Zebra

In the short story “Zebra” by Chaim Potok, the main character, Adam Zebrin, goes through a series of events which drastically change his life. As Zebra goes through these events, the reader can infer what Zebra’s personality is based on what others in the text say and think about him. In the early stages of Zebra’s life, he loved to run. With his head arched up and the wind blowing against his face, Zebra always enjoyed the feeling. Zebra’s neighbors started to take notice of his passion in running and cheered him on while he ran full with joy. “ All the neighbors knew him and would wave and call out, “Go, Zebra!” Even pets and animals would cheer him on, “And sometimes one or two of their dogs would run with him awhile, barking.” Based

He was rushed to a hospital and the doctors told him that he would never be able to run the way he had. When the car hit Zebra, it had changed him from a joyful, carefree person to a depressed, bitter boy. His classmates began taking regard on how Zebra was acting, especially his classmate named, Andrea. She surrounded him with questions and comments, ‘“...You know, you are a very gloomy life form.”’ (pg.52), ‘“You always tell such sad stories.”’ (pg.52) From the actions and remarks of Andrea, it reveals that Zebra still has connections from his past and changes him into a depressed person. First, as his classmates tell stories full of humor and comfort, Zebra changes the rhythm and expresses a story of his past in which his peers think of gloominess and melancholy. Also, humans usually aren’t normally sorrowful but as Andrea stated, Zebra is a pessimistic life form, meaning it is abnormal of Zebra to be joyful and jumpy. One day while Zebra was standing behind a fence in the school yard watching students play basketball, he spotted a man with one arm walking around the school searching for

Zebra, learning that Mr. Wilson lost his arm in Vietnam, and Mr. Wilson learning that Zebra had become injured due to a car. Zebra and Mr.Wilson’s friendship can allow the reader to conclude that Mr. Wilson thinks that Zebra is a caring and thoughtful person. First, after Mr.Wilson met up with Mrs.English, he met Zebra a few moments later and was grateful to him, ‘“Thanks so much for suggesting I talk to Mrs.English.”’(pg.52) The reader can infer that Mr.Wilson knew Zebra as a thoughtful person because Zebra was kind enough to tell Mr.Wilson where to go and who to speak to. After Mr.Wilson’s drawing class, Zebra drew a picture for Mr. Wilson. When Mr. Wilson received the drawing, he was thankful of Zebra, ‘“Thank you kindly,” John Wilson said, taking the drawing.“ Zebra, you have yourself a good time in camp and a good life it was real nice knowing you.” (pg. 59) Applying this, the reader can assume that Mr.Wilson thought Zebra was a caring person because considerate enough to draw a picture that related to