Transformation of Carl in A Bridge to Wisemans Cove

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Recommended: Themes of maturity in literature

A BRIDGE TO WISEMANS COVE By James Maloney

*Compare the character of Carl at the end of the novel with the person you met at the start*

James Maloney in A Bridge to Wisemans Cove takes us on a journey into the life of a young, awkward, self-conscious teenager with the name of Carl Matt. We watch Carl grow into a confident, head strong young man through his experiences of making friends and starting relationships. These experiences all lead him to finally feel loved and free. We follow Carl through the challenges that he faces and endeavours to find where he stands in life. The Carl we meet at the end is completely different to the one we met at the start.

Carl matures into a person who has friends and high self esteem, someone who is comfortable with his decisions and makes independent choices. At the beginning of the text when he and Harley first arrived at Wattle Beach, Carl didn?t belong, he didn?t fit in with anyone his own age. He arrived with a reputation, constantly shadowing him, seemingly pinned to the name that he bore. Matt. Everyone looked at him and his relatives in disgust. But throughout the story, Carl has tried and succeeded in proving them wrong. Everyone pushes Carl around but through the experience of getting the job at the barge, befriending Skip Duncan, joy, Justine and Maddie, Carl learns to stand up for himself and the people he loves and cares about. He shows this when he stands in the way of Maddie and Nathan when he believes that Maddie may possibly be in harms way. ?It was no different from standing on the barge, confident in what he knew.? Carl has turned into a young man who is confident in what he knows and will let nothing stand in the way of what he thinks is right.

Carls jo...

... middle of paper ...

... then meets Joy Duncan and Justine who just like him the way he is, they are not concerned with his social status, they like him because he is a kind, genuine boy. As the text goes on, we watch Carl and Justine?s relationship flourish into something bigger. This helps him with his self esteem. Justine shows him the true meaning of friendship and shows him that he is loved and worthwhile. There is also Carl?s relationship with Maddie. At the beginning of the story, Carl follows Maddie around because he notices her, she stuck out from a crowd. He then helped her on New Years Eve. Maddie was quite cruel to Carl but he never gave up and near to the end of the novel, they form a true friendship. Maddie, Carl and Justines friendship was very important because they all leaned on eachother through hard times, like the hard times Carl and Maddie were going through.

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