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Running The Drift Jean Patrick Character Analysis

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Martin Luther King, Jr once said that, “the ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” This quote stands true to the the novel, “Running the Rift.” as the themes deal with the challenges that Jean Patrick and Rwanda face during the controversy of the genocide. The themes and metaphors Naomi Benaron crafts into the novel, deepen the story of Jean Patrick and the tangle of the Rwandan genocide. Running saliently reoccurs from page to page of the novel and geology and physics add creative metaphors to “Running the Rift”. The theme of running tumps geology and physics as it operates in the book’s title, the characters, political aspects, setting, …show more content…

Jean Patrick is fascinated with physics and always used it in relation with his running and conflicts. Jean Patrick takes one day’s physics lesson and relates it with his fighting,“like a spring, if someone pushes me, I push back. An equal but opposite force.”(96) Jean Patrick’s character develops his strong grit in this for standing up to the Tutsi bullies. Jean Patrick relates the theory of quantum physics when he wonders if there was a chance Bea escaped after she turned back to the house, “a person could be leading against a wall and fall through to the other side if the molecules simultaneously realigned in just the right way.”(318) Jean Patrick fears that the minimal chances of the molecules aligning are the same of his beloved Bea escaping from her house alive.
The theme of running tumps geology and physics as it operates in the book’s title, the characters, political aspects, setting, and giving the story a meaningful aspect and an exciting way to root for the protagonist, Jean Patrick.
Running, geology, and physics successfully operate in “Running the Rift” as they depict the novel’s characters, political aspects, setting, and meaning. Although running is the most profound all of the themes serve important detail and thought to the reader. The themes are all vital to creatively telling the story of the Rwandan genocide. They allow the reader to grasp a deeper understanding of the people of Rwanda, through Jean Patrick's running and thoughts. The themes related to the Rwandan genocide and Jean Patrick’s life as a running Tutsi all through the

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