The Paradox of Change
Change is a force which is ever-present in the universe, and an individual is never free from its effects; change will continuously mold the individual by challenging its perception of its surroundings and itself. In many ways, change causes development and maturity, yet it also causes decline and decay. Change is constant. However, the paradox of change is often difficult to accept, and people will fight with its reality throughout their lifetimes: friends will come and go, epiphanies and advances will arrive, and things will never quite be like they used to be. The struggle between change and the individual is a recurring part of Ray Bradbury’s Dandelion Wine. This relationship shows not only through the main character, Doug Spaulding, but also through those around him. Doug and the rest of Green Town show how people contend with changes in that which they know, those whom they know, and even themselves.
Many of Doug's favorite parts of Green Town become altered in some way during the summer of 1928. "'No more trolley. Bus starts to run tomorrow. Going to retire me with a pension, they are"' (Bradbury 98). After Mr. Tridden tells them that the trolley is shutting down, Doug protests by pointing out that a bus doesn't have the charm of the trolley. Later on, a woman thwarts an attempted murder by the town's serial killer, "The Lonely One". As Doug, Tom, and Charlie reflect upon seeing the paramedics take Lonely One in on a stretcher, they lament the fact that there will be no more killings to create excitement around town. Charlie rants to Tom, "'This town used to have some good stuff in it up until about twelve o'clock last night. From here on, we're vanilla junket'" (Bradbury 178). They even try to convince themselves that the man on the stretcher wasn't the Lonely One. Regardless of how unpleasant or cumbersome certain aspects of the town were, the kids still disliked their altercation, and they struggled with everything beginning and ending around them.
The people of Green Town repeatedly grappled with very personal changes to those whom they were familiar with. This contention is very prevalent within Doug when he hears that his friend, John Huff, is moving away. To delay the
The book Who Moved My Cheese is about change and how it can affect how you are in life. Some people take changes hard while others just go with the flow. Some are ready for a change when the time comes and others want things to never change.
People change and grow through their experiences and conflicts. For example, just 2 years ago I was a sixth grader. There was a lot more homework than I ever had in my non-accelerated / magnet elementary school. I had to work harder and for longer hours, but as a result, I was much more mature and knowledgeable. I improved my work habits and increased my concentration. In Judith Ortiz Cofer’s “First Love”, a 14 year old girl is in love with a high school senior. She does everything she can to try to see him more often. At the end, she thinks she learns the true meaning of love. In Richard Wright’s “The Street”, a boy has to go shopping for food, but he is constantly stopped by a gang who beats him up. At the end, he beats up the gang with a stick his mother gave him because he had to to return home. In both “The Street” by Richard Wright and “First Love” by Judith Ortiz Cofer, the characters start out as shy and naive, but end up as aware and wiser as a result of their respective conflicts.
Times change, people change. This idea is further talked about and explained in the novel, Whirligig. Brent, a seventeen-year-old teen, just wants to fit in. However, his life is forever changed when he is embarrassed at a party. While under the influence of alcohol, Brent attempts suicide, but instead, accidentally kills an innocent girl named Lea. Feeling further ostracised from his peers, he goes on a journey of atonement, while, unbeknownst to himself, spreading joy to others. Throughout this story, Brent is able to find himself and and becomes a better person.
The Changeable nature of life affects us all somehow. Whether it be moving to a new city, having children, or losing people that we love, it can affect people in many different ways. For example, in the novel, the main character
Change is good. Santiago doesn’t realize this message applies everywhere. As he walks an unfamiliar path to find an unidentified treasure, he doesn’t recognize the fact that many changes are occurring throughout him. He put a lot into faith during his journey as he went from a man of routine and order, to becoming a man of new experiences all because of a dream. This is only one example of a change he went through. There are many more that he underwent, each with a different story.
As aging occurs within humans, not only do physical changes occur, but changes in the mind occur as well. Changes that change the way the brain thinks and influences decision making, as well as reactions to certain situations that occur. These changes are apparent as the brain and body ages and can clearly be seen when those of varying ages interact with each other. In Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury, one of the main themes appears to be the accustomed act of maturing, or growing up, specifically, how comprehension is different in people of different ages. Bradbury’s novel includes characters of various ages ranging from little kids to elders whose time has almost come to an end. These characters interact with one another throughout the
In some plays the experience of an important character changes him or her. In others the experiences of an important character leaves him or her almost completely unchanged. In Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun, Walter Lee Younger goes from being selfish to being the man his family needs. The road to becoming the man they needed was very rocky and difficult at times.
Change can be seen as a form of transformation or conversion. A form of change can be seen in “Victory Lap” by George Saunders, a short story written in such a way that the events that are enrolling throughout the story are being processed and told through the minds of three main characters. Having the perspective of each character allows us, the readers to get a much greater understanding about them and to make a better character analysis. Having said that, this story is simply about a girl, Alison getting kidnapped by an unnamed kidnapper. What were really captivating were the changes spotted on characters as the conflict progresses. One character in particular is very intriguing and his name is Kyle. One of our main character, Alison
Maya Angelou once said, “I can be changed by what happens to me, but I refuse to be reduced by it.” This quote encompasses the idea that change is inevitable. A person is involved in numerous relationships during their lifetime and what happens within them can change who they become in the future. Within the novel, Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford, the relationships that Henry Lee has developed throughout his lifetime have shaped him into the person he is today.
There are many types of change, change in perspective, emotional change, physically change and world change. In Looking for Alibrandi, the author, Melina Marchetta demonstrates, the concept of change not only through the main character, Josephine, but also some other minor characters such as Michael Andretti and John Barton though the majority is shown through Josephine. The poem, “The Door” by Miroslav Holub is very similar to Looking for Alibrandi as it also shows the concept of change but it tells us that change can mean that anything could happen even if that anything is nothing. Change can be good, it can be bad, change can be anything and it can even start relationships.
Change is something you are probably familiar with. In “Beneath the Smooth Skin of America,” Scott R. Sanders talks about many changes in his life. The author starts the story looking throw the eyes of himself as a child. As a child he remembers that all that was in his sight was all he could see. The author’s best example of this is he says, ”Neighbors often appeared…where they came from I could not imagine” (27). As the author begins to see more by leaving the area he was around so often he starts to see more and more things. He started moving around to different places and started seeing the things that he had not see before. The author points out many things that he began to see like the stores
Change, the essential of life, it can be tranquility or turbulence, change has no set goal, it occurs all around us without us knowing. In the novel, The Chrysalids, by John Wyndham, change is the major problem in the society even though it is hidden in different aspects of life. To the society, change is their enemy, but it is themselves who are their enemies without knowing it. A society that fails to realize the inevitability of change will indubitably agonize.
Everything everywhere is constantly changing. People change, weather changes, plans change, everything changes; you can’t escape change. Two movies that really illustrate the concept of change are Pleasantville and Back to the Future. In both of these movies, the main characters – Marty, David, and Jennifer – are sent back into the times of the 1950s and are faced with a world completely different from their own. In Pleasantville, David and Jennifer get stuck in David’s favourite television show, Pleasantville, as the characters Bud and Mary Sue. Jennifer seems to want to stir things up, creating change throughout Pleasantville, causing things to turn to colour, while David is doing all he can to stop Jennifer from destroying their perfect world. On the other hand, in Back to the Future, Marty gets sent back in time to when his parents were his age. Unfortunately, he runs into his parents, causing his mother to fall for him, supposedly interfering with Marty’s future. All of these main characters have to deal with a lot of change – the key concept these movies have in common. While Pleasantville and Back to the Future both focus on the concept of time and change, both movies illustrate change from different perspectives. These movies also have other similar concepts, such as racism, masculinity, and the idea of the “ideal family”; however, they both differ by discussing other social issues as well.
This change is a positive and uplifting change of self for the protagonist in this novel.
Everyone enjoys the summertime. In Ray Bradbury’s Dandelion Wine, Douglas Spaulding, a twelve-year-old boy, wakes up the town to summer. A few days into summer, he suddenly realizes his existence and livelihood. Not merely existing and taking up space, Douglas notices his surroundings and slowly begins to understand life. How to manage and control one’s life on earth exists as one of the main issues Doug faces. He struggles in finding how to live life and using his time on earth to his full advantage. In Bradbury’s Dandelion Wine, the motif of time shows the struggle between life and death, serves as an object of change, and reinforces one’s short time on earth, suggesting that quality trumps quantity.