“Cecelia” In her story “Cecelia”, the author Laura Loomis develops character to prove that it is not mankind’s place to decide if another should live or die. To begin, she demonstrates this theme through the development of Cecelia as a character. After Cecelia discovers that she has the ability to heal others when they touch her, she is very frustrated with her gift. She hates the idea that she is able to help others heal, while not being able to heal herself. However, after reflecting on her ability, her character evolves into a more selfless one. After her struggle with Carlos, she explains that “I might never be healed, but healing would come for him, finally, no matter how hard he fought it.” (Loomis 5). After this event, she realizes that it is not under her control to decide who should or shouldn’t be healed, and that she should at least be selfless enough for everyone to attempt to receive her gift. In addition to Cecelia, Laura Loomis also develops Carlos’ character to demonstrate the idea that it is not mankind’s place to decide if another should live or die. This theme is especially prominent when Carlos attempts to suffocate Cecelia. Earlier in the story, Carlos had always been against the notion of treating Cecelia like a regular person, given that she was in a coma. He didn’t believe that she was aware of what was going on around her, comparing her to an empty shell.He became even more frustrated when Mama began letting other people come to Cecelia to get healed. He believed that he was doing everybody a favor when he attempted to kill Cecelia. “The pillow fell away. My eyes opened again. The light hurt, but I could see Carlos fall to his knees,” (Loomis 5). Carlos dropped the pillow that he was using to strange Cecelia because he was unable to find the strength to continue. He recognized the fact that it wasn’t his place to decide whether or not Cecelia lived or died, and grew to realize that he should be helping her and caring for her instead.
In “Cecelia”, Laura Loomis also uses character development to prove a second theme: altruistic actions can be rewarding for an individual. She first demonstrates this through Cecelia’s development as a character. When she first discovered that she had
Calaveras High School softball player Keelie Koepp is one of the many underclassmen who is helping to capture a second consecutive Mother Lode League championship. The freshman third baseman enjoyed a strong week, picking up five hits, smacking nine RBIs, scoring three runs and stealing one base.
Sophie Biyoya Ciardulli is the main character in the book, “Endangered”, by Eliot Schrefer. She is the daughter of Florence Biyoya, who is Congolese, and an Italian-American dad. Her mother had always thought of protecting bonobos as her top duty in life, so it was no surprise when she chose staying in Congo to develop her bonobo sanctuary rather than returning to the U.S. with her husband and daughter, after Sophie’s dad is transferred to Miami, Florida by his company for a job. Sophie attends school in America, but spends summers with her mother. Sophie had always been angry and hurt by the fact that her mother was the reason her parents divorced, but when she meets Otto, she transitions slowly in opinion and grows in acceptance of her mother’s
During the times times of when the founding fathers lived, the slaves they brought in suffered from the chains on their hands and being dragged by their owners. In the book, Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson, the protagonist, Isabel, is one of those slaves. She was taken away from her home and was sold with her family when she was only 1 year old. Curzon is a slave who fights for the patriots in order to gain his freedom. Isabel and Curzon are bound by their chains from their lives. Even as their experiences may be different, they share many chains events that bind them together. This is shown through their scars, their quest for freedom, and their imprisonment.
In this novel Taylor is a dynamic character, we see her transform from a young girl who didn’t want to get married or have kids to an independent single mother. In the beginning we get to know her as a self-owned, determined and a stubborn girl who is focused, ambitious and thinks outside the box; because she knows firsthand what is like to see her mother struggle as a single parent. She learned to value every day because pregnancy was like a disease. An example of her considerate outlook is “believe me in those days the girls were dropping by the wayside like seeds off a poppy seed bun and you learned to look at every day as a prize” (3). This small but
Katie Nolan, Francie’s mother, is the main reason that Francie is able to survive her arduous childhood and succeed in life. Food, heat and protection are always available to the Nolan children even if it means that Katie has to work multiple jobs or even sacrifice some of her own needs. Katie gives all she can to provide for her children and Francie truly values her mother’s hard work. Francie appreciates her mother’s thougtful acts, but still, Francie develops
The Readers teach the young minds they are molding the concepts of kindness and charity. In the lesson “The New Year” (83), Edward gives money to a poor family, in “Emulation” (98), a young boy sacrifices his own prominence to help his fellow classmate. The many stories revolving around family and virtues such as, kindness show how looking out for your fellow man was taught through this text. This will be an important idea in the discussion of societal relationships throughout industrialization and it is this value that seems to be the most challenged and evolved within the period of
Everybody has difficulties in their lives that change them in some way, shape, or form. When a person experiences these difficulties; It can cause them to shift their outlook on certain things and/or cause changes in character. This is certainly the case when it comes to Esperanza Ortega. She is the main character in Esperanza Rising. Esperanza 13 years old and lives in El Rancho de las Rosas. She is the only daughter of a very wealthy rancher. Esperanza is forced to leave her perfect life due to the murder of her father. She comes to California and becomes a peasant worker. This journey causes Esperanza to change in many different ways.
When he got sick trying to protect their land, his Abuelita asked to take him home but refused and answered, “no, no, no. I want to help Mami with her dream house” (128). Carlos had wanted to prove to his mother that he wants her to stay badly, even if it could cost him his life.
Being a black female in the south during the early 1900’s, at a time when white and blacks were socially segregated and women were absolutely inferior to men, was one of the many challenges Celie would be faced with in her lifetime. Born in 1895, Celie was raised on a farm in a small town in Georgia where formal education took a back seat to physical labor and household maintenance, and the Church was the main focal point of socialization among local town members.
After the crash, the woman in the carriage who claimed to be carmilla’s mother explained to Laura’s father that Carmilla will not speak of her past. The connection between the narrator and Carmilla strengthens and Laura begins to ask about Carmilla past, who refuses to reveal anything. Le Fanu writes:
Carlos was not caught stealing anything, but the fear instilled by the idea of an intruder was real, given the perception that the town was relatively safe. Further conviction came upon the discovery of the body the following morning, and in particular the clothes, which he wore. His attire implied that he was poor, and also did not fit in to the town. He was not known to any townsfolk, and was essentially an outcast, and posed a threat to them. When he attempted to tamper with the door, as proven with the shot to the lock which struck his nose (111), that threat was manifested, not only as someone trying to steal, but also someone who did not belong to their social group. Even the priest seems to condescend on Carlos’ mother, when he inquires whether or not she attempted to ‘right his wrongs’. The priest looks for someone in particular to blame, rather than considering an oppressive system, which may have denied Carlos the chance of a proper education to equip him with the tools essential to rescue his family from that poverty.
Celie is able to accept her past and establish a clear vision of herself and fulfillment through the acts of love. She meets other women who tell her that she should stand up for herself and fight, but Celie feels that it’s better to survive than to fight and risk not surviving. However, there are certain triggers that lead Celie to stand up. Like a true fighter, Celie proves herself to be willing to stand up for the people she loves. Even as a downtrodden victim of her Pa, Celie sacrifices herself and offers herself to her father so that he keeps his hands off of Nettie. As mentioned in this quote, where Pa is sexually abiding Celie, “First he put his thing up gainst my hip and sort of wiggle it around. Then he grab hold my titties. Then he push his thing inside my pussy. When that hurt, I cry. He start to choke me, saying You better shut up and git used to it. ” (Walker, 4). Celie has the potential by putting her efforts into other people, but not realizing she is able to stand up for herself the same ways he does for Nettie. Relating it back to the novel, “Beloved”, Sethe does the same representation when she is trying to save Beloved even though the idea is bizarre of her killing her own child, but she only does it so that she would not have to suffer the way Sethe did. Celie is introduced with Shug Avery a blues singer, who she was first found “rude”, but as the story moves along, Shug Avery becomes the reason Celie learns to love herself. Because Celie is finally opening herself up by loving someone, Celie becomes more lovable. Through Shug’s love, Celie begins to realize her own self-worth, from the minute when Shug Avery wrote a song for Celie, as said in this quote: “This song I'm bout to sing us call Miss. Celie's song.”(Walker, 73).By the end of the novel, Celie loves more
At the end of the novel Celie has finally created a permanent life for herself. The way she interacts with the other characters and attitude towards things has
Celie's transformation from Mr. ____'s slave into an independent women is successful thanks to two strong women that become role models for Celie in her everyday life; Shug Avery and Sofia. Sofia is a role model in a more unconscious way for Celie then Shug is. Sofia's whole appearance and behaviour is proud, she lets no one sit on her and Celie is, at first, jealous of Sofia's self-confidence and tries to destroy it by giving her husband Harpo the advice to beat her to make her obedient; "I think about this when Harpo ast me what he ought to do to make her mind. [---] I think bout how every time I jump when Mr. _____ call me, she [Sofia] look surprise. And like she pity me. Beat her. I say"2. When this does not work, Celie realises that Sofia is someone to become more alike, not someone to destroy.
Celie is inspired by her sister’s independence, determination and perseverance in Africa among foreign people whom Nettie cares about deeply. Celie saw the impact that a woman could have on others and felt