Better Off Friends Character Analysis

Christopher Reeve once said, "A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles." (“Christopher Reeve.”) The quote is remarkable. The strong and mighty Superman spoke it himself…but nowhere in the quote does it say that a hero must be strong and mighty like Superman was. This quote can apply to anybody, evident by its use of the word “ordinary”. Throughout the semester, I had the opportunity to develop an opinion on what I would consider a ‘strong female character.’ Eventually, one teenage female came to mind. Her name is Callie and she appears on the popular television series, The Fosters. Even though many may say that Callie is an irrational teenager because of her choices,

“I am good, but not an angel. I do sin, but I am not the devil. I am just a small girl in a big world trying to find someone to love” (Marilyn Monroe). Joyce Carol Oates is the author of the realistic allegory story, “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?”. The story is about a young girl named Connie, who likes seeking attention from men, as a distraction from her problems at home. She meets a man named Arnold Friend, he goes after Connie, claiming he has to take her for a ride, but it is obvious he wants to do other things. Because of this character’s actions, it is determined that he is a representation of the devil. Through plot, characterization, and dialogue, Oates successfully portrays Arnold Friend as a symbolic Satan.

The Fault in Our Stars depicts Hazel Grace Lancaster, a 16-year-old girl diagnosed with terminal thyroid cancer. The book chronicles her relationship with Augustus Waters, who has also been diagnosed with cancer. Throughout the novel, Hazel constantly struggles with her identity in relation to her disease. She is conflicted whether to accept the prescribed image society has of her or to embrace her true inner self. Through a period of self-realization, she eventually comes to terms with and redefines her identity. Although society may define an individual’s self-image, The Fault in Our Stars demonstrates that identity is defined by the inner self, rather than external forces; in turn, that self-perception deeply impacts one’s perspective on life.

In Ken Kesey’s novel “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest”, the nurse Miss Ratched is a fine example of a realistic fictional villain. Possession of three key components is essential in identifying what makes Miss Ratched a villian. Motive is what drives the villain to commit the very acts that allow them to be considered evil in the first place, and often drive their entire being as a character. While they must possess motive, they must also have a sense of morals that coincides with their motives (typically evil, or distorted) and follow their moral compass in a way that often causes trouble for those around them. Additionally, a villain is frequently associated with their opposite; the hero who combats them. Kesey’s character perfectly aligns with these three categories of what makes a villain, and it is unquestionable that she is the villain of the novel.

The persona of a sociopath appears to be much like any human. In many cases, one would not be able to "pick him out of a crowd." Their minds, however, differ greatly from the average mind. A sociopath is extremely smart and methodical and most often is very meticulous in the way in which he acts. While many people are not thinking beyond the norm, a psychopath thinks about his every breath, step, and word. In the short story "Where are you going, Where have you been?" by Joyce Carol Oates, the depiction of a sociopath is apparent. Arnold’s mannerism, thoughts and tactics create the perfect portrayal of a truly sociopathic character.

¨The Joy Luck Club¨ by Amy Tan was an interesting novel. The book consisted of about eight characters, meaning eight different perspectives. Each of which, had a whole chapter or two dedicated to a short story in there life. They tell each other these life stories at a gathering they have every once in awhile to play mah jong. Throughout each story, or chapter, the mothers try to connect more with their daughters, and the daughters try to connect more with their mothers. It makes you wonder how well daughters know their mothers.

In many stories, there may be symbols relating to the devil or a savior. In the story “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been,” the character Arnold Friend has many controversial views on whether he is a savior or satanic figure. As the main character in the story, Connie gets taken away by Arnold Friend to get raped. Although she gets raped, Tierce and Crafton argue that he is Connie’s savior because he is the “answer to Connie’s ‘unuttered’ call and to her ‘erotic’ desires”(Tierce, Crafton 222). By taking her away, he saves her from the family she hates and fulfills her sexual desires. Tierce and Crafton also argue that “the description of Arnold Friend also fit(s) Bob Dylan- a type of rock and roll messiah…”(Tierce, Crafton 220). By

In the beginning of the novel, Cole behaves cruelly when he becomes emotional. For example, Cole beats up Peter after Peter has told on Cole for breaking into a store. Another time, Cole hated the stare he was getting, he spit into the wind, were the wind would catch the saliva and carry it back to Edwin. The only reason to why Cole spit cause he hated the stare he was getting and he wanted the saliva to hit Edwin. Whenever, Cole was asked to eat the ingredient separately, he told Gravey it won’t taste good, but you mixed the food together it tastes good. Cole got really mad that he made the food going flying cause how he acted, once he is angry. Cole becomes very angry and he ends up acting very harsh.

The Coen Brothers’ film, O Brother, Where Art Thou?, is loosely based on Homer’s famous Greek epic, The Odyssey, in that certain features in the film resemble those found in Homer’s epic, but the film still reveals its own sense of originality by making it more relatable to the modern world. While The Odyssey is set in Ancient Greece and O Brother, Where Art Thou? is set in the southern part of the United States during the 1930’s, the works are similar in following a protagonist who encounters setbacks on his journey home. Through the heroes’ struggles, both pieces of work reveal similar themes of humility, loyalty, and perseverance. The Coen Brothers’ film’s lack of important epic elements sets it apart from The Odyssey. Class

Morals are something that seem to change with every single person; however, moralism today is used in the exact same way as it was in the1800s. In Joyce Carol Oates’ short story “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?”, fifteen-year-old Connie and her overconfidence are questionable when it comes to her own decisions and personal morals. As a budding teen, she has realized her beauty and has chosen to make that obvious. Her twenty-four-year-old sister June seems to be the complete opposite of her and out of her family, Connie is the least moral character in the story; nonetheless, when stranger Arnold Friend is introduced, readers question if he is a figment of Connie’s imagination due to her excess of confidence. What stands out most about Connie is her vanity, which is expressed greatly throughout the story.

“Patriotism is easy to understand in America. It means looking out for yourself by looking out for your country” (Calvin Coolidge). Looking out for your country can be as simple as helping out another individual who is going through a difficult time. Some Americans understand this concept better than others. The Americans in the book Strength in What Remains by Tracy Kidder, understand this especially well as they help the main character, Deo, heal. They provide a shelter and a way back to Burundi, the country of his nightmares. Oskar Schell from the novel Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer also finds benevolent Americans who are willing to help him connect with his dead father. In 21st century America, two significant

The Stranger by Albert Camus follows the story of a man named Meursault, who received notice that his mother had passed away. Meursault was not emotionally connected to his mother, and his reaction is not what the reader would expect, as he did not seem to care at all. Therefore, the day after attending his mother’s funeral, Meursault goes to the beach and meets up with his girlfriend, Marie. After the beach, Meursault and Marie go to a movie and spend the night together. When he returns home from work the next day, Meursault runs into his neighbor, Raymond, who beats his mistress. Later in the story, Meursault, Marie, and Raymond go to a beach house, which is owned by Raymond’s friend, Masson. At the beach, Masson, Raymond, and Meursault

“A life spent making mistakes is not only more honorable, but more useful than a life spent doing nothing.” - George Bernard Shaw. Art has made many a change throughout history. If we didn't have art our life would be dull art is everywhere. The computer I typed this on is art, put me in a room and I can probably name at least five things that are art. All of these things have been designed by artists who have made a positive impact on the world in some way or another. After reading the novel All the Good Children I realized that the author had used art in the novel to impact the story in many positive ways. Other than just the general art in the book there are two main points at which art is highlighted one is when Max and his class of zombies

Every person in the world encounters some type of physical conflict ranging from hitting your head on a door frame to a tornado hitting someone's home town. For those of you who do not really understand what physical conflict is, it is a type of external conflict that occurs in a story when individual characters struggle against other external forces; a character may struggle against other characters, animals or even natural forces. In the fictional book The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan, one of the Chinese women part of the Joy Luck Club known as Lindo-Jong suffers an ongoing physical conflict between her and her future husband's family the Huangs; from the age of twelve to the age of sixteen years old when her parents leave her behind and

I am not allowed to watch much TV. Therefore, I must be super selective about what I watch. While I could waste a lot of time watching Duck Dynasty, when it comes to choosing a show, Family Guy is my top selection. I think the popular cartoon comedy Family Guy, written by Seth MacFarlane, is one of the best shows still running today.