Good People Character Analysis

Regardless of age, gender, and race, everyone encounters different problems in his or her daily life. Whether the problems are as simple as getting up in the morning or untangling the headphones, people need to find a solution to solve them. The only thing that matters is what solutions they will seek. In David Foster Wallace’s “Good People,” he narrates a story about two college students, Lane Dean, Jr. and Sheri Fisher, who face a dilemma of choosing between either abortion or keeping their baby. They are torn between these choices because they come from a religious family, in which abortion is unethical and immoral. Thus, the couple is stuck in a battle between right and wrong as well as good and evil. As the story proceeds, one will notice that Wallace uses a third person point of view to depict his character, Lane Dean, in order to let readers gain a better understanding of the character’s struggles, feelings, and thoughts.

“What would even Jesus do?” (Wallace 155). “Good People” is a short story written by, David Foster Wallace about Lane and Sherri, a young religious couple facing the consequences of an unplanned pregnancy. Lane contemplates his feeling towards Sherri and his Christian beliefs. In “Good People” Lane A. Dean Jr. is the main character desperate to be a good person. Lane’s inability to confront and express his feelings about Sheri’s pregnancy, makes him seem a coward meaning Lane must change the way he thinks in the light of her pregnancy, hoping this will make him a good person.

Television situational comedies have the ability to represent different values or concerns of their audience, these values often change every decade or so to reflect and highlight the changes that the audience is experiencing within society, at the time of production. Between the years of 1950 and 2010, the representation of gender roles and family structure has been addressed and featured in various sitcoms, such as “Father Knows Best” and “Modern Family”, through the use of narrative conventions, symbolic, audio and technical codes. These representations have transformed over time to reflect the changes in social, political, and historical contexts.

Cormac McCarthy’s novel ,Child of God, is the tale of a violent, dispossessed man living on the outskirts of society. Set in 1960s rural Tennessee, the novel focuses on the life of Lester Ballard, a murdering necrophiliac who seemingly only follows his own rules. Ballard is represented as a despicable, unhuman character, who apparently is, “A child of God much like yourself perhaps” (4). While Ballard repeatedly commits evil acts, one cannot help but find a soft spot for this man who was unloved as child and seems to be a product of his cruel environment. On the surface, Ballard’s actions make him seem alien to “us” (society) but to delve deeper, one discovers a true understanding of Lester Ballard. McCarthy uses Lester Ballard and his attributes to reflect on the condition of human nature.

Each of the National Honor Society’s four pillars, character, scholarship, leadership, and service, are a part of what the students of NHS embody in who they are and how they act. Character is the sum of who a person is and how they act, be it good or bad. Attaining good character is very important because one’s character will seep out into all aspect of one’s life and permeate into the decisions they make. Scholarship represents the importance of education and learning. Through good grades, high test scores, and academic excellence one develops a love for lifelong learning. Leadership shows one can rise to the occasion and influence people in a positive way. Everybody can lead, whether it be in an official leadership position or by leading

Regardless of age, gender, and race, everyone encounters different problems in his or her daily life. Whether the problems are as simple as getting up in the morning or untangling the headphones, people need to find a solution to solve them. The only thing that matters is what solutions they will seek. In David Foster Wallace’s “Good People,” he narrates a story about two college students, Lane Dean, Jr. and Sheri Fisher, who face a dilemma of choosing between either abortion or keeping their baby. They are torn between these choices because they come from a religious family, in which abortion is illegal and they will become immoral if they decide to have an abortion. Thus, the couple is stuck in a battle between right and wrong as well as good, and evil. As the story proceeds, one will notice Wallace uses various writing techniques to depict his character, Lane Dean, in order to let readers gain a better understanding of him. For instance, he uses a third person point of view to describe Lane’s struggles, feelings, and thoughts.

In the novel Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers, the main character is Richie Perry. At seventeen he graduated high school in Harlem, and he wanted to go to college, but his mother couldn’t afford to send him to college since she was an alcoholic. So he joined the army to escape his unfortunate future, but joining the army meant he had to leave his little brother Kenny, who saw him as a father figure since their father left when they were younger. Perry was sent to Vietnam and through his journey, he made lifelong bonds with many different people such as PeeWee, Monaco, and etc. Also in his journey, he suffers from mental and physical wounds. In the end of the book he was completely changed, he has lost his innocence, his sense of normalcy and morality, their hope, and his faith, and the

The balance of what is good and what is bad is a rather controversial topic in the story "A Good Man is Hard to Find". Most notably, the characteristics of both the Grandmother and the Misfit. The Misfit portrays an immoral personality and seems to be the evil in the story while the grandmother is the innocent lady seeking to be the good in this story. However, the religious virtues effect both personas and in itself draws the line around them mutually as sinners. Both characters have a particular relationship with Jesus, a physical crisis crossed with a spiritual crisis and different conceptions of reality; thus, revealing how the portrayal of these characters are not what may seem. Both religion and Jesus have a key role and influence

David Foster Wallance’s short story, “Good People”, portrays the main characters issues while pondering the difficulties of spirituality during an emotional event. The main character, Lane Dean Jr. and his girlfriend are faced with a life changing decision: whether to abort the child Sheri is pregnant with or raise the child. Throughout this decision, Dean is faced with many psychological and spiritual dilemmas. While the couple originally decides to have an abortion, Sheri becomes unsure of the decision. While the pace of the story is slow, it emphasizes the emotional distress that both Dean and Sheri are going through. Not only does the story line express their internal conflicts about abortion, but also where they stand within their own faith. Dean struggles to understand his faith, while Sheri knows that within her faith she should not abort the child but love it instead (162). Throughout David Foster Wallace’s short story, “Good People” readers are able characterize Dean and his spirituality through the pace and narration of the novel.

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

Writing about controversial subjects can often be difficult; however Hughes executed his story, Salvation, in an intriguing manner that is suitable to all audiences and religions. In this story, the writer retells an experience from his childhood describing his journey to Jesus Christ. Discussing the complications, the main character, Hughes, faced while trying to come to Jesus is what makes the story interesting to read. On many occasions, you will read a story or watch a movie that shows the main character coming to Jesus and having an immediate and obvious realization of their Savior. For this reason, I found this story to be unique and relatable in the way that it shows a journey that countless Christians face, but you are not often granted the opportunity to read about this type of experience.

The short story “A Good Man is Hard to Find” is revolved around many distortions that the author O’Connor creates to build meaning within the story. The novel presents characters that are characterized through many different symbols that result in an uncanny feeling for the reader. O’Connor’s “place” is the distortion in the story that causes conflict, creating the uncanny feeling in the story. O’Connor’s “place” also represents a different variety of symbols, creating the necessary meaning of the psychological realism. O’Connor utilizes distortion to create meaning in the story within her characters who represent the conflicts within the Catholic Church and dramatizes it with a complicated sense of humor.

Someone’s whole world and sense of comfortability can be shaken by one moment. Often, these are tragedies. These tragedies can affect their mental and emotional state. Depending on the severity, they can affect someone temporarily or for their entire life. Unfortunately for Lionel and Neal, just fourteen year old kids, the tragedy they experience will stick with them for the rest of their lives. In the novel, Athletic Shorts, author Chris Crutcher uses the literary devices, characterization and tragedy, to set a dark mood for the story, which contrasts with the bright atmosphere created early in the book.

Life is a crazy and unpredictable journey through which you can only make it out sane if you have some psychotic friends to go through it with. Fortunately for me, I have my two best friends Dani and Jaime to go on this ludicrous adventure alongside me. As in any group of teenage girls, we argue and clash with our unconformities, but we also have our moments of compassion, all together moments where there is nothing that matters more than each other. In the novel, How to Be Bad, the three vital characters in the story, Jesse, Mel and Vicks, have similar relationships, beliefs and controversies that my threesome has; Jaime and Jesse are blunt “Christian Pants,” Mel and Dani are perfect little God-sent angels, Vicks and I are independent lovers

The drama, Good and Gone written and performed by the students of EP3C details the the experience of the lead character, Morrison’s, high school years. The play goes through the several landmark moments in his life as young adult and also gives insight into the lives of his friends as well. Throughout the script, one is able to see the relationships between such characters unfold and often the sense of conflict that it brings. The play circles heavily around the influence of art, specifically music, and its role in the lives of the characters. This not only creates strong central themes, but also creates strong internal conflicts, along with external conflicts among characters in which they regard themselves to have the most accurate and socially