would do bad things and say bad things to her. She knew it wasn’t going to be easy, but she also knew that she would make it through and one day be able to tell her story to the world.

    Read More

  • The Art Of Forgiveness In Secret Life Of Bees By Sue Monk Kidd

    935 Words  | 2 Pages

    Lily is a dynamic character who in the beginning is negative and unconfident. However, throughout the novel Lily starts to change into the forgiving person she is at the end. In the beginning of the novel, as the reader is first introduced to Lily’s character, she comes across as an extremely negative young girl. While thinking about one of Rosaleen’s crazy ideas, she thinks to herself, “people who think dying is the worst thing,” she tells the reader, “don’t know a thing about life” (2).

    Read More

  • Leaving The Iron Lung Summary

    1401 Words  | 3 Pages

    When Marie tries to ask the protagonist to take a walk, this action shows that she is trying to achieve Pauline’s dream by getting her outside of the house. Therefore, she could finally feel the true meaning of freedom. Nevertheless, Pauline’s mother’s response demonstrates that she wants her daughter’s safety more than anything. The mother tries to keep Pauline away from the danger, so the protagonist can at last have a healthier life. However, Agathe’s reply shows that her mother is willing to sacrifice Pauline’s dream to keep her secure. Therefore, the author uses contrasting characters to mention that safety is more valuable. Furthermore, the protagonist starts to describe Tante Marie and reveals that she always has her hair “around her shoulder” (85). When Pauline describes Marie, Pauline shows how her Tante is open-minded. In fact, Marie helps Pauline to let go of her limitations and to get a taste of her dream. Therefore, Marie always wants Pauline to go outside and play hockey or even to take a walk. These actions that Pauline’s Tante takes show how she is determinate to make Pauline’s dream come true. Thus, the author

    Read More

  • 9 To 5 The Musical Analysis

    921 Words  | 2 Pages

    She is fairly new to the work world and has lied on her resume’ to get hired, and realizes that the job is harder than she first thought. All hope is not lost because Violet assures her that she can be trained. She ends up succeeding at the company and telling her husband she will not take him back after he comes back begging for her love again.

    Read More

  • Hardships in Copper Sun By Sharon Draper

    874 Words  | 2 Pages

    ...o the conclusion of the theme. I strongly think that the message the author Sharon Draper was trying to explain to the readers is that even though we all fall that we also must learn to get back up. Amari had given me inspiration because even thought she went through some of the worst problems that any girl her age can experience Amari with the help of everyone around her was able to use her backbone to get her back up and lift her head up high to accept what future awaited her. The people around her helped shape who she will be one day and I can relate this to my life in which I choose to follow or not follow the ideas of society to help shape my future life into a better one than it is right now. And I have also learned that even through the toughest times to always remember that I am not alone, that I have my experiences and hopes to guide me through the journey.

    Read More

  • Reflection of the Bond Between a Mother and Daughter in Anna Quindlen’s Mothers

    922 Words  | 2 Pages

    ... amazing ability to be able to plan a future and when that future is altered we want to hold on to it. I have seen it tear people down and make people stronger. I have seen it make people bitter and I chose for it to make me grateful. We construct fantasy and Quindlen ask if “the fantasy has within it a nugget of fact” (Quindlen 32) and the torture seems to be never knowing. Anna Quindlen let me and all of her readers into a very personal experience in her life and through it I was vividly reminded of a time in my own life. These experiences change people, it changed Quindlen and it changed me. I try and stay present with the people I have right now. I know what I have and I know that some people never get to have it. When you lose people in your life you lose the ability to be naive and complacent, you lose the ability to take relationships for granted.

    Read More

  • Remembering The Past In The Devil's Arithmetic

    717 Words  | 2 Pages

    At first, Hannah was a pesty, teenage girl who didn’t care about her family or religion. After undergoing a harsh journey, Hannah soon began to change her attitude. She now understands her family and her heritage better. As Hannah’s mind shifts, the theme is developed. Hannah understands how the events in a person’s life can impact the person they are today. In addition, she learned that it is important to remember our history. Those who do not remember the past are destined to repeat

    Read More

  • Movie Analysis: Summer's Choice

    905 Words  | 2 Pages

    “Summer’s Choice” gives us insight on a student who is “at-risk” when in reality she is extremely talented. The author showed us why we view these students as non-beneficial members to society but then we understand how we are entirely wrong. Through the use of pathos in sights and sounds we get a first-hand look at these students who are viewed in the wrong way because all these students need is an opportunity to be successful in

    Read More

  • Their Eyes Were Watching God

    1372 Words  | 3 Pages

    of the book, Janie resents her grandmother for “living” her life for her and planning her future. To find out what will happen in a persons future, they need to live their life on their own an...

    Read More

  • O'Brien and Fossie in The Things They Carried

    877 Words  | 2 Pages

    In most cases, an occurrence that shapes the way one thinks about their current predicament, su...

    Read More

  • Rose Maxson As A Tragic Hero In Fences, By August Wilson

    1004 Words  | 3 Pages

    “: You hungry, Gabe? I was just fixing to cook Troy his breakfast,” (Wilson, 14). Rose understands her role in society as a woman. Rose also have another special talent as a woman, that many don’t have which is being powerful. Rose understands that some things she can’t change so she just maneuver herself to where she is comfortable so she won’t have to change her lifestyle. Many women today do not know how to be strong sp they just move on or stay in a place where they are stuck and unable to live their own life. “: I done tried to be everything a wife should be. Everything a wife could be. Been married eighteen years and I got to live to see the day you tell me you been seeing another woman and done fathered a child by her,”(Wilson, 33). The author wants us to understand the many things women at the time had to deal with whether it was racial or it was personal issues. Rose portrays the powerful women who won’t just stand for the

    Read More

  • Literary Analysis Of The Glass Castle

    1168 Words  | 3 Pages

    Rose Mary is a selfish woman and decides not to go to school some mornings because she does not feel up to it. Jeannette takes the initiative in making sure that her mother is prepared for school each morning because she knows how much her family needs money. Even though Rose Mary starts to go to school every day, she does not do her job properly and thus the family suffers financially again. When Maureen’s birthday approaches, Jeannette takes it upon herself to find a gift for her because she does not think their parents will be able to provide her with one. Jeannette says, “at times I felt like I was failing Maureen, like I wasn’t keeping my promise that I’d protect her - the promise I’d made to her when I held her on the way home from the hospital after she’d been born. I couldn’t get her what she needed most- hot

    Read More

  • Alice Munro's Boys and Girls

    1200 Words  | 3 Pages

    Throughout the story there are several aspects of the Protagonist’s character that play a major role in the shaping of her future. During her childhood she often demonstrates a sense of fear when she is sent to her bedroom. “We were afraid of the inside, the room were we slept (pg. 549).” She is intimidated by her personal space because she does not have control over it. Later, she gains control by adding lace to her side of the room; symbolically adding personality to herself and slipping into womanhood. When she felt uncomfortable she exercised her imagination, to psychologically regain control over the confusion in her life. Her subconscious effort to control confusing times were carried on to her later years as she was constantly put in difficult situations, which helped her to adjust quickly to change during adulthood. The dreams she created changed when she began to place emphasis on her appearance-that which she could control, other than past dreams of heroism that seemed so distant from reality. The Protagonist filled her childhood with much pride and maintained a consistent focused upon the activities that filled her childhood. She relished working at the side of her father, taking immense pride in every aspect of her assigned duties. She proclaimed, “I worked willingly under his eyes, and with a feeling of pride (pg. 551)” Once after her father introduced her to a feed sales man as “my new hired man (pg. 551),” the Protagonist was flooded with pride as she “turned away and raked furiously, red in the face with pleasure (pg. 551).” In her later years her pride helped her to assemble strong self-confidence she used in her years of growing. Passion and depth were characteristics that impacted her future as a woman. Her passion and depth was revealed early on in the story ...

    Read More

  • Internal Struggles in The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman

    772 Words  | 2 Pages

    ...her to feel despair. Her misery resulted in her doing unthinkable things such us the unexplainable bond with the woman in the wallpaper.

    Read More

  • Think Before You Act

    862 Words  | 2 Pages

    Life is constantly throwing curveballs. They come from every angle, at differing speeds and all make diverse, lasting impacts. Yet, no matter how many are thrown in our direction, one may never be able to know when or from where the next is coming. Kierkegaard, a Danish philosopher, once said that “Life can only be understood backwards, but must be lived forward.” Meaning that, much like the curveballs, there is no way to understand what life will throw at us in the future, yet we must learn based on the experiences that have occurred in our past. For instance, when one becomes aware of the fact that a curveball is in their near future, and is ready to throw them off course, there is no time to think of what steps to take in order to get out of harm’s way. One must act solely on instinct, while simultaneously thinking through the process. We must then continue to think it over after the ac...

    Read More

More about The Bicycle By Jillian Horton: An Analysis

Open Document