Creeps By Darren Hynes: Character Analysis

In the book The Body in the Woods by April Henry there is a contrast/contradiction moment where Ruby’s parents don’t allow her to go on the SAR search. The book states that, “Ruby had an excruciating awareness of her own strangeness. No matter how hard she tried, she found it impossible to fit in. Being friends with Alexis had helped.” This shows that Ruby normally doesn’t fit in, but when she joined SAR the only girls were Alexis and her, so she felt she fit in a little bit when she had a friend. Another piece of evidence states that, “ ‘You’ll go to school tomorrow, not the sheriff’s office. And you’ll contact the SAR and tell them you’re going to have to withdraw from the group... Anger made Ruby rigid, locked her rebuttal in her throat.”

In the novel Freak the Mighty, author Rodman Philbrick uses two middle school best friends, Maxwell Kane, who is known as Max, and Kevin, who people call Freak, to show that family is not always what it seems. They go through many adventures together, such as crazy quests, facing the people who bully them and helping each other with their weaknesses. They have have had many ups and downs, but whatever happens by the end of the day their strong bond brings them back together. Although they may have a weird friendship, the two boys have a bond like no other. Their story shows that family is determined more by one’s actions than by blood.

Max and Kevin’s friendship developed based on their personalities, in the novel, Freak The Mighty by Rodman Philbrick. Max is large, slow, and lacks self-confidence, he is also loyal and kind-hearted towards people he cares for. Furthermore, Kevin is fragile, physically handicapped, but exceedingly intelligent. Max rarely pays attention in school and does not care about education. Whereas, Kevin loves learning new things and is the epitome of smart. Kevin’s physical description shows a minuscule, frail kid who avoids doing anything, however mentally he is a very bright and his willingness to learn is off the charts. Max’s physical description shows a gargantuan, tough kid, who doesn’t care about anybody or anything, but mentally he deeply

“The very basic core of a man's living spirit is his passion for adventure” (57). Two men that lived for their passion for adventure was Chris McCandless and Jay Moriarity. Chris McCandless was a young man who hitched hike to Alaska to explore and survive in the wilderness. Jay Moriarity was a young surfer who was determined to ride Mavericks, the largest waves. Chris's story was heard by a man named Jon Krakauer and Chris's story was developed and published into a novel for the world to hear, which got controversial feedback. Although both seem to come from very different lifestyles and had different pursuits for adventure, both share many qualities such as home life, preparation for goals, and the willingness to let people be there for them.

Imagine a four year old, who moves across the pacific to an allegedly heaven-like place expecting to find a better life, but soon comes to find that things are not as carefree as her parents told her. Young Ju, the protagonist in An Na’s novel “A Step From Heaven” is that four year old. Hopeful to start a better life in a place she sees as heaven, she is let down by the realities of the world around her as she is torn apart by her parents abusive and toxic relationship. How can one lead a successful life with such a challenge? A normal individual would have trouble adapting, however Young Ju grows and changes throughout the story to overcome various challenges that she faces.

“She's a mountain of trouble that Hollis Woods.” page 12. Hollis Woods, a twelve year old orphan who was abandoned as a baby, she spends her life being sent to various foster homes. The time she spends with Josie Cahill and the summer she spent with her almost family alternates periodically to communicate her life story. The Reagan’s, who wanted to adopt her before she ran away after an incident, are a family of 3 including Izzy, the Old Man, and Steven. Josie, a retired teacher, bonds with Hollis over art, but as time goes by, her alzheimer's increasingly gets worse. Themes can be found such as trust, family, and hope in the book and movie numerous times although shown in different ways.

In The Things They Carried, Tim O’Brien, author and Vietnam War veteran, combines his own experience with war and embellishments of those experiences to create a depiction that accurately conveys the reality of war. The background of the character Tim O’Brien resembles that of O’Brien himself. Both are young men out of college who live in small towns and are drafted into the Vietnam War. However, the story of Tim O’Brien the character does not directly follow O’Brien’s life. O’Brien did not run away to Canada and meet a mysterious yet hospitable man who makes him realize that he is not brave enough to follow through by following his own personal conscience. But the story of Tim O’Brien the character incorporates metaphors and significant details that more precisely portray the inner turmoil and fear

Chris (Alex) McCandless a wise, well educated and determined young man. Not your typical young man, some say he’s crazy while others admire him, Chris is self reliant and an extraordinary young man. I wouldn’t follow in Chris’s footsteps but he’s a go getter. Despite all the “craziness” Chris did he had a tough time grasping everything that happened at home and never could he be around someone for a long period of time he wanted everything he did done his way. Some may believe that Chris McCandless went into the wild to escape a toxic relationship with his parents, but it is more than that, his rebelliousness, risk taking tendencies and family problems led him into the wild.

story. Ray Bradbury’s novel, Fahrenheit 451, encompasses the story of Guy Montag. He is a

2. Mme. Loisel told Mme Forestier, “These is the three pieces of jewelry I like best a bracelet, a gold cross and the diamond necklace.

Influence is the capacity to have an effect on the behavior, or development of someone or something. The death of a beloved coach, brings memories flowing back into the minds of all 714 previous players. Bleachers written by John Grisham, published in 2004; zeros in on whether the cherished coach was actually loved or despised by all. Neely Crenshaw returns to his hometown after 15 years of being away, due to some startling news about the town’s precious coach. High school football coach, Eddie Rake, falls dreadfully ill.

It’s a society where books are burned and people do not know each other. In Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, Guy Montag, at first a loyal follower in a seemingly utopian society, questions his country’s rules and thoughts. Although they may seem different, when a closer look is taken, the society of Fahrenheit 451 and our society may have some similarities.

In Fahrenheit 451, the characters Clarisse McClellan and Mildred Montag play a major role in the story; although they are important characters, they are metaphorically opposites because of the events that take place before and after the book Fahrenheit 451. Mildred is Guy Montag’s wife, but throughout the story it is questioned why they even ended up together; Montag gives an example about Mildred’s opinion on “the smell of kerosene” stating that “my wife always complains.” (Bradbury Pg.6) The reason this is brought up is because Guy works as a fireman, not to be confused with a firefighter, a fireman set fires rather than stopping them. In a conversation with Clarisse, she says “it’s just that I love to watch people too much I guess” (Bradbury

Life is pack full of choices that test an individual's nobility. To be unique and true to oneself, an individual must rise above the influence. In Harper Lee's To Kill A Mockingbird, There are many choices to make regarding the character’s virtues or their reputation. Dolphus Raymond enjoys spending time with his family in privacy rather than being bothered. Atticus Finch and Tom Robinson both believe in benevolence instead of acting in a violent way and conform to stereotypes. When an individual is faced with societal pressures or being themselves, then they must stand their ground because if they do not, they will be going against their morals.

Growing up I was a very avid reader. I remember the first books I successfully read by myself. They were a series directed towards preschoolers called, “Where’s Spot?” written by Eric Hill. There are over twenty books in the Spot series and I’m damn sure I read every single one of them. I would come home ever day after preschool and kindergarten and read the Spot books aloud as I was walking around the house. If you can’t already tell, I was a very self-absorbed child. And although the books are extremely simple, with about one word on each page, and any human being older than ten can probably tell you the exact plot simply based off of the title, I always prided myself in being able to read them. However, soon after I found reading to be a lot less rewarding because as most self-centered children I sought recognition for all my actions, as a dog seeks a treat for being able to do a trick. It became something I was expected to be able to do instead of something I was special for doing.