The Overwhelming

Tam uses his fears to strive to become a figurehead by using his own skills and knowledge to save the victims of the communist government. His vulnerability is however shown from his ‘little fishing boat’ as his livelihood and children’s future rely on his actions. At one-point Tam views the world as a ‘sinister, tumultuous black’ nightmare with his mental state being represented as a ‘panicking ghost’ as it is not only the future of the refugees on the boat who are relying on him but his own fear of dying. It also symbolizes how the vivid description of his environment emulates the danger and innocence of the people on the boat. Tam also lives by the motto of ‘there’s now and there’s too late’ signifying how he will take risks in order to alleviate himself of feeling guilty over his mistakes. His cowardice has caused him to obtain a personality that possesses great wisdom from his ability to confront his fears but to also become thoughtless when it comes to analyzing the consequences. By persevering through the fears and obstacles of immense terror; Tam is able to be recognized as an authoritative figure to his

On the contrary, Jack chooses how to act regardless of his role models, meaning that he can be held accountable for his own actions. From the beginning of the memoir Jack is depicted as an immature child whose dream it was to transform into someone different. Jack’s dreams of transformation get further and further from reality predominantly due to how he decides to act and the people he chooses to spend his time with. Jack is responsible for his own actions as he is the one who actually decides how he acts. A moment in the memoire where Jack’s delinquency is depicted is when Jack states that “[he] was a thief.

becomes especially hard throughout the book, as he has to face more and more challenging

One of the many themes developed in the novel, A Separate Peace, is fear. Going to war, not excelling in studies, and jumping from a tree are three events that show how fear is portrayed throughout the story. Fear is an important theme in this story because almost every character ends up being consumed by fear. The entire story revolves around fear and without it, the story wouldn’t be the same.

Jack’s fear shows the reader that not only can someone have an emotional and dangerous response to it, but it can also be used to manipulate someone for his pleasures. As a kid, Jack, feared and hated his father and loved his mother. He feared whenever his psychopathic father would bring and beat his mother in the basement. The tables turned when a deep sense of realization switched into the psyche of his mind, he ended up loving the beatings and craved the cause of fear towards his mother. His innocence is lost and is refined into the mind of a psychopath, “ The knowledge that the father could instil such terror into another human being turned the boy’s fear of him into admiration and he began to emulate him. Soon,

However, the narrator’s story takes a turn for the worse when the world ever so slowly and subtly becomes more harsh towards him and slowly makes him feel even more exiled, till finally, he feels completely cut off and invisible to society. As he began life as the “model” black citizen but was then thrusted into invisibility by the preconceived ideas of those around him and himself. Not to mention the narrator begins to feel

The most important theme in this book was the trials and tribulations of racism because it was woven in every part of the plot, it contributed to the conflict and resolutions, and gave the story a connection to current events, helping the reader’s comprehension.

overcome their fears. Through the actions and decisions of the characters the themes of fear and

During recent times in Syria, the president used chemical weapons against his own people. He caused permanent damage and pain to much of the population. This reflects Jack’s tyranny over his tribe. For example, in Chapter 10, the reader finds out that he beats and ties up a boy named Wilfred for no apparent reason. This detail serves to show how Jack transforms into an absolute savage, stopping at nothing. It seems he does not mind if he must harm his own tribe in order to achieve what he wants. As Jack abuses his power and uses it against his tribe, so does the president of Syria. This proves that wickedness lies at the center of humanity, as many individuals show themselves willing to detriment others to achieve their own ways. Another example comes in the form of abortion. Similar to how Jack and his hunters refuse to see the sow and her piglets as intelligent organisms who can feel fear and pain, so America refuses to see unborn children as human beings who experience life functions and emotions. Somehow, the world assumes that eradicating these unborn humans passes as acceptable. Even if the fact that these children live as separate beings from their mothers exists as common knowledge, many still hesitate to believe it. Even though society knows this as an actuality, they still choose to reject it and end many young lives instead. The ignorance and numbness of humanity towards these tragedies that happen daily without notice proves that at mankind’s core lies great

In this book, there has been many example of characters developing through conflict or because of it. Throughout the novel Aibileen's character triumphs in the face of adversity, but the growth is a slow, painful process. Even though she is still mourning the loss of her son, she finds solace in her maternal role raising white children. She finds the courage in herself and begins to stand up for herself and what she believes in.

In "The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas," Ursula K. LeGuin makes use of colorful descriptions and hypothetical situations to draw us into a surrealistic world that illustrates how unsympathetic society can be. LeGuin's ambiguity of how the story will go is purposeful; she cunningly makes her case that each of us handles the undesirable aspects of the world we live in differently, and that ultimately, happiness is relative.

Motif of the Story: Fear and Peer Pressure have a big impact on a character's actions.

Some might be obstacles that one might face and others may be internal, or even both. Amir experiences some very difficult obstacles that a normal twelve year old boy would not have to deal with. One of the biggest problems that Amir faced was when he saw his best friend, Hassan, get raped by another boy named Assef. Amir sees what is happening and decides to run away because he is scared of what might happen to him if he tries to stop Assef from hurting Hassan. “ In the end, I ran. I ran because I was a coward. I was afraid of Assef and what he would do to me. I was afraid of getting hurt”(77). This was a turning point in Amir’s life because he realized that he was making a mistake and he would not help his best friend even though Hassan would do anything for him. Many people have

However, this anger presented in the novel is not a negative one. The characters are about to burst out of it and as result they will seek improving their conditions and fighting against this inhumane treatment. Many people agree on the fact that the novel is greatly about anger. For instance, Malcolm Cowely believes that the novel is one among the “great angry books that have the power to spur readers on to protest and action.” ( Cowely, American Tragedy p.382-383)

According to William James, “Acceptance of what has happened is the first step to overcoming the consequences of any misfortune.” Acceptance is an important part of the theme, which is also shown through two other articles and poems. The theme is shown through juxtaposition in Something Wicked This Way Comes and “If.” Another way theme is shown in Something Wicked This Way Comes and “If“ is through conflict. Lastly, the theme is shown through characterization in Something Wicked This Way Comes and “The Third and Final Continent.” In the novel Something Wicked This Way Comes, the poem “If-,” and the story “The Third and Final Continent,” a theme of a accepting the reality in life and moving past the struggles in life is shown.