Taseko Christian Petersen Analysis

Ben is the main character in the Novel ‘Two Wolves’. Throughout the novel, written by Tristan Bancks, Ben goes through some significant changes, both mentally and physically. One of the major problems he sees in his life, involves his perceptions of his physical appearance and the way he feels about himself. Ben’s story is one that also involves nature. Throughout his journey, he develops a different frame of mind towards nature, which is for the better. A lot of the story also revolves around family. What is family? Does family matter? And, if family matters, why? From Ben’s point of view, he thinks most of his problems stem from his own ideas and interpretations of what his family is or should be. His ideas and thoughts about himself, nature and family definitely change for the better in many different ways throughout the book.

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

Upon his first encounter with the woods, Ike is lost in wonder, it has been his dream for as long as he could remember to join the men on the hunt and explore the beauty of the big woods. What sets Ike apart from the other men, however, is his wonder of the wilderness, not just of its size, but of what mysteries it contains. When he arrives he feels the need “to earn for himself from the wilderness the name and state of hunter provided he in his term were humble and enduring enough.” (192) Ike doesn’t desire the approval of any of the other hunter, his cousin, or even his wise mentor Sam Fathers. Instead he knows that the right to claim the name of hunter lies in earning the approval “from the wilderness” and to do so he must be “humble and enduring.” (192) Those words do not seem to fit with the violent acts of the other hunters; to them the ability to shoot and kill is all that really matters, hence the disrespect for Boon and the position of Walter Ewell as a senior hunter. By using gentle words Faulkner states that there is more to “hunting” than killing, what Ike desires and seeks to prove himself worthy of is belonging to nature, to feel its beauty and strength running through him. Without this sense of approval and belonging from the woods, Ike feels he is unworthy to take the life of an animal and to use what he has gained from death to

Powder, a short story written by Tobias Wolff, is about a boy and his father on a Christmas Eve outing. As the story unfolds, it appears to run deeper than only a story about a boy and his father on a simple adventure in the snow. It is an account of a boy and his father’s relationship, or maybe the lack of one. Powder is narrated by a grown-up version of the boy. In this tale, the roles of the boy and his father emerge completely opposite than what they are supposed to be but may prove to be entirely different from the reader’s first observation.

Dogs rarely die a shameful death, but instead fight to the finish. Using this dichotomy he further illustrates the severance of and between the hunter and the hunted. McKay emphasizes within the first three lines that the conflict at hand is not merely a struggle then, but a fierce hunt in which there is no mercy and only one survivor.

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

When the boy's parents had finally come to watch their sons do what they had been passionate about for the whole summer of 1972, Petey feels this immense amount of joy because of how he thinks the parents might know him a bit more. Petey feels as if his parents ignore him and do not pay attention to his daily personal desires because they themselves are too busy focusing on their jobs and their personal desires.

Trumbo shifts the tone from tense to reflective through effectively selecting details which portray the impact of the encounter between the father and son. Opening the passage Trumbo asserts the significance of the tradition by carefully depicting the campsite, in a way which he conveys an atmosphere of nostalgia. Describing how his memories included the “pine needles…falling” on their tent, sitting “staring into the fire,” fishing, and hearing the “streams which connected the lakes” throughout the night. Reveling an appreciation of company is present in the boy’s childhood which lays the foundation for his anxiety to inform his father of his wants, as the two were once connected like the streams and

It’s hard to recreate a society and make order when you are a young boy, all you want to do is to have fun and play. This is shown many times in the book by some of the characters, especially during times of hunting. Chapter 7, reveals this to us when the young hunters chant this at one of the boys (Robert,) “Kill the pig! Cut his throat! Kill the pig! Bash him in!.” This chant shows the childness and savagery that the boys went through.

“Daybreak; the household slept. I rose… I crept out with my father’s gun. Let him dream…” Using such highly narrative fast paced (an illusion created by delivering it in pulses) and confident language to show the single mindedness of the young, Harwood

In Richard Wright’s “The Man Who Was Almost a Man,” Dave finds himself throughout the course of the story. Throughout the story, Dave is constantly seeking the pleasure of obtaining and then eventually shooting a gun in order to be a man and find himself. However, Dave does not expect the consequences that are to follow the pursuit of pleasure. The moral of the story pertains to the role pleasure and its consequences have in development and finding oneself. The story narrates a common, but little talked about problem, that runs rampant in today’s society. In the story “The Man Who Was Almost a Man,” Richard Wright illustrates Dave’s development, or lack thereof, through the symbols of the gun, the train, and the mule.

The boy and the father have strong morals demonstrating a high level of authenticity, especially in a world where morality is extremely uncommon. To be ‘authentic’ means to genuinely be yourself. Although, as presented by Existentialism, one cannot be their true self until one has defined themselves. First, one must create their authentic selves, then they must live according to that (Varga). The father and the boy have strong principles to do what is right, even when their fellow survivors have completely abandoned morality altogether. At times, the father struggles with following said principles, however, he then justifies his actions which are purely for the safety of his son. This depicts that the father will do anything and everything to assure that the boy lives. The father expresses that “He knew only that the child was his warrant. He said: If he is not the word of God God never spoke” (5). When a man holds a knife to the son's neck, the father does not hesitate to kill him. Although this is

Some things stayed the same such as war paint, hunting in packs, and singling out the target. Over time the pack they hunted in and targets they hunted changed causing their loss of innocence. Whether hunters are hunting for a pig or for a boy says a lot about the character and amount of innocence. Forcing kids to suddenly grow up and depend on themselves can cause life changing decisions to be made without the proper knowledge to make the right choice. More time in the socialization process would allow them more time to pick up knowledge and be able to keep their innocence as long as

NOTE: Petersen was initially informed by Jenkins that he would be reporting directly to him, however

There comes a time in every person's life when they are no longer children, but adults. The transition is often marked by a pivotal moment, in which a child has to make a decision that defines who they are. Some children will experience this, while others will reach maturity by simply growing older and having a better understanding of the world around them. "The Bear", by William Faulkner, depicts the story of Ike, a young boy, who must make a difficult decision that transforms his childish naivety into bravery, and respect for nature during a particular encounter with the bear, Old Ben. Ike first hears the legend of Old Ben and is consumed by a boyhood longing to become a "man" by killing the Bear. Journeying through the woods with his mentor Sam Fathers, Ike learns to become skilled woodsmen and have respect for the woods. As time passes, Ike becomes a highly skilled