The Man Of The River

The novel “The River” is the second book to a magnificent five part series by Gary Paulsen, throughout reading this book I was on the edge of my seat, wondering what to think. This novel is about a young boy who named Brian who is recovering from a traumatic experience in the woods, and decides he would like to use his experience to teach other people in his positon. In his past experience, he crashed a plane and spent 54 days in the Canadian wilderness with nothing but a hatchet and the clothes on his back. He agrees to go back into the woods to teach a survival instructor named Derek exactly how he survived. After much planning and paperwork he sets out to a precise location in the forest. Soon after arriving he realizes that what they had packed would not make this trip a struggle, like his

     Most of the big shore places were closed now and there were hardly any lights except the shadowy, moving glow of a ferryboat across the sound. And as the moon rose higher the inessential houses began to melt away until gradually I became aware of the old island here that flowered once for Dutch sailors’ eyes- a fresh, green breast of the new

“Hey Sherbert! You hair is standing up!” It was true. Everyone’s hair on the island stood up and a strange buzzing filled the air. All became quiet, but the buzzing stayed burning in their ears. People started screaming, and the little girl fell to the ground. Everything caught flame and the mother huddled her babies on the ground in the corner of the town square. Buildings crumbled, and the ground shook. There was a blinding light, and then a beautiful forest faded into view on Roanoke island. A small and slightly confused dog stood in the middle of a daisy patch. It watched a hand sink into the earth, burning, and right where it disappeared, a daisy sprouted. The dog looked around, and there were no homes, no sidewalks, no babies, no treats. There were just beautiful trees, birds, grasses, and ponds.

In “Life On the Mississippi” by Mark Twain, the author clarifies his experience as a river steamboat pilot on the Mississippi River and how his visualization of the river changed from positive to negative throughout the story.

Characters in the text The Secret River by Kate Grenville represent a variation of attitudes and views towards the colonisation of Australia and the Aboriginal Australians. While many characters are indecisive about their opinion on the natives, some characters have a clear mind-set on how they are to be treated. The characters of Thomas Blackwood and Smasher Sullivan represent the two very different sides of the moral scale, and the other characters fit between these sides. Smasher is a vicious, cold-hearted man who shows no respect or humanity towards the Aboriginals. On the other hand, Blackwood’s character contrasts Smasher with his humanity and general respect to the original owners of their new home. The

-A major focus of this story is the Canadian landscape, and how it affects its residents. It is an accurate demonstration of how nature affects the Canadian identity. The Canadian wilderness becomes a part of Lois through the tragedy that has occurred. Although she realizes it late, the landscape of the wild has become a part of her personal identity. As she ages, Lois slowly becomes more aware of her obsession with the Canadian wilderness. This quotation demonstrates her recognition, at the beginning of the story, of her relationship with the Canadian wilderness.

Arriving in the overgrown drive way trees start to crowd your vision, in the middle of all the trees I see an old beach house; that has stayed the same over the 18 years I have been going up there. Grandma is waiting outside on the front porch we all run up to give her a hug, then we go and start unpacking for a week’s worth of relaxing. First thing we do when were done unpacking is go to the old but new play structure. We sit on the swings and look out towards the big blue Michigan Lake. White caps cover most of the water along with passing boats, and some kayakers. Right over the horizon I can see the lights from the town, reaching into the sky. The sun is starting to set; the sky is painted with pink, orange, and yellow.

In Cleveland Seller’s memoir, The River of No Return, Seller’s discusses his time in the SNCC. While the SNCC was primarily a nonviolent organization during its inception, in the years prior to its downfall, the SNCC had a major shift into the black separatist and power movement. This transition made the SNCC into an organization that promoted a revolution to overturn racial discrimination which departs from the original founding principle’s the SNCC was created on. While Seller’s involvement within the organization is unquestionable, there is the matter that the memoir is coming from his perspective which implies some bias. While his perspective gives an accurate account of this major transition in SNCC which led to its demise, his bias is

Most of the big shore places were closed now and there were hardly any lights except the shadowy, moving glow of a ferryboat across the Sound. And as the moon rose higher the inessential houses began to melt away until gradually I became aware of the old island here that flowered once for Dutch

But as the tension between the two choices weighed on him; he changed. At the Tip Top Lodge in Minnesota along the Rainy River, he had discovered Elroy, “…must’ve planned it… I think he meant to bring me up against the realities, to guide me across the river and take me to the edge… as I chose a life for myself” (118). As Tim contemplated jumping and swimming for Canada, his mind kept thinking of the constant “squeezing pressure” he felt traveling along this vacillating river. Memories flooded his mind, “Chunks of my own history flashed by.

Is it better to live a life that is long and mundane or one that is short but fulfilling? It is a question with no right answers. The hope for a number of us is to live both a long and fulfilling life, but hope can only take you so far. Death, like life, is one of those inevitable things that we cannot control. You can fight it or even try to control it, but more often than not, it is not going to work out the way you want it to. The only control that you have, is to live the life that you desire, so when the time comes, you can leave this world peacefully, knowing you have lived your life.

The plot develops and is more rich as the landscape becomes more and more evident. It is obvious that based on the nature both authors, Macleod and Laurence experienced living on their respective coasts adds greatly to their stories. Alistair Macleod clearly uses the nature and landscape to add to the memories and stories he recalls from his childhood. This definitely connects the reader on a deeper level and encourages them to read on and learn more. “In the weeks that followed their loss, the sun shone brightly and the currents were strong, and the ice turned black beneath its own whiteness, as if eaten by a hidden cancer which only now began to make itself visible.”

Secondary Characters in the Secret River The Secret River by Kate Grenville has a wide range of characters. The story is about the journey of a young man, William Thornhill, who is born in London, but it then forced to move to New South Wales, Australia. Over the course of his lifetime, he meets several characters who have a range of personalities that influence his life in both positive and some, in negative ways. Secondary characters played a vital role in understanding the meaning of the novel as they support the actions that the main character made in order for the story in the novel to take place.

Through our exploration within class, Andrew Bovell’s adaption of The Secret River has shown us its righteous place as a remarkable Australian play. The various themes throughout the novel highlight issues revolving around ownership and dispossession as well as reiterating how important reconciliation amongst white and indigenous Australians is. Bovell’s adaption is captivating, poignant and opens the door for a conversation of our nation’s history that has been silenced on many occasions.

At the end of the dock is a sign that reads; "No Fishing, No Swimming, No Dumping"; a sign that is quite often recognized by all visitors of parks and lakes and as big as the windshield. Around the lake there a hills and valleys around Lake Lavon. $200,00 home are springing up like mad. Retirees, former airline pilots, and people generally burned out on big cities are discovering Lake Lavon. The small lake but the perfect weather, and the safe-quiet atmosphere are drawing people like a cover-up draws Ed Bradly. Without thought or hesitation we smiled and warmly held ourselves in each other arms and slowly sat down together at the end of the dock, put out feet in the water and the water was so cool like melted water from snow (to eat the strawberries we brought). The strawberries were delicious; red, ripped, and plumped; sweetness caressed our mouth with very bite. Some were quite sour, but was washed it away by an ocean of water every time. As supplies ran short she decided to play lazy and had me carry her to watch the people fishing by the dock. Although very distinctive and precise, I was like a bear; very step was heavy and short. To the left side of the dock about 200ft people ware fishing and kid's playing soccer on the field near the lake. By watching them play I remember my childhood, that my mother always took me to the Lake Lavon every weekend to fishing, and now I'm with my girlfriend holding her hand and watching people fishing and