Nightjohn Character Analysis

In “Nightjohn” by Gary Paulsen, Nightjohn and Sarny, live difficult lives of slavery. With no freedom, and Sarny’s wish to learn, Nightjohn is in desperate need to teach Sarny to read and write, to able to write to others to teach them about the bads things of slavery. Through the story’s brave characters, description of hardships they, and a beautiful picture of their bravery they have, readers understand that Gary Paulsen is expressing the idea that helping others, is worth sacrificing yourself.

Nightjohn left his Family behind, so he could teach slaves to read and write. In the movie Nightjohn, Sarny tells us how Nightjohn told her that he left his family behind. Nightjohn then was caught, and became a slave again. At the end of the movie, Sarny tells us that “he never met his family again.” If I was in Nightjohn’s shoes, it would be hard for me to leave my family that I love behind so I could teach

Nightjohn had taught Sarny many letters, and she was starting to read, when she was caught. It later came out that Nightjohn was the person teaching her to read and write. In the book it says “they held his foot down, then he raised the axe, and swung on his toe.” “Than they grabbed his other foot, held it on the log, and cut of the other toe.” After reading this you know that Nightjohn was punished, for teaching a slave to read and write. I wouldn’t want to lose my two toes, for teaching a slave to read and write. Nightjohn was able to sacrifice his two toes, to teach slaves to read and write.

Gary Paulsen uses Nightjohn and Sarny to show readers what truly is important: Sacrifices. Nightjohn sacrifices important things, in order to teach Sarny to read and write. It is admirable to see Nightjohn sacrificing multiple things for Sarny. But it is even more admirable to see Nightjohn continuing to teach, even after he lost his toes. Nightjohn shows that helping others, is worth sacrificing