Fiction Paper Final Draft

Tobias Wolff’s memoir, “This Boy’s Life”, explores the idea that an individual’s actions can be altered due to the people they are exposed to. The protagonist Jack Wolff lives an impressionable life where he undergoes somewhat of a dilemma in relations to his actions, being incapable of changing for the greater good of himself. The absence of a proper male role model plays a large role on Jack’s actions, though is definitely not the only reason. Jack’s actions are influenced by Rosemary’s abusive and power craving ex-husband Roy, as well as Dwight’s violent and arrogant personality. However, Jack is also responsible for his

Conflict was used effectively in the short story to reveal the theme of the story. The boy has an internal conflict about which parent to stay with, and because his father left, he seemed to have favored him. He wanted him back so badly that every night, he watches him on the six o’clock news while wearing his old jackets. He was blinded by his father’s sudden departure that he forgot about what is really important. Additionally, another development in the short story’s conflict has been used effectively to reveal the theme. When the boy went to Macdonald’s to see his father’s true colors, he thought: “I finished my drink quickly, thankful that he had to be back in the studio for the news.” By the time he saw his dad for the first time in a while, he knew he was not the man he thought he was. At that moment, he also realized that he lost sight of what he had all this time: His mother’s unconditional love. If it wasn’t for the characterization of

It was a free drawing activity, where we could draw anything we wished to. The boys always drew cars and robots on the blank canvas given to us, while girls usually drew nature with animals. On my blank sheet of paper, I wanted to draw a natural scene with flowers and puppies; however, in order to be accepted; I drew cars and robots instead. Needless to say, my cars and robots did not turn out too well at all. In this example, George’s morals, as a child, are on a huge blank canvas, undefiled by the world. However, in my case, through the peer pressures, I drew something I did not want to draw. Meanwhile, through the influence of his mother, George becomes someone he does not want to be. When George stole, he feels uneasy and is described as having “closed faces and hard eyes,” (Sebold, 188) which shows tremendous doubt on his part. Even though, George does not want to steal, he does it anyway in order to gain the acceptance of his mother, while I simply drew cars and robots in order to gain the acceptance of my peers.

Parenting played a big role in shaping the two boys lives. Having a parental mentor is important because they assist and guide children to take the right decisions about their lives. The author had his two parents at the beginning of his life. Also, the author’s parents, especially his mother, tried to raise him in an effective way wanting him to know the right from wrong at an early age. “No mommy loves you, like I love you, she just wants you to do the right thing” (Moore 11). This quote was a live example of the author’s life with his parents. It reflected the different ways his parents used to teach him “the right thing.” Though his mother was upset from his action toward his sister, his father

In addition, this book succeeds in terms of depicting real life situations to young children. As presented in the story, Reed’s father lost his job; thus, causing him to move back in with

the beginning of this novel Jennings Burch is taken to an orphanage with no idea why he is being put there. In the orphanage, he was not aware of the rules, so he was starved the first few days for not following the commands made by a clicker. Jennings eventually made a friend named Mark, who teaches him the rules and keeps him company. Jennings is adopted and brought back in the span of a week. His mom eventually came to pick him up, but his stay at home did not last long because his mom broke her back and he was sent to the orphanage. Jennings is in and out of numerous homes, getting abused and embarrassed along the way, but meets many loving people. In one home, he reunites with Mark, but a few weeks later Mark passes away from a disease and Jennings runs away. A police officer takes him in and his old bus driver Sal, who becomes a father-figure, takes him in and he lives the rest of his childhood with Sal and his mom. Jennings’ survival in this story is due to his immense psychological strength.

Two kids with the same name, similar experiences, and circumstances grow up to become two different people. Why did one end up in jail for rest of his life; while the other became a man of many accomplishments? What factors were involved in the success and failure of these two boys that caused a perfect storm of bad circumstances? As the author puts it, “Our stories are obviously specific to our two lives, but I hope they will illuminate the crucial inflection points in every life, the sudden moments of decision where our paths diverge and our fates are sealed. It’s unsettling to know how little separates us from another life altogether” (Moore xi). I aim to dissect the problems and elements that played a role in changing these boy’s lives.

In Alain de Botton’s essay, “On Habit” and Adam Gopnik essay, “Bumping into Mr. Ravioli” explain the way that individuals can think creatively and express their feelings and thoughts into newer meaning and in-depth ideas. They also explain the way that the human race are so engaged in technology and busyness that they are overlooking what really is important to them in their life. De Botton is worried that many people do not go beyond limitations and need to explore their surrounding more and appreciate what is going on around them. He urges people to use their ‘traveling mindset’ and try to approach their environments in a positive

Even at such a young age the boy is beginning to develop the ability to form morals and values of his own. However, Sarty fears the harshness of his father, so he forces himself to abandon the thought of questioning his father’s judgments as evidenced by his thoughts “Forever he thought. Maybe he’s done satisfied now, now that he has…stopping himself, not to say it aloud even to himself.”

Simon begins by giving an abstract account from Amardeep Kaleka and the murder of his father. Amardeep decided to take a stand on gun violence in America. Simon states” It just came over me that you can’t stay silent, he said. You can’t continue to alllow violence

Simon’s main difference to his peers is compounded by the fact that he was unable to speak English which restricts the chances of him interacting with anyone. This is evident when he asked, ‘’If I couldn’t express myself, then who was myself?’’ The rhetorical question demonstrates that Simon lacks the verbal knowledge to defend himself, which results into him feeling lonely and puzzled. Through the lack of knowledge of language skills, he gets treated “like a little kid or baby’’, the simile highlighting that Simon feels displeased when the students used simple words to mock and interact with him as they are assuming he is stupid and

Lord of the Flies If one is stranded on an island, would one be able to maintain civility, intelligence, and goodness until rescued? Even if the rescue could be months or years away? Would one want to maintain those characteristics with little amount of people to please or impress?

“I am on fire,” Simon thinks, before the narrative shifts and “he is aching, he is breaking apart with pain” (378). Simon’s first person perception of the event digs deep into his psyche—he is literally unable to describe the agony he feels except in a metaphor—but the third person limited point of view which follows demonstrates a different interpretation of the event—the narrator provides the words Simon lacked within his mind, describing the physicality of the event, yet in less emotional terms than Simon used himself. Hulme adds another emotional layer to Simon in using the second person strategically in Simon’s dream scene: “You start feeding them music…you’re inside a moving wave of sound and light and quick joy” (249). The dream sense stands in bas-relief through this usage—Simon is detached, his desires and joys able to shine through and drive the dream’s loose plot forward, but he himself is almost an onlooker, witnessing but as if from another’s point of view. Soon, however, “he can feel the wire round his wrists…the fingers bite him, sending him down into the blackness where he cannot breathe” (249). Though still dreaming, Simon is suddenly a tangible

The day had finally come to open the beanbag. Mitchell had been helping his dad plan for this day for what seemed like forever. They worked long hours and bonded over how to run a retail store, talking about how maybe someday the store would be Mitchell’s. Mitchell, at 12 years old, looked up to his father and savored these moments working in the store. At the store, any father-son conflicts went away, and they just had fun. Mitchell loved his father’s companionship and his devotion to the store grew to that of his father’s.

The House for the second time voted swiftly Wednesday afternoon to pass the final version of the $1.5 trillion bill, paving the way for President Trump to sign into law just in time for Christmas.