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Examples Of Dialectical Journal For Goldfinch

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Goldfinch Journal Theo’s life is effected greatly by the other characters in the book. In the beginning, his mother has the greatest influence on him. Without her, he is a ship adrift in a sea of uncertainty with no way to navigate to more predictable waters. It is not until he meets Hobie that Theo begins to find himself again. Where everyone has some sort of advice or idea on how Theo should be handling his mother’s death, Hobie does not. He listens to Theo, providing Theo with a confidant who will just listen and not try to drug him to make him feel better or tell him that he should take art classes to express his feelings.
From the very first meeting, Hobie helps Theo in his efforts to survive in his post-mother world. When everyone else fails to …show more content…

There is no question about his motives in allowing Theo to help him with his work. He is there to provide a mourning boy with a sympathetic ear and something to do to keep the boy occupied, if only for a few hours. He does not hold back on sharing things about himself, as seen on page 179 when he tells Theo the story of how his father cheated him out of years of honest wage. He also forces Theo to think deeper about things, like literature, as seen in their discussion on page 136 about writers like Poe. In that conversation, Hobie listens to Theo’s opinion and supplies his own, inviting Theo discuss them with him. Such conversations also provide proof on how Hobie shows an interest in Theo. He asks Theo about his day, but does not push for a reply. He asks Theo about what he likes and what he thinks without being too pushy. There is no question about Hobie’s motive; he is just a nice guy who is helping a boy life chewed up and spat out. By being so forthright of a character, Hobie is a character who is “a planet without atmosphere” (160). He is not hiding himself from Theo, allowing Theo to see him without the protective layer of an

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