Coming of Age - Cadence

Jason Taylor in "Black Swan Green" is a dynamic character who trapezes through his year with detailed descriptions, deep thoughts, and growing knowledge of who he is as a person. He is a character crafted by David Mitchell for us to learn about from the pages of his book. However much of an individual Jason may seem to be to us, I propose that Jason is a mashup of multiple characters Mitchell has encountered through his adventures as a reader. After all, every good novel is based off of the ideas of another. The chapter titled "Bridle Path" in "Black Swan Green" has strong connection with both "The Lord of the Rings" and "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland." "Bridal Path" represents a Hero's Journey arch, similar to that of "The Lord of the Rings." Jason fills the roll of Frodo Baggins, adventuring in the unknown with a mysterious end goal in the wilderness, friends made along the way, and difficult obstacles. ...

    In Fun Home, by Alison Bechdel, Alison and Bruce have a unique relationship that is based on what they can get from one another. This relationship is shaped in this way, specifically, when Alison is young. Importantly, as Alison grows older and more mature, her dad seems to view her more as an equal. Yet, when she is young, their relationship often appears to be fake, almost as if it being acted out in a play or television show (which is ironic considering Fun Home became a musical after it's publishing). Each person attempts to get the other to fill a role they see the other in, while neither conforms to this ideal.     When she was young, Alison cast Bruce in the loving-father-figure role. In the opening scene of the graphic novel, Alison is drawn playing "'airplane'" with Bruce (Bechdel 3-4). Alison's portrayal of Bruce as a loving father is highlighted in the very first line which reads: "Like many fathers..." (Bechdel 3). This direct compari...

     This past semester I learned about the lore of the cowboy in US History. I learned societies views of cowboys as heroes who fight vigilante has morphed over the years. A few main themes that arise are their horseback riding skills, low levels of fear, connection with the wild west, gun fight skills, and their advantageous use of land. Cowboys are famed as crime fighting heroes and cowgirls are known for stepping outside societies boundaries to sling a whip for the good of all. In "The Bell Jar" by Sylvia Plath, two characters attempt to take on the roles of 'cowpeople', but neither quite succeeds.     The first character who attempts to play the famous role of a cowgirl is Betsy, though she does so subconsciously. She's described as someone who tries to save Esther from the confines of her room, and from Doreen, who may or may not be a bad influence. This savior dynamic is one cowboys often portray in western movies, books, and tv shows. Even though Be...

     In "the Catcher in the Rye" by J. D. Salinger two key instances showcase 'the system' used to kick boys out of private all-boys prep schools. The first is at the very beginning of the story. The main character, Holden Caulfield, refuses to apply himself at Pencey Prep, his school at the beginning of the story. Since he fails in every class except English, he is expelled. Then, near the end of the story, Holden tells the reader, through unique second person narration, about a few guys who got expelled when Holden was at Elkton Hills. The leader of the group was Phil Stabile. Stabile and his friends threatened a boy named James Castle, after he "called... [Stabile] a very conceited guy"(Salinger 188). They locked Castle in his room and hurt him in a very "repulsive" way, but Castle still wouldn't take back what he said (Salinger 188). Castle ultimately jumped out the window, and Stabile and his friends got expelled for inadvertently causing ...