`` Strays `` By Mark Richard

Richard Back once said “ The bond that links your true family is not one of blood, but of respect and joy in each other's life”. Ragged Company by Richard Wagamese is about a group of homeless individuals that struggle through the streets until they find a lottery ticket that wins them millions, but the battle does not end there. Little do the main characters know that the struggle of transitioning from the cold nights on the streets to the warmth of a home and family leaves them with only each other to count on to let go of their past and build towards their future. Each character goes through their own hardships that leave them relying on each other for support. The following paper will explore the different relationships that flourish throughout

To begin with, the important characters in this book includes: Tj, his parent, and foster home kids. TJ is the main character who is used and abused by his parents. Even as young child TJ's parent treated him as an adult, but even though they abused him badly they still played

When Mack and his friends fail because of the disastrous party that was supposed to be a surprise party for Doc, they affect everyone who is connected to him.  After their fallout Cannery Row becomes a sad and dull place. People of Cannery Row go through an unpleasant time.The happy and helpful Lee Chong who once gave the boys things from his store for free goes through a financial loss. There was rumors that the boys stole money and liquor for the party from his store. Dora’s Bear Flag Restaurant closed down for two months. Everyone who came to the disastrous party or were involved  in the party blamed themselves for their fall out.This shows how Mack and his friends are interconnected and how one affects

Balance and stability are integral factors of a human life and in maintaining relationships between humans, and can be influenced by whether or not a harmony is found between an individual’s freedom and confinement. These ideas are clearly presented in Mark Haddon’s novel, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time. In this text, Haddon conveys his ideas, through tone and emotive language, that the emotional and mental stability of an individual impact greatly on his or her relationships. Through symbolism, he also describes the way in which a moderate level of isolation is a crucial part in maintaining human relationships. Together, these allow for Haddon’s audience to gain a deeper understanding of humanity and human relationships.

To start, Ponyboy the protagonist in The Outsiders, Jonas the main character in The Giver, and Brian the lonely boy in Hatchet, all have to overcome hardships in their life. When ponyboy, [the main character in the book] was little, his parents' passed away in a car crash.He and his brothers, Dally and Sodapop, had to learn to take care of themselves after this devastation occurred. Ponyboy explains how his parent's death affected him and his brothers:“Since Mom and Dad were killed in an auto wreck, the three of us get to stay together only as long as we behave. So Soda and I stay out of trouble as much as we can, and we’re careful not to get caught when we can’t” (Hinton 3). Because of his parents’ death, Ponyboy and Soda try not to be bad

In a society of people all in the same situations how can someone feel so alone. When lives fall apart and people have nothing to hold on to people need each other most, yet are pushed so far from others. The novel Of Mice and Men written by John Steinbeck, follows the storyline of two men who are displaced farm workers during the Great Depression; they travel around and stick by each other’s sides no matter the circumstance. After many jobs they end up on a farm,the farm they hope will be their last stop. The time spent on the farm is filled with blooming friendships and careless quarrels, yet with an abundance of characters and entertainment- many people on the farm feel alone and out of place. Characters such as Crooks and Curley’s wife often come to mind when the subject of loneliness is brought up. Throughout the book using characters such as Crooks and Curley's wife, John Steinbeck demonstrates that humans are immensely impacted by separation from society and it will change the way that people will act and show themselves to others.

Because of the lack of love they have in their own homes, they do not have someone telling them how much they are loved and cared for. Even though the group of greaser boys love each other, they do not say it, and because of the lack of nurture those two boys have they do not place much value on their lives. Dally did not care about his life, he would always get himself into trouble and did not care if he got arrested or not. “Dally raised his gun . . . he was dead before he hit the ground.

The main character Trevor is a very reserved young man that seems to be burdened by life. Being the late comer to this band of street brothers, Trevor, which will soon be known as T, quickly moves up the ranks. This young man with what seems to be a very laid back and reserved demeanor, shows his leadership qualities very quickly. T/Trevor plots out a plan to demolish, from the inside, a neighbor’s home. It does not take him long to get his street brothers to join his disastrous plan. Through many twist and turns in the story, the young boys pull off a feat that seemed impossible. In comparison, the story

Ponyboy, Johnny, Sodapop, Darry are all a part of the unruly gang, the Greasers. S.E Hinton is writing these characters as rebellious young men, with a harsh background, who takes their anger and hardship out on gang fighting. These roles play an important part in this book because it shows that even though they nothing physically, they have a heart stronger than gold for each other and others mentally. Hinton use these characters to show prejudice leads to wrong conclusions, violence and oppression because these “poor” young men are getting beat up by the rich Socs who have never felt the feeling of being in poverty. “ You take up for your buddies, no matter what they do. When you’re in a gang, you stick up for the members. If you don’t stick up for them, stick together, make

The way a family is viewed in today’s time is the one of the american dream, with the white picket fence and smiling faces from both the children and the parents. Unfortunately, the curtain is pulled back to see the father three doors down with the single mother, the son is leaping out the window every night and the mother is taking too many supplements for depression while the little girl sleeps alone in the dark, crying. Not every family can be portrayed as what they want to be. To some extent, every family has their own problems that they must deal with everyday. No matter how much white paint one coats over their fence, someone stopping by will see the cracks and uneven brush strokes on the structure that is supposedly supposed to protect them all. These types of families have children that grow up with their parents always on edge, snapping at random moments and start to believe that this is how a family is supposed to act. Then, when they leave their unstable environment, they have their own problems with the new family they created, which are inherited from the one they thought they left behind. The attachment they once had to their former life was left in loose ends and unneeded ties with no scissors available to cut them with. Dysfunctional families often have these types of dynamics and are viewed not only from personal experiences but now also are transferred into works of literature to develop the misgivings of such a family. In Fences, August Wilson creates a

Four Brothers depicts a family of four adopted brothers that come to avenge their mother’s death in Detroit in what initially appears to be a random killing in a grocery store robbery. As a backdrop, the four brothers, Bobby, Jeremiah, Jack, and Angel, did not have a family support system, were left to fend for themselves, and were constantly involved in criminal activities. As a result of them not being accepted into any foster care outreach programs, Evelyn Mercer, a lady who had sincere intentions, took all four of them into her own home and adopted them. She became their mother. The brothers suspected their mother’s killing was not a random act and decided to take matters into their own hands. The boys’ investigation of the death reveals more reprehensible activities involving the one brother’s business dealing with a notorious local criminal and the acts of a corrupted cop. The negative social labels that the Mercer brothers experience are passed on from public officials to the citizens of the community. This labeling becomes the nemesis of the Mercer brothers.

The wanderers experience with death leads him to face great sorrow which comes to be known as his only companion left. All of these examples together benefit the themes development by illustrating and elevating the wanderers’ level of loneliness.

A small family of four, living in the Tory town of Redding. Life was great Mr. and Mrs. Meeker owned a small tavern that supplies their town with food, rum, and supplies. Their son Timmy helped around the tavern and did chores, because his older brother Sam was off at college. Everyone in Redding was close and knew the Meeker family, they all admired how they had raised Sam and Timmy. Every year after college was over, Sam would come home and visit, except one.

‘..Guys like us that work on ranches are the loneliest guys in the world they got no family they don’t belong no place.’ This is what many felt during the ‘great depression’ in the 1930’s. John Steinbeck gives us the sense that many felt lonely ‘they got no family they don’t belong no place. The main theme of this novel is alienation; the three characters, Curley’s wife, candy, and crooks are all alienated, and felt it by another person at some point. They all have dreams... it’s the American dream... but not all dreams come true...

Straying away from life as a whole only to be alone, some may say is the strong way to heal themselves when dealing with extreme grief or a major crisis . In the book Wild, twenty-two year old Cheryl Strayed thought she had lost it all. Dealing with the loss of her mother, her family torn to pieces, and her very own marriage was being destroyed right before her very eyes. Living life with nothing more to lose, lifeless, she made the most life changing decision of her life. Strayed never seems remorseful on her decisions to up and leave everything behind while deciding to flee from it all. This being her way of dealing with life, it shows her as being strong; a woman of great strength and character. She shows personal strength, which is