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Character Analysis: The Last Lecture

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In our society today, we have forgotten about the art of talking with others face to face. When we talk with others, we can learn about their life lessons. When I was talking with Jim P., I learned an important life lesson. Jim P. said, "Get over the brick wall." Jim went on to talk about his wife dying from pancreatic cancer and how that was his brick wall. Since her death, he has gotten over the brick wall. Jim said that he's living life and has accepted the fact that she is gone. In the book The Last Lecture, Randy faces a similar brick wall situation. Randy is dying from pancreatic cancer, and tries to get over the brick wall. However, his brick wall is pancreatic cancer, which is a severe cancer. Unfortunately, Randy did not get over the …show more content…

In the chapter “Don’t Complain, Just Work Harder”, Pausch claims that people shouldn’t complain about life and instead, just work harder. “Too many people go through life complaining about their problems. I’ve always believed tha if you took one-tenth the energy you put into complaining and applied it to solving the problem, you’d be surprised by how well things can work out.” (138). It’s apparent in chapter 32 that Randy dislikes complaints and would rather see people live lif without complaining. In the chapter, Randy mentioned his landlord, Sandy, during graduate school. When he was a young man, a truck backed into him. He is living the rest of his life a quadriplegic. Many people would complain about this situation, but not Sandy. He kept living his life, complaint free. We spend too much time complaining about problems we can’t solve. With a little more energy, you can do more than just work. You can work harder. No matter what the circumstance is, you need to work hard. Sometimes you’re faced with a tough problem in life. Instead of wasting energy on complaining, put that energy towards the solution. When we work harder, we can achieve more. Another chapter that emphasizes keep working no matter the circumstances is “No Job is Beneath You”, where Pausch claims that any job is a good job. “My advice has always been: “You ought to be thrilled you got a job in the mailroom. And …show more content…

Everyone in their lifetime will have to start at the bottom. The job world is like a set of steps. You start on the bottom and work your way up. However, you don’t get to the top right away. It takes hard work and dedication. When Randy said that you should be really great at sorting mail, he meant it. When you work hard at your current job, you’ll move up faster than someone who just takes life as it is. If you don’t want t be in the bottom your whole life, work hard. Regardless of the situation, you need to work hard. If you don’t work hard, you won’t be able to move up on the set of stairs. An additional chapter that shows keep working no matter the circumstances is “Never Give Up”, where Pausch claims that no matter what, never stop trying. “When I was a senior in high school, I applied to Brown University and didn’t get in. I was on the wait list. I called the admissions office until they eventually decided they might as well accept me. They saw how badly I wanted in. Tenacity got me over the brick wall.” (171). Randy could have just given up and accepted the fact that he didn’t get in. Instead, he kept in contact and called them. Someone who keeps calling you obviously wants it versus someone who just sits on the wait list. In life, that is necessary. We need to keep going and try as hard as we can. Once you get over that brick wall,

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