Rites Of Passage In Brothers Are The Same And Through The Tunnel

463 Words1 Page
bulb-icon

Recommended: Culture, attitudes and motivation personalities

A rite of passage is a personal goal or challenge that one achieves so that they can be prepared for later stages in life, or to a new level of maturity. It can be influenced by many things including religion, culture, feelings, emotions, or other personal reasons. The short stories “Brothers are the Same” by Beryl Markham and “Through the Tunnel” by Doris Lessing each have an example of rite of passage. Temas is the main character in “Brothers are the Same”. He is a part of the Maasai culture. In this culture, killing a lion will prove manhood and power within the tribe. Jerry is the main character in “Through the Tunnel”. He moves from the safe beach to the rocky bay. He tries to swim through an underwater tunnel to prove his abilities to himself. Both Temas and Jerry achieved a goal that had an impact on their lives, but there are similarities and differences between the influence, risk, and outcome for each character. …show more content…

Temas is a part of the Maasai culture. The young woman in the story, Kileghan, must choose a brave warrior in the tribe to marry. Temas was determined to kill the lion so she would choose him. Killing a lion is a traditional aspect of the culture, therefore culture is Temas’ influence. On the other hand, Jerry’s rite of passage was influenced by more personal matters. He wanted to prove his abilities, and he wanted to prove that he can be independent. He did so by swimming through an underwater tunnel by himself. Temas is influenced by his culture, and Jerry was

Show More
Related

  • Comparing Brothers are the Same versus Through the Tunnel

    495 Words  | 1 Pages

    The two stories "Brothers are the Same" by Beryl Markham and "Through the Tunnel" by Doris Lessing are both about growing up and entering adulthood. "Brothers are the Same" about a boy named Temas trying to prove he was tough and could be called an adult. In a similar situation in "Through the Tunnel" a young boy named Jerry is determined to go through an underwater tunnel that he saw some older French boys go through. He wants to accomplish this goal to prove to himself that he could do it . The two stories share a similar theme, but the authors perspective on the topic differ.

    Read More

  • Cold Mountain: Frasiers Archetypal Journey

    1230 Words  | 3 Pages

    The archetype of the journey is seen in Charles Frazier’s novel Cold Mountain, most clearly through the experience Inman has wandering back to Cold Mountain. The journey archetype sends the hero in search of some truth to restore order and harmony to the land. The journey often includes a series of trials and tribulations the hero faces along the way. Usually, the hero descends into a real or psychological hell and is forced to discover the blackest truths. Once the hero is at his lowest level, he must accept personal responsibility to return to the world of the living.

    Read More

  • The Use Of Allegory In Richard Wright's The Man Who Lived Underground

    680 Words  | 2 Pages

    One of the most important elements in Richard Wright’s The Man Who Lived Underground is Wright’s careful use of sensory descriptions, imagery, and light to depict Fred Daniels’ experiences both above and below ground. Wright’s uses these depictions of Fred Daniels underground world to create incomplete pictures of the experiences he has and of the people he encounters. These half-images fuel the idea that The Man Who Lived Underground is a dark and twisted allusion to Plato’s Allegory of the Cave.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Francisco Cantú's Essay 'Bajadas'

    768 Words  | 2 Pages

    The symbolism of his encounter with a snake suggest a man that feels morally comfortable as a mentor as he escorts the snake back where she came from, instead of displaying a violent behavior. These actions are parallel to the way Cantú treats the migrants, as he believes that taking them to the station means guiding them back home because otherwise they would have died in the desert.

    Read More

  • Themes in The Boat by Alistair MacLeod

    1028 Words  | 3 Pages

    ...He is still anchored to his past and transmits the message that one makes their own choices and should be satisfied with their lives. Moreover, the story shows that one should not be extremely rigid and refuse to change their beliefs and that people should be willing to adapt to new customs in order to prevent isolation. Lastly, reader is able to understand that sacrifice is an important part of life and that nothing can be achieved without it. Boats are often used as symbols to represent a journey through life, and like a captain of a boat which is setting sail, the narrator feels that his journey is only just beginning and realizes that everyone is in charge of their own life. Despite the wind that can sometimes blow feverishly and the waves that may slow the journey, the boat should not change its course and is ultimately responsible for completing its voyage.

    Read More

  • Allegory and Truman Show

    780 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Allegory of the Cave has many parallels with The Truman Show. Initially, Truman is trapped in his own “cave”; a film set or fictional island known as Seahaven. Truman’s journey or ascension into the real world and into knowledge is similar to that of Plato’s cave dweller. In this paper, I will discuss these similarities along with the very intent of both of these works whose purpose is for us to question our own reality.

    Read More

  • A Worn Path Literary Analysis Essay

    1674 Words  | 4 Pages

    In the story “a worn path” the main character phoenix an African American woman, is on a journey to the city to get medicine for her grandson. At the onset of the journey it seems simple but as the journey progress there emerge several obstacles along the way that brought conflict with her. The challenges along the way include her age, her socio economic status, and others, all these challenges are the example of conflicts she faces during the entire story.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of The Movie 'Finding Joe'

    713 Words  | 2 Pages

    The second concept of the Hero’s journey shows us that all stories are the same. They all follow the same pattern or algorithm of separation, initiation, and return. An example from the movie is the Wizard of Oz where Dorothy is removed from her natural environment by a tornado, initiated with a lion, scarecrow, and tin man, and the group embarks on a journey to see the wizard. In the end, she is able to return home by clicking her heels. She realizes she has had the ability the whole time, but she needed to test herself. We are just like the characters we see in our favoritie movies, books, and shows – they are a metaphor for us as normal human beings. The last concept I learned is “Follow your bliss”. This concept of bliss is defined in many ways. One definition is serenity. Another definition is the thing you cannot not do. It is what makes a person feel alive. In order to answer the question of what is your bliss, you must ask yourself difficult questions like: What am I passionate about? What makes hours seem like minutes? What made me different as a child? After answering these tough questions, a person can find their

    Read More

  • Hero Journey Essay

    1194 Words  | 3 Pages

    The first major step is a call to adventure. In this step, there’s something in the hero’s life that requires them to do something or go somewhere and take some type of action. Second, the hero must enter the unknown. This step sends the hero into a new world, entering something unfamiliar to the hero. By entering unfamiliar territory, whether it’s a place, an event never experiences, there are challenges and temptations the hero must face. With every new world comes new challenges. Dealing with new people or being alone.

    Read More

  • The Heros Journey In The Hero's Journey

    774 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Hero’s Journey is an ancient archetype that we find throughout our modern life and also, in the world of literature.Whether metaphorical or real, the journey that a character goes on shows not only the incredible transformation of the hero but it also gives them their life meaning. It is the ultimate human experience and it reflects on every aspect of life. Take Logan, also known as Wolverine, from the X-Men movie as an example. His adventure starts with “The Call,” which is the first step of the Hero’s Journey. This step happens due to the realization of imbalance and injustice that the character has in their life. Logan steps into the first stage of the pattern but is hesitant to start his adventure because he does not know what and

    Read More

  • Personal Narrative: The Hero's Journey

    1579 Words  | 4 Pages

    The Hero’s Journey is a basic template utilized by writers everywhere. Joseph Campbell, an American scholar, analyzed an abundance of myths and literature and decided that almost all of them followed a template that has around twelve steps. He would call these steps the Hero’s Journey. The steps to the Hero’s Journey are a hero is born into ordinary circumstances, call to adventure/action, refusal of call, a push to go on the journey, aid by mentor, a crossing of the threshold, the hero is tested, defeat of a villain, possible prize, hero goes home. The Hero’s Journey is more or less the same journey every time. It is a circular pattern used in stories or myths.

    Read More

  • Hero's Journey Analysis

    1723 Words  | 4 Pages

    Joseph Campbell is well known for writing The Hero with a Thousand Faces outlining the stages of a hero’s journey. Ever since then, the hero’s journey became famous as it is used in many works of literature (Bancks). A literature work that represents the hero’s journey is Lord of the Flies. In Lord of the Flies, the protagonist Ralph presents himself a brave hero that undergoes the hero’s journey to return home. Ralph is on a plane which landed on an isolated island after a plane accident where the pilot is unconscious and most likely dead. Along with the other children who boarded the plane, they must survive and find a way to get home. According to Campbell, the three main phases of a hero’s journey is departure, initiation and return, separated into many stages (Siegelman). The departure stage is where the hero exits his comfort zone and enters into the world of the unknown. The initiation phase is where the hero is tested to prove his character and the return is when the hero returns home with a boon for the benefit of his people (Ubelhor). Lord of the Flies qualifies to be an example of the hero’s journey because the protagonist Ralph goes through the “departure, initiation and return” process of the hero expedition in order to show that he is a hero through his courage, intelligence and leadership.

    Read More

  • Self-Discovery In The Odyssey And Dante's Inferno

    1645 Words  | 4 Pages

    These timeless tales relate a message that readers throughout the ages can understand and relate to. While each of these tales is not exactly alike, they do share a common core of events. Some event and or character flaw necessitates a journey of some kind, whether it is an actual physical journey or a metaphorical one. The hardships and obstacles encountered on said journey lead to spiritual growth and build character. Rarely does a person find himself unchanged once the journey is over.

    Read More

  • Themes in The Old Man and the Sea

    948 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Old Man and the Sea is a heroic tale of man’s strength pitted against forces he cannot control. It is a tale about an old Cuban fisherman and his three-day battle with a giant Marlin. Through the use of three prominent themes; friendship, bravery, and Christianity; the “Old Man and the Sea” strives to teach important life lessons to the reader.

    Read More

  • Father Son Relationship In The Old Man And The Sea

    1205 Words  | 3 Pages

    For three long days, the boat is alternating pushes and towed by the huge fish in an almost dream-like state. Only the killing os the fish and the attacking of the sharks interrupt the monotony. The monotony becomes one of the pressures that the old man must endure in order to maintain his grace. However, because Santiago never gives in to the monotony or the depression, he becomes the hero in the story against innumerable odds. His tenacious determination leads him to a sense of hope amongst the monotony and depression.

    Read More

More about Rites Of Passage In Brothers Are The Same And Through The Tunnel

Open Document