Character Development in “The Vast Fields of Ordinary”
1. Introduction
“To nobody but yourself in a world which is doing its best day and night to make you like everybody else means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight and never stop fighting” (Cummings 13)
The Vast Fields of Ordinary is Nick Burd’s debut novel in which he attempts to untwine the story of a closeted young adult during the summer after his high school graduation. Published in 2009, and dubbed as the gay coming-of-age version of Salinger’s Catcher in the Rye (Cart), The Vast Fields… manages to tell the brilliant epic of Dade Hamilton, a teenager who struggles in coming to terms with his sexuality, his new lesbian best friend, Lucy, and the two love interests he has, namely Pablo -the Latino jock and Alex -the drug dealer.
Nick Burd’s novel unfolds like the summer vacation it chronicles: in the beginning the vista seems limitless, but as the pages turn and the days pass the plot thickens and the end comes way before one is ready to put it down. This is a mysterious, funny, wise, generous story, and its main character is someone everybody needs to know, and will never forget. (Peck 2)
This essay will look at how the character of Dade Hamilton develops throughout the story. In a world where everything is heavily infused in the “moribund American suburban wasteland” (Cameron 2) motif, said development manages to take shape in an extremely accomplished and beautifully detailed prose that is influenced by various factors (such as friends, family, enemies, and the environment). It will therefore look at three key elements in the timeline of Dade- the past, the present, and the (near) future never forgetting to underline the nuances that build an...
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...tory. He’s perception on life, love, lust and acceptance have been, however, massively influenced by the people around him, by the series of (un)fortunate events and by his forced maturity. We’ve seen him go from despair to epiphany, from love to hate, from alienation to acceptance, and above that we’ve seen him becoming a man ready to find the lost Alex in all the other (wo)men he will have.
Nick Burd has put forward a brilliant rendition and retelling of the typical Caulfieldesque coming-of-age story, but adding a fine detail that sprouted into a funny, touching, and ultimately quite hopeful piece of fiction (?). Just like an alchemist, Burd- and evidently, Dade- finds the wonder in the ordinary. (Cooper 2)
Thus, The Vast Fields of Ordinary is a wonderfully engaging and satisfying book about all kinds of growing: growing up, growing together, and growing apart.
“The way [one] expresses both the agony of life and the possibility of conquering it through is the sheer toughness of the spirit. They fall short of
Even though the story might seem ordinary at times, it allows you to look at the big picture, which is the most important aspect. The main character-Brent- displays characteristics that a lot of high school students can relate to; whether male or female. In his cross-country adventure through the U.S., exciting and unexpected moments never cease to amuse you. All kinds of people contribute to Brent’s change of attitude; one comment or story or facial expression at a time. And possibly the best part of it all is that you get all of this educational, amusing literature in only 133 pages.
"I am young, I am twenty years old; yet I know nothing of life but despair, death, fear, and fatuous superficiality cast over an abyss of sorrow. I see how people are set against one another, and in silence, unknowingly, foolishly, obediently, innocently slay one another. I see that the keenest brains of the world invent weapons and words to make it yet more refined and enduring. And all men of my age, here and over there, throughout the whole world see these things. All my generation is experiencing these things with me..."
“And remember also that fighting against man, we must not come to resemble him” (Orwell 1.11).
The Catcher in the Rye by J.D Salinger is a coming-of-age novel set in New York during the 1940’s. Holden Caulfield, the protagonist of the story, is a detached seventeen-year old boy harboring feelings of isolation and disillusionment. He emphasizes a general dislike for society, referring to people as “phonies.” His lack of will to socialize prompts him to find nearly everything depressing. He’s alone most of the time and it’s apparent that he is very reclusive. This often leads him to pondering about his own death and other personal issues that plague him without immediate resolution. Holden possesses a strong deficit of affection – platonic and sexual – that hinders and cripples his views toward people, his attitude, and his ability to progressively solve his problems without inflicting pain on himself. The absence of significant figures in his life revert him to a childlike dependency and initiate his morbid fascination with sexuality. In this novel, Salinger uses Sunny, Sally Hayes, and Carl Luce to incorporate the hardships of discovering sexual identity and how these events affect adolescents as they try to understand their own sexuality.
“Each time we face our fear, we gain strength, courage, and confidence in the doing.”
“ But something else less easy to conquer stands in the ways of his dreams for himself”.
The quote itself can be translated into, an everyday person does not want to be happy and ambition. That person will settle with what will keep them alive. I agree with this quote for a few reasons. To begin, the people in today’s
Literature of the Americas has many stories and they all have comparisons, but they also have many differences. “Day of the Butterfly” by Alice Monro and “Crossroads: A Sad Vaudeville” by Carlos Solórzano have characters that share some traits and ways, but like all characters they have things that are different. The old woman from “A Sad Vaudeville” is a dynamic protagonist who finds herself meeting the perfect man for her, but has a dilemma when he is in denial because she is not the ideal girl of his dreams; she’s old. Myra from “Day of the Butterfly” is a static antagonist who does not have the same care free attitude as most of the children her own age. She is rather shy and does not fit in or socialize much with people her own age. She does not derive from a very wealthy family. She is responsible for her brother Jimmy which holds her back from having more age appropriate experiences.
Imagine a teenage boy who is isolated on a faraway island, without food or water. The hot and sticky weather is intolerable, but the rampaging storms are worse. He quickly develops malaria and diarrhea, and on top of that, blood-sucking insects and menacing reptiles lurch beneath his feet. He has no idea what is coming, but he needs to survive. This is the story of a young boy who has to travel to the other side of the world to realize that everything can’t go his way.
If mankind was to never fight back against the challenges life throws their way, then the pursuit of happiness would end on the day they stopped fighting for a finer life. Throughout America's history, people have faced dark times, nevertheless many showed that it takes not only courage and determination to fight back against the judgmental society, but action was what allowed for change to be made. Hope was not lost even if only one man survived, living had not been happy for everyone, however a better life was possible. Individuals survived through injustice from assistance of a great speaker who spoke his mind and from a group who disobeyed the law but did the right thing.
Updike, John. “A&P”. The Norton Anthology of Short Fiction. Eds. R.V. Cassill and Richard Bausch. Shorter Sixth Edition. New York: W.W. Norton and Company, 2000. 864 - 869.
With assertive shouts and short tempers, the prominent character, Ricardo, is characterized as a feisty townsman, doing nothing except trying to protect his town and its members from the judgments of the western world. For example, the characterization of the “‘…quaint’” man is exemplified through the simplicity of his life and the fact that he is “‘…employed’” and is full of knowledge, not a “‘cow in the forest’” (55, 29, 32). Ricardo desperately wants to establish the notion that he is not a heartless, feebleminded man, only an indigent, simple man striving to protect his friends and family from the criticisms of callous cultures. Incessantly Ricardo attempts to make it clear to the photographer the irritation elicited by his prese...
humanity is our burden, our life; we need not battle for it; we need only to do what
“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. You playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We were all meant to shine, as children do. It’s not just in some of us it’s in everyone. And as we let our light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others”.