Character Analysis: Surrounded By Sharks

Have you owned your own sailboat when you were fourteen years old well there is “A fourteen year old boy stood there looking at his own sailboat. Does this sound like most fourteen year olds you know?.” The boy is trying to make his last sail with his grandpa but it didn’t happen because his grandpa came down with cancer and wasn’t going to make it. In The Voyage of The Frog, Gary Paulsen uses the character of David to demonstrate determination to complete a task. That task is to make that last sail worth it.

Simon DeLong is just a story filler in the book “Whale Talk”. He is extremely over weight and biggest thing about his character is that he is very caring and nurturing to others. His character is mentioned very briefly in the book, but based on the things that are said in the book, a brief description can be made about Simon DeLong. In the story he is a part of the swim team, which is a group of social outcasts.

“Like, when I step outside myself kinda, and when I, when I look at myself, you know? And I see me and I don’t like what I see, I really don’t.” Anthony Michael Hall played the role of the brainiac, Brian Johnson, in The Breakfast Club. Likewise, Brian is portrayed as the typical “nerd” in high school; he strives to do his best and please his parent’s. Similarly, I can relate to Brian because my parent’s expect as much from me as his do. They are always encouraging me to strive to do my best and never settle; nonetheless, I now push myself to try and accomplish anything I set my mind to. Although Brian Johnson is very successful in his school work he struggles deep beneath his skin with being accepted by society.

The book “I Survived the Shark Attack” is a thrilling fictional tale about a boy who got attacked by a shark and survived. This tale is based on shark attacks in the summer of 1916. The story takes place in New Jersey in a small city called Elm Hills near the atlantic ocean.

How can two individuals be so different yet be so comparable? In S.E Hinton’s novel, “The Outsiders”, she creates two characters who grow up in similar lives, but have complete opposite perspectives on the world. Dally Winston and Johnny Cade are similar because they both have neglective and abusive parents making them place little value on their lives. Yet, despite their similarities, Dally and Johnny have distinct personalities and different advice they give Ponyboy. Dally Winston and Johnny Cade, two greasers with many differences and more similarities than you may expect.

Throughout ‘A bridge to Wiseman’s cove’, James Moloney introduces to characters who are in despair. However, the reader is shown how the characters are rescued with the support of each other. The protagonist Carl Matt is in despair after moving to Wattle Beach, because his mother and sister leave him and his younger brother. Joy, a middle-aged woman is also portrayed as a character who is afraid to give love to her daughter. Another individual, Graham Duncan, commonly known as Skip is a character who is rescued from despair.

Where the Wild Things are by Maurice Sendak is an interesting children’s picture book. The main character is a little boy named Max, who has a wild imagination. He uses all five senses as well as thought and his actions to express his personality as well as how he reacts and interacts with his surroundings. Max’s id, ego and super-ego are greatly shown in this book through the way that the author has portrayed him. Not only is this book a children’s story, but it can also be perceived as a life lesson. Many people go through times in their lives when they make drastic decisions right away, such as leaving home. One may enjoy it for the rest of their lives or only for a little while, just like Max who felt lonely after having fun with the monsters. In this case, people end up going home to be with their family where they are not lonely, and can have more time before making a final decision of what should happen next in their life. Id, ego and super- ego is greatly portrayed in this

Character development is a crucial element to any story, especially due to the fact that is is utilized to create depth within a piece of writing. In Water for Elephants, Sara Gruen presents an extremely dynamic character by the name of Jacob Jankowski. In his old age, he undergoes a significant change in his attitude throughout his time at the nursing home. Through the remembrance of old memories from his life at the circus, Jacob Jankowski develops a sense of happiness and rediscovers his independence.

In literature, authors usually create characters who are required to overcome obstacles and eventually exhibit bravery. In Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys, the shoemaker, aliased as the Shoe Poet, captivates the reader by modeling a considerable amount of bravery during his journey to escape Russian attacks in World War II. The shoemaker witnesses the horrors of both world wars, but he somehow manages to keep life in perspective. Not only does he keep high spirits, but the Shoe Poet also is extremely selfless and cares for everyone in the group escaping the Russians, especially the child, Klaus. Despite war, the shoemaker manages to provide a cheerful vibe and selflessness to his group, which gives him a sense of bravery.

Most people struggle with figuring out who they really are. The short story "Everyday Use,” written by  Alice Walker, emphasizes this aspect of individuality. It is about an African- American mother and her two daughters. The story concentrates on the lives of two sisters named Maggie and Dee(Wangero). Maggie is portrayed as a homely and ignorant girl, while Dee is portrayed as a beautiful and educated woman. For some of my family the search for individuality is an ongoing process. In fact, my family and the family in “Everyday Use” share similarities and differences when it comes to actions of young people, the treatment of children, and relationships between family members.

The main character in the historical novel “Water for Elephants,” written by Sara Gruen, is Jacob Jankowski. In the novel he is pictured both young and old. This character is in retelling a story from his youth while he is 93 years old and in a nursing home. Young Jacob and old Jacob both have their own problems and other troubles. The older Jacob tells his story of his youth because he feels bad for being old. He loved his life and is sad to be all by himself in the nursing home. Thinking back to his life gives him lots of positive feelings and emotions. Jacob is very curious in a sexual matter, kind-hearted and in a way stubborn with certain values.

Even though people have no direct connection with one another, they could find similarities and differences within each other by observing individual’s life. In the memoir, The Red-Headed Hawaiian by Chris McKinney and Rudy Puana, a life of Rudy has been described from his childhood to his adulthood. The journey of Rudy Puana starts with cultural identity and ends in cultural identity, in which Hawaiian and haole culture became obstacles as well as solutions to his problem. Throughout Rudy’s educational period, he experienced mistreatment, hardship, and recoveries from the undesirable conditions. His life is especially different from other life as well as from my life. Indeed, the majority of what I found was differences. However, Rudy and I experienced similar obstacles that define each identity.

“No man knows the value of innocence and integrity but he who has lost them.” This compelling quote from William Godwin shows the importance of integrity, guilt, and most importantly, innocence. Innocence, is the exact opposite of guilt, wrong, sin, and disgrace. Joan Bauer is the author of the extraordinary short story, “The Truth About Sharks.” This realistic fiction short story has a shocking ending where the main protagonist, Beth changes her point of view about guilt and innocence. One sunny day, a young girl by the name of Beth traveled one day to “Mitchell Gail’s,” which is her “go to” store. Beth needs to purchase clothes for her Uncle Al’s birthday party. As she browses through clothes she meets a friendly employee whose name is Hannah. Hannah offers hold on to Beth’s belongings while she goes into the changing room to try on clothes. As soon as she steps out of the changing room, she is caught by Madge P. Groton who is the head security guard of the store. Madge accuses Beth of shoplifting, but in reality Beth hasn’t stolen anything. Beth begins to feel hopeless as she is escorted to the main security office within the store. When a police officer arrives to the store, Beth is put into custody and sits in the back of the officer’s squad car. Beth is able to convince the police officer to take her into the store to prove she is innocent. Once Hannah tells the police officer what “really” happened, Beth is let off the hook and she is proven to be innocent. Beth is

Have you ever gone through the desert with only a small gourd of water? Well, the Lost boys of Sudan went through South Sudan to get away from the war, and some other challenges. In the book a Walk to Water Salva and Nya have problems of getting water, but Salva is based on a real person who went through the challenges of losing his family and the brutal Sudanese war. These are some of the challenges he faced and how he solved them with what he had throughout his life.

Imagine a life where everything seems to revolve around one important element. And just as everything seems to be going well, it all changes within a matter of seconds. In the novel Shark Girl by Kelly Bingham, the protagonist, Jane Arrowood, had to experience this. She had a strong passion for drawing, but she was required to have her dominant arm amputated because of a shark attack. As she recovered slowly in the hospital, she showed her true inner strength when she learned to draw and write with her other hand. When I read this book I connected with Jane by being reminded of all the roadblocks I’ve hit during my basketball career, and I noticed there were learning experiences from Jane’s actions on how to conquer the journey of recovery.