ipl-logo

State Of Wonder Character Analysis

817 Words4 Pages

The concept of exile consisting of contrasting ideas of an “unhealable rift” and “enriching” was brought forth by literary theorist Edward Saif. In Ann Patchett’s novel, State of Wonder, she creates the protagonist Dr. Marina Singh who experiences exile as she first relocates to a small Brazilian town and later ventures into the much larger Brazilian rainforest. The exile that Marina experiences demonstrates the novel’s theme of abandonment through the exploration of exile as a phenomenon that is alienating through the unawareness of surroundings and nostalgia, enriching through the procurement of knowledge and experiences, and requires an individual to survive the mounting pressures.
Dr. Marina Singh first enters her exile when she voluntarily …show more content…

By stepping outside of her comfort zone and travelling to Brazil to inquire upon the death of her friend and investigate the research of Dr. Swenson, Marina was able to overcome her longtime nightmare of blinding a baby during her residency period and delivered the child of a native woman. By doing so, she was able to set aside her fears of making a mistake and obtained the ability to forgive herself for harming a patient. In addition, her experiences in the Amazon jungle, away from the reach of society’s hands, enabled her to experience the life of the Lakashi tribe and understand how the women were able to bear children at great age and be inoculated against the malaria virus. While the Lakashi women possessed almost supernatural abilities, Marina was able to learn that all humans are similar Furthermore, the duration of the exile provided Marina with insight regarding herself and the loved ones she left behind and allowed her to be at peace with her father’s abandonment. This revelation of knowledge demonstrates the human ability to adapt and conform to obstacles and utilize the experiences of exile to become enriched with knowledge end experiences, reflecting the main meaning found in State of Wonder: abandonment necessitates the need for

Show More
Related

  • Character Analysis: The Light In Hidden Places

    708 Words  | 3 Pages

    Life or death. Truth or lies. Right or wrong. Life is full of making hard decisions. This book includes tough choices the characters make as they face life-or-death situations.

    Read More

  • Powerful Exile In Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man

    660 Words  | 3 Pages

    In Ralph Ellison’s novel Invisible Man, he explains how powerful exile plays an important role in the narrator’s journey to finding out who he really is. According to Edward Said “Exile is… a rift forced between a human being and a native place,…its essential sadness can never be surmounted…a potent, even enriching” .The narrator’s journey to finding who he is, was alienating and enriching. The narrator’s journey to alienation and enrichment began in chapter six of Ralph Ellison’s novel Invisible Man.

    Read More

  • The Importance Of Diction In Marina's State Of Wonder

    1054 Words  | 5 Pages

    Ann Patchett reveals how Marina’s daily activities such as, “wandering through the city...in hopes...of Dr.Swenson,” were challenged by “rain...that ran ankle deep,” emphasizing her helplessness as she had no clue on how to find Dr.Swenson, ultimately leading her to simply “wander,” and qualifying the idea that the environment simply punctuated her troubles. She was met on frequently by heavy storms she was unaware of; however, she soon adapted and realized how when rain began to pour, “people moved calmly...backs against their buildings...while they waited for the storms to pass,” a learned behavior which enabled her to roam freely without regards to weather worries. This daily solution to a daily problem is used by Patchett to reveal her situation and defend her ability to adapt and learn the ways of her new environment. Furthermore, her early encounters of helplessness from the rain shifts to pleased as she gradually loses fear of wandering around and learns new coping

    Read More

  • Wonder By R. J Palacio: Character Analysis

    402 Words  | 2 Pages

    What would you do if you were friends with “The Freak” of your school? Wouldn’t you feel insecure? In the story Wonder, by R.J Palacio. Summer Dawson, a helpful and kind and brave soul, helps a boy who has been homeschooled all his life. Summer helps August Pullman a.k.a Auggie Pullman fit in.

    Read More

  • Character Analysis: Wonder By R. J Palacio

    157 Words  | 1 Pages

    In the novel Wonder by R.J Palacio, Jack and summer have different perspectives about august but they are still friends with him but they still Friends with no matter what he looks like. For example, “He's not a zombie, I laughed like they were making a joke”( pg 119). His classmates treat August differently because does not look the same as other people. This means that even if August is down on himself, his friends will still cloud lift him back up off the ground. For example, after he left the classroom Jack said: “ dude thanks for doing that” (pg 142).August looks out for other people and for that reason that makes him a very good friend to other people.

    Read More

  • Wonder By Rj Pulacio Character Analysis

    940 Words  | 4 Pages

    Many challenges come with being home-schooled, like not making friends and being around them all the time. Imagine being home-schooled for the first five years of your life and then being thrown into a normal school in the fifth grade. Going to school for the first time is stressful all by itself, but being way different from everyone is even more stressful. Small ears, droopy eyes, and a headset, all things we are not used to seeing on an average individual’s face. August Pullman cannot walk into a room without people turning their heads and staring at him, most people even get frightened when meeting him for the first time.

    Read More

  • A Bridge To Wiseman's Cove Character Analysis

    666 Words  | 3 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Character Analysis: Inside Out And Back Again

    1221 Words  | 5 Pages

    Ha’s life has turned inside out and back again. Ha’s life has turned inside out because she had been forced out of her home in Saigon due to war. Her life has also turned back again because she is settling into Alabama and starting to be smart again. Along her journey she faces many challenges because of language and other people not being friendly and welcoming to her. The book Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai is about a girl named Ha that is a refugee from the city of Saigon in Vietnam.

    Read More

  • Character Analysis: The First Stone

    965 Words  | 4 Pages

    Forgiving someone is one of the best things you could do. However, for you to forgive someone, you must accept what has happened and be ready to move on. Forgiving someone gives them an opportunity to redeem themselves, and allows them to move on as well. By accepting the past, you might find reasoning within the mistakes of the others, and give you as better understanding of how you should act. Forgiveness is a large part of The First Stone, and within the story is a valuable lesson:

    Read More

  • Out Of The Dust Character Analysis

    1149 Words  | 5 Pages

    In the novel Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse, main character Billie Jo faces several challenging obstacles throughout her lifetime. Getting through these obstacles is the only way Billie Jo can learn to forgive her father as well as herself for their mistakes. Once she learns to stop feeling resentful, and let go, Billie Jo will be able to grow up. The first major challenge Billie Jo faces is when a fire breaks out in her home. The fire ignites when Billie Jo’s mother mistakes a pail of kerosene for water, where,“instead of making coffee, Ma [makes] a rope of fire”(87).

    Read More

  • Wonder By R. J. Palacio Character Analysis

    679 Words  | 3 Pages

    Imagine going somewhere that you would absolutely despise going to. You go there, and after you arrive home, you think about your experiences there and realize that you actually had a delightful time! This is how Auggie, from R.J. Palacio’s book, “Wonder” feels. Auggie is a 10-year-old boy who has been homeschooled his whole life. Everything about him is normal, except for his face.

    Read More

  • Character Analysis: Where The Wild Things Are

    973 Words  | 4 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • A Long Way Gone Character Analysis

    1035 Words  | 5 Pages

    Desire is the need for an object, a feeling or a person. One can have a desire for something that is essential for survival, such as water or food, but desire could be used to harm others or oneself. Through A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah, Ishmael’s perspective of desire was altered dramatically. These desires were changed from his surroundings or events that were taking place. In the book, Ishmael was easily manipulated by his desires.

    Read More

  • Wonder By R. J Palacio Character Analysis

    550 Words  | 3 Pages

    In the novel Wonder by R.J Palacio, a number of symbols help to show Auggie's journey as he goes through the struggles of school. The different symbols and how they represent Auggie's journey are referred to throughout the novel. Auggie's masks, his Padawan braid and the universe are all used to symbolise his journey. Along the story line, Auggie wears a range of different masks.

    Read More

  • Alienation In H. G. Wells's The Invisible Man

    1727 Words  | 7 Pages

    He suffers from psychological complexes, that alienated him from society, and he 's unable to face the realities of life. This research indicates the modern theme of breakdown, absurdity, uselessness, loneliness, and bitterness of life. The protagonist also realizes that the escape from the responsibilities is not a solution to life 's problem. A person ought to create a struggle for his survival, otherwise, there 's the decay of humanity in alienation. In the novel, the author appears to

    Read More

More about State Of Wonder Character Analysis

Open Document