Character Development within Birdie Self-acceptance is clearly determined through one’s mind set and the steps that one has or is taking in order to achieve this goal. However, this journey can be slowed by various negative forces that life consists of that one was to fight through in order to achieve the final destination of self-acknowledgement. In the novel, Birdie by Tracey Lindberg, the main character, Bernice undergoes physical, spiritual, and emotional changes that are expressed through her slow development into the person Bernice strives to be. The ultimate destination for Bernice is acceptance of her three identities; Bernice, BirdieBernice and Birdie. Bernice is a defeated and depressed women, BirdieBernice being a motivated version …show more content…
Though, acceptance of trauma can allow hindered development, eventually allowing full self-acceptance. Bernice, a once strong woman has been verbally, emotionally and physically abused since her childhood. Resulting in a loss of her sense of being. Within the beginning of the novel, when she is reflecting on her past memories, it becomes clear to the reader that in order for her to be able to accept herself, she needs to surface her past traumas. Bernice explains that, “In the tendrils, Bernice realizes there is remorse in her body and she is trying to kick it out. Her shell rejects remorse. Shame. Feeling bad over feeling good” (49). This mindset is negative and expresses her inability to share her emotions due to previous emotional abuse from her family and the many men that have taken advantage of her. This idea of disallowing happiness hinders her ability to accept herself and her past actions. However, through more time of self-reflection (over 200 hundred pages of her lying in bed with the author switching perspectives, confusing the hell out of me lol) Bernice realizes that she must learn to cope with these traumas and attempt to have a positive outlook on life. As Bernice is accepting the damaged part of herself, she comes to the realization that, “She can feel her body now, its loose and stiff at the same time. Her head, though will be the hard part. Part of her lost for so long that it is hard to enunciate what, exactly, she has found” (228). In comparison to when Bernice was unable to acknowledge her feelings and thoughts, it is now clear that she is slowly learning to manage her issues. By Bernice discovering that she is beginning to acknowledge her thoughts, this is the first step to being able to accept one’s self. In Total, It is shown that Bernice is deeply affected by the trauma within her life, however she is able to
Susanna recalls her suicide attempt: “I wanted to get rid of a certain aspect of my character. I was performing a kind of self-abortion of my character… but i had no heart to try it again” (Kaysen 39). Although Susanna’s action is viewed by some critics as alarming, it was a learning experience for her, and she moved on. Furthermore, Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs emphasizes the idea of undergoing drastic measures in order for results to be evident. Also, self-actualization stresses the need for personal growth that spans a person’s lifetime (McLeod). Susanna’s drastic actions allow her to realize her need for self-evaluation and understanding her actions. Susanna explains that “scar tissue has no character... It doesn’t show age or illness... It shields and disguises what’s beneath. That’s why we grow it, we have something to hide” (Kaysen 16). Seeing Polly’s scar tissue, Susanna acknowledges the motives behind the creation of the form of skin, and thus, her understanding brings her closer to identifying her motives and what she seeks to gain from her actions. Susanna explains what goes into one’s detachment from life: “... practice imagining yourself dead, or in the process of dying” (Kaysen 36). Susanna acknowledges preparing for suicide, however, she realizes after
In Ken Kesey’s novel One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, the reader has the experience to understand what it was like to live in an insane asylum during the 1960’s. Kesey shows the reader the world within the asylum of Portland Oregon and all the relationships and social standings that happen within it. The three major characters’ groups, Nurse Ratched, the Black Boys, and McMurphy show how their level of power effects how they are treated in the asylum. Nurse Ratched is the head of the ward and controls everything that goes on in it, as she has the highest authority in the ward and sabotages the patients with her daily rules and rituals. These rituals include her servants, the Black Boys, doing anything she tells them to do with the patients.
...en-year-old girl”. She has now changed mentally into “someone much older”. The loss of her beloved brother means “nothing [will] ever be the same again, for her, for her family, for her brother”. She is losing her “happy” character, and now has a “viole[nt]” personality, that “[is] new to her”. A child losing its family causes a loss of innocence.
Mark Haddon, the man that created this quote, said, “ Reading is a conversation. All books talk. But a good book listens as well.” This connects to the theme of the story The Ghost bird because Mr. Tanner is saying how he sees a rare bird and no one but one little girl named Hannah believes in him. In the story The Ghost Bird by Roland Smith, There is a little girl named Hannah who is neighbors with an old guy named Mr. Tanner. One day Mr. Tanner claims to have seen a rare bird that was said to be extinct. No one in the town believes him except for the little girl Hannah. Hannah sticks by his side and eventually comes to figure out that it helps her in a good way. The author uses the setting and conflict to convey the theme of believing can lead to good turnouts.
Growing up in Maycomb In the famous novel To Kill a Mockingbird, there are three main themes: Growing up in Maycomb, Racism, and Courage. In chapter one through ten, it talks about Jem and Scout spending every summer with Dill, it also talks about how Jem grew closer to Dill and started to leave Scout out of their activities. On page six of the novel , Growing up in Maycomb they believe that there was ”Nothing to fear but fear itself’. Maycomb was a town where you could sit on your porch with peace, and everyday door was open on Sunday Maycomb seemed to be hotter back then, people also moved slower then. Scout and Jem seemed to love growing up in Maycomb ( they had their down times) they seemed to have a decent life especially with a father like Atticus . Atticus was a straight forward man who did everything for his family. Atticus was a lawyer for the town ; for the most part loved him. He believes that everyone deserves and a fair chance , somehow he mad growing up in this small town easy for the kids. Calpurnia, the cook, also made growing up easy for the kids. Cal is a Negro woman that came to the house every day to cook and clean for the family .She plays a mother role in the novel. Jem and Scout’s
Children may start out simple-minded but shift into maturing young adults. Jem is proof of this in Harper Lee’s, To Kill a Mockingbird since he has many life experiences with the people who influence him most. Through this novel, Jem matures from an ignorant boy to a young and more to respectful young man due to learning loyalty and valor.
“Mockingbirds don't do one thing but make music for us to enjoy. They don't eat up people’s gardens, don't nest in corncribs, they don't do one thing but sing their hearts out for us. Thats why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird” (119). In the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, the first mention of a mockingbird appears when Jem and Scout are learning how to use their new air rifles. Atticus doesn’t want to teach them how to shoot the air rifles, but he gives them one rule to follow: do not kill mockingbirds. Later Scout, the main character, is told by Miss Maudie about how it is a sin to kill a mockingbird because they are innocent and they don't do anything to anyone. Throughout this story, there are several characters who are portrayed as mockingbird figures. Jem, Scout, Tom Robinson, and Boo Radley all fit the symbol of a mockingbird because they all start off innocent but are later changed dramatically by the brokenness of the world.
...cceptance in herself and through her parents. She is a young college student who has to deal with the pressures from her culture, parents, peers, and teachers. Her strength and power to be independent from her parents could not prevail, and an apology is the only thing she can offer to her parents. The speaker keeps telling herself that she is not good enough and not strong or smart enough to succeed; many people struggle with same the problem as the speaker, and it is up to the power within to overcome it .
Many critics say the novel, One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest, by Ken Kesey, R.P. McMurphy is the protagonist who creates suspense but I believe Chief Bromden, a “deaf” patient, is the hero who gains the ability to step out of his comfort zone and escape the mental institute.
An experience becomes traumatic when one suppresses themselves to the truth. In The Nirvana Principle by Lisa Bird-Wilson, each time the imagery of a girl at the ravine is repeated throughout the story, the narrator exhibits progress with her healing process. The narrator is an intelligent yet stubborn 14 year old girl named Hanna. The story takes place in the room of the narrator’s shrink, Dr. Semenchuk. Throughout the short story, Hanna undergoes a healing process she is trying to work towards due to a trauma that she has encountered. Yet even with the help of her doctor, she struggles to be at peace with herself and the world around her. The narrator uses self-therapy when describing this particular recurring image of a body in the river
Emotional discomfort can sometimes be perceived as mental instability. A person may look, act, or feel insane, when in truth they are just very uncomfortable in their own skin. The narrator has a genuinely difficult decision to make which far outside his comfort zone. He is choosing between a woman who has been like a mother to him and much needed job that he feels he may enjoy. This choice is tearing him apart from the inside out. From the ringing noises that interrupt his every thought to the skin he is scraping off. The author uses diction, syntax, and extended metaphors to express the complete and utter discomfort of the narrator, both physically and emotionally.
Reading a book once in a while helps us from being ignorant from the outside world. Readers many times dare to compare and discuss about the books that they have read. This works when we read two master pieces of literature that could be very similar and in the same time very different stories. I had the great fortune of reading the screenplay of “To Kill a Mockingbird” as well as the part of the memoir “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings”. After reading these two great pieces of literature I dare to compare the main characters, Scout from “To Kill a Mockingbird” and Maria from “I know why the caged bird sings”. The main intentions of this two books are to teach lesson to their readers whether they could be children or adults.
To Kill A Mocking Bird takes place in the County Of Maycomb. Maycomb is a made up district that is in the southern part of Alabama. The book takes place in the 1930s, which is very important to the storyline. 1930 was when the great depression and poverty were abundant in the United States, also racism, which is what this book revolves around. Usually a books setting is like another trait for it, however, this books setting is so necessary for the plot, and what this book is about.
tragedies that befell her. She is an example of a melancholic character that is not able to let go of her loss and therefore lets it t...
Everyone's future depends on their self-belief and how positively they look at the events that occur in their life. This is portrayed through Suzanne Buffam’s “Trying” and Alix Ohlin’s novel Inside. The speaker and Anne both face inner conflicts; the speaker gains faith in herself which helps her overcome her conflict and have a peaceful state of mind, whereas Anne loses faith in herself which leads to her failure in overcoming her conflict and losing her confidence. The speaker’s reassuring tone shows her peace of mind contrary to which Anne’s melancholic tone which shows her low self-esteem. Furthermore, the speaker’s use of allusion shows her inner peace which is the result of gaining faith in herself, whereas Anne’s use of diction shows the demolition of her self-esteem. Both the poem, and the novel show the importance of having faith in oneself; however the poem’s speaker gains faith through her struggles which leads to her peace of mind, and the novel’s character Anne loses her faith which results in the degradation of her self-esteem.