In the story of The House of the Scorpion the main character is Matt and he is a clone. This story takes place somewhere in the future, in Mexico, and in a country called Opium. Matt has never met anyone other than Celia, until he gets to Opium. Throughout the story for Matt being a clone is a bad thing but the only thing that helps him is being owned by El Patron. El Patron is the ruler of Opium so everyone has to listen to everything he says. After all the adventures Matt goes through he ends up coming back to Opium and reuniting with his loved ones.
Matt’s quest through his adventure in the House of Scorpion was to find his true identity and make Opium a better place for everyone. Through this journey, Matt maps the definition of an archetypal hero because he enters both the known and unknown worlds, gets help from numerous people, and receives a gift of compassion which he uses to make Opium a better place.
The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer Fascinating and insightful, Nancy Farmer’s book The House of the Scorpion holds the power to captivate any audience with the tale of a young boy named Matteo Alacran. Being a clone, Matteo, called Matt, faces many perilous and persistent challenges that force him to change the way he thinks and acts. Affected immensely by the other characters in the story, Matt learns that not everyone gets what they deserve.
Acceptance is something Matt Alacran struggles with and he needs a lot of it. Matt the clone is low on strength because no one will accept him being a clone, except for a couple of people. Matt finds out a “dirty secret” from Tam Lin his bodyguard says that there is no difference between a clone and a human. Celia his adoptive mother loves and accepts Matt because she believes that Matt should be treated
“Peace is not the absence of conflict, but the ability to cope with it”. Have you ever experience conflict with yourself not wanting to do something but doing it anyways, against someone else or even against nature? This essay will explain the different kinds of conflict in order of: Person versus self, person versus self and person versus nature.
Finally on page 245, Tam Lin reveals to Matt the truth that there is no difference between humans and clones. In the book, Tam Lin said that no one can tell the difference between humans and clones because there is no difference. He also said that clones being inferior are a lie. When Matt heard this, he couldn’t believe it because his whole life argued against it. However, as he lived in Aztlán, he realized that what Tam Lin had said was true and no one found out Matt was a clone until they found Matt’s tattoo.
We often encourage people to actively pursue their happiness while also wanting to discourage them to escape from reality. However, avoiding your issues is also a way of pursuing happiness, even though this route will prove to be temporary. In the literary piece, “Horses of the Night” by Margaret Laurence, the author describes the story of a boy named Chris, who, due to his financial conditions, is forced to move from his home in Shallow Creek to dwell in Manawaka, in order to attend high school. Chris’ character is used to demonstrate the idea that individuals may escape from the miserable aspects of their lives in order to stay happy. Through the course of this work, you witness the changes Chris undergoes, through the eyes of his six-year-old cousin Vanessa, which ultimately lead to his downfall.
Pat Frank’s Alas, Babylon is a work that vividly displays American society’s fears during The Cold War. In the story, many Russian nuclear weapons destroy major American cities. The protagonist, Randy Bragg, is fortunate to have been out of the blast zone during detonation. However, over the course of the novel, Randy must change for his friends, family and his own life. Randy shows physical and mental hardening throughout the novel Alas, Babylon.
In the tragic play, Antigone by Sophocles, the character Creon, who acts as the antagonist, goes though reversal and recognition. Creon is not only the antagonist, but also the ruthless king of Thebes, and Antigone's uncle. Creon inherited the throne after the deaths of Antigone's two brothers, Eteocles and Polyneices. Throughout the play, Creon makes it clear that he objects the laws of the gods in favor of the laws of man. Because of this, he sates that since Polyneices was a traitor to Thebes, he must not be mourned or buried by any of the citizens. Eteocles, on the other hand, was buried will full military honors, and is considered a hero by Creon and the townspeople.
A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry is a play which contains many different obstacles that the characters face. One character, Beneatha, faces an obstacle that is out of her control. This obstacle is gender inequality. Throughout A Raisin in the Sun, gender inequality is experienced by Beneatha and reflects the struggles women faced in the 1950s.
H.H Holmes confessed, “I was born with the devil in me. I could not help the fact that I was a murderer, no more than the poet can help the inspiration to sing”. During this time Holmes was growing to be America’s first recorded serial killer and taking place in the tail end of the Industrial Revolution, technology and architecture improved to new levels. Much like Holmes, life in the city was chaotic. Chicago at the time was moving to a more industrialized society. Architecture was becoming a booming business. Skyscrapers were being constructed among other new buildings, and in the midst of the already progressive city, Chicago had been elected as the host for the Columbian Exposition. The fair would take up a large park in the city and bring people from around the world to experience a new social and cultural event. Beside the hectic fair was violence within the city. Death was normal in a growing place like Chicago. In Erik Larson’s novel, the World Fair uplifts
Permanence, perseverance and persistence in spite of all obstacles, discouragements, and impossibilities: It is this, that in all things distinguishes the strong soul from the weak.”-Thomas Carlyle. In the novel Secret Life of Bees, Lily is a harmless, kind hearted girl who has experienced much in the short life she has lived. The last time Lily has felt kindness, gentleness, and love was when her mother was alive. “People who think dying is the worst thing don’t know a thing about life (2).” Lily is lost in her head, she doesn't know how to stick up for herself. She takes in all the abuse, both mentally and physically from T.Ray and she blames everything on herself. Throughout the novel Lily gains her confidence, bravery and strength by standing up to the challenges she faces throughout experiencing new cultures and way of knowledge.
In the novel, The Chrysalids, by John Wyndham, Michael, one of the central characters, demonstrates character traits of a hero and leadership qualities. He is considered a blasphemy in his community because he is telepathic; however, no one knows of his telepathy, except his telepathic group, since on the outside, he looks completely normal. Michael is originally from Waknuk, a religious community where people strictly believe in the true image of God, and later goes to a different school in Kentak. As the novel progresses, he becomes a hero to his community, friends, and to the people who matter to him. He is willing to risk his life that made it possible for him to rescue and guide his friends escaping from the persecution in Waknuk. Moreover, he sacrifices his freedom to return back to Waknuk to be with Rachel. Michael is determined to follow and help his friends as they escape, and he shows great heroism by being smart, brave, and selfless.
The play “ A Raisin In The Sun “ wrote by Lorraine Hansberry is a inspiring play about the Younger family. A typical African American family in the late 1950’s trying to make life better for themselves. They’re a family trying to overcome the difficulties and obstacles that comes with being black in America in that time. Obstacles such as lynchings,segregation,racial discrimination and overall the difficulties that comes with being black in America. With external problems within the family the characters also internal conflicts within themselves. From seeing the family fight with one another to loving each dearly it was big character development. In my essay i will discuss how the Younger family dealt with their conflicts and discuss the resolutions they came up with.
“The ways in which the characters in Lorraine Hansberry’s play, A raisin in the sun, are affected by racial imbalances and respond to the injustices engendered by such inequities are solely influenced by their gender.” I agree with this statement to an extent. Although it is correct that gender plays a big role in this play, there are other factors to consider.