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The Beginning Of Everything Character Analysis

Decent Essays

As Tragedy Strikes, Real Living Begins

“Everyone's life, no matter how unremarkable, has a singular tragic encounter after which everything that really matters will happen,” or so believes the protagonist of Robyn Schneider’s The Beginning of Everything, Ezra Faulkner. Numerous characters in the novel are hit with unimaginable tragedies. However, the one character who struggles the most with their tragedy is Ezra. Although, with the help and continued support from his various peers at a time when his entire world is crashing down on top of him, he overcomes his challenges and in the end, he becomes a much stronger individual while also discovering his true self. This boy demonstrates his growth in several ways. He overcomes his belief that …show more content…

His tragedy leaves him with a wrist brace, a cane and no friends. The support from his new group of friends, the misfits, is one of the only things allowing him to recover from his lonely state and feel like he belongs somewhere. They willingly accept him into their group with wide arms and no judgement and expectations when he has no one else. He explains how he feels on page 41 of the novel, “It was like the part of me that had enjoyed [the jocks] had evaporated, leaving behind a huge, echoing emptiness, and I was scrabbling on the edge of it, trying not to fall into the hole within myself, because I was terrified to find out how far down it went,” (Schneider 41). This vivid description shows Ezra’s loneliness after he no longer enjoys the company of the jocks, for he knows they are not true friends and they limit his life experiences. Ezra spends time experiencing and embracing the world of the misfits and their interests, including debate club, video games, monthly movie night adventures, silent flash mobs and so much more. All of which, lead to his eventual recovery and long awaited happiness. They help him stay clear of the “hole within himself,” and help him to feel like he finally belongs somewhere by distracting him from his negative thoughts with positive life experiences. He explains, “I knew what it was like to have …show more content…

She is introduced into Ezra’s life as the true friend he undoubtedly is in need of. Ezra discovers himself while at the same time overcoming his insecurities with her help. He is able to rebuild himself, piece-by-piece, thanks the many adventures and experiences they share. Ezra struggles physically and he is not at all comfortable with his appearance. Near the beginning of the novel, Ezra explains, “I was supposed to pick up an elevator key from the front office; it came in a matching set with that little blue parking tag for my car, the one I was never, ever going to display,” (Schneider 24). This evidence demonstrates Ezra’s insecurity and embarrassment with his situation. He despises the attention he gets as he hobbles down the hallway with his physical disability. By sharing living fully and openly, Cassidy helps him forget about his disability. Her support helps him leave his insecurities behind and feel comfortable. One of the many lessons she teaches him throughout the novel, is that he should never let his appearance get in the way of anything, for he is capable of doing anything he sets his mind to. Moreover, Ezra is not at ease mentally and is insecure about much more than just his body. He says, “The way I figured it, keeping quiet was safe. Words could betray you if you chose the wrong ones, or mean less if you used too many,” (Schneider 66). Ezra’s words show that he would rather

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