Just Like That by Michael Richards

Another theme, personal identity, is seen throughout all of the characters in the book. According to the Stanford Encyclopedia of

Gavin portrays the theme of enslavement, firstly, through the use of similes and animalistic imagery; this is evident when the boys were ‘crouching like caged animals’. In the simile, ‘like caged animals’, the comparison between human boys and animals trapped in a zoo indicates dehumanisation, thus portraying the children as feral primitives. This implies that, like slaves, Anoup and other adults perceived the boys as savage, untamable animals who deserve to be treated accordingly. Since children are deemed to be universal symbols of innocence, the writer’s intention when describing the boys as ‘caged animals’ may have been to show how their innocence has been corrupted by child labour. In turn, this evokes intense pity from the reader, who may regard children facing such harsh conditions to be abhorrent. Therefore, the theme of enslavement is portrayed through the writer's use of animalistic imagery, showing how the boys’ suffering has reduced them to the lowest status, like animals and slaves.

The boy is very warm-hearted and appears to struggle to understand that danger could occur at any moment, whilst his father knows a lot more about what some people, “the bad guys”, do in order to survive. It could be seen that the child is very naive and therefore trusts others more than his father. However his trust in others teaches his father a valuable lesson; that not everyone is a “bad guy”. For instance when the pair come across Ely, the father is wary about him but his son is adamant that they give him a tin of food. This shows to readers that the boy has faith unlike his father. Another example is when the son sees the little boy; he begs his father to go back and help him and asks if he can go with them. I believe that he wants to help others as

The transition of the boy’s opinion of his father (from exasperation at his carelessness to admiration of his free spirit) reflects a relaxation of the boy’s severity and of the story’s serious tone. Initially, the writer uses clipped phrasing during the son’s dialogue with his father – such as the blunt “I guess” (1) and the lack of the playful response “Right, doctor” (1) – to create an

They’re always about something bad happening” (McCarthy 269). So by this statement, we know that the boy while empathetic, still feels negative emotions for himself. We feel as if the boy is what keeps the book going, the fire; he is the only one who can and will keep the story going because he is seen as something greater than all. After the father dies, we see that the boy finds a group of wanderers and joins them.

When they are leaving, the boy’s mother waves but the boy “like Lars, simply [lifts] his hand” (1). He follows Lars’s actions and suppresses his fear indicated by his fidgets. At the same time, the boy understands his father’s urge to create an exciting hunting experience for him, but “when they [turn] back for camp, the boy [feels] only relief” (16) because he does not need to pretend anymore. This means that he suppresses his real emotions when his father feels the frustration of finding no prey in order to meet his father’s expectations of a good hunter. Therefore, he conforms to the expectations of the adults by concealing his feelings and faking his

Boy realizes what he is guilty of and what he repressed for so many years. Boy

He is always aware of his father’s commands and follows them at all costs, because he knows that his father knows what is best for him. Three adjectives that would describe the boy are innocent, obedient, and compassionate. The purpose of the boy is to remind the man of what they are trying to do. He keeps his father from becoming too aggressive or too desperate by asking him if they are still the good guys.

murder in many occasions. As we take a deeper look inside the motivations behind these

and applications to all of the characters in the book: both main and supporting characters (Doerr

“this hitherto peaceful congregation of neighbors and old friends had suddenly endured a unique experience of distrusting each other; understandably they believe that the killer is among themselves”(Capote, 88).

Imagine getting physically abused by your own mom for many years. This story is about a boy named Dave Pelzer. Dave Pelzer got under fed and abused by his mom. Dave's Mom was as mean as the devil. Whenever his dad came home, she didn’t want him to see her abusing David and comes up with an excuse for why he is hurt. His brothers ignore David so that they don’t get hurt or abused. Dave’s mom calls him “It” and “The Boy” because she says that he is a “bad boy” and doesn’t like him. In the story, A Child Called “It”, written by Dave Pelzer, the main character, Dave Pelzer, demonstrates that in life we should sometimes let go and make the best out of life. In the beginning of the book, Dave was dependent on his parents.

As a boy, however, he doesn’t know how to explain the conflict he is feeling and can only take in what is happening around him.

First, let’s review the characters in the main story, of which there are few in the literary story

is portrayed and how it relates to the moral of the story – if, in fact, there is one.