Nature as a Character

Nature is a key setting in the story of independence and of our desire, as humans, to be independent. Nature is all of our environment, which exists through individual organisms coexisting because each organism has its niche. Nature is successful when everything fills its niche and it fails when an organism attempts to expand its power too far. This individuality through both the personal and organismal level supplies the world with an environment that supports both life and personal matters but only as long as it does not extend its power too far. As the natural world around us continues to be minimized, it is up to the organisms that it provides for, to provide for it. This means that humans play a key role in determining how long Earth will survive and how long we the human world can coexist in the natural world.

Manipulative Identity

As individuals in a social society, we are confronted with people that are variations of ourselves on a daily basis. Our identities within these groups of people vary slightly for each group that we classify ourselves in. Each group classifies themselves into subsection of society, creating a sense of competitiveness towards other groups. Personally, we do this as well. We protect our worst characteristics of ourselves as we take part in society. Our desire to be successful in society causes us to form multiple identities of ourselves in which one is a personal identity and the others are shared with society.

Identity

Finding one’s true self is something that either consciously or subconsciously happens for everyone. Whether this process poses a struggle or whether it is simply all rewards, identities are driven by experiences and our natural self. Our true identities may only be discovered by oneself because we ‘hide’ or ‘protect’ our deepest secrets or emotions. Giovanni’s Room shares the story of a young man as he aspires to be the most wholesome version of himself, a version that does not lie or deny his true being.

Traumatic Events to Behavior

Traumatic events cause people to act in rash ways. Decisions made under the influence of traumatic events may in fact be altered by the event but ultimately, the actions were committed by that person. Limiting the number of triggers or negative memories that a person with an altered state of mind will face, will limit the number of times that they will act irrationally. The book Beloved unravels a story of a family who has faced the horrors of slavery and their decisions following their trauma including the killing of a young child.

Lack of Connections as Barrier

Connections between two people or two groups of people inspire unity. As unity is inspired, passions are empowered to become powerful actions. When actions occur, reform is created, but if there are limited connections things don’t happen. As I’ve read the book Beloved, I have struggled to form connections between the main characters. So far, I have not had major empathy towards the actions of the characters and of the author Toni Morrison. This lack of connections comes from a number of barriers including the barrier of religion, experience, race, and political viewpoints.

Women in the 19th Century

Women from the 19th century faced great challenges as they pursued excellence in their daily life. Traditional customs regarding medicine, marriage, and equality where much different during the 19th century than they are today. The Yellow Wall-Paper, a short story by Charlotte Perkins Gilman shows the struggles of a young, married woman as she endures poor medical treatment and unfair treatment in her relationship with her husband due to a form of depression that she has.

Courage is More than an Emotion

Courage is an emotion that inspires someone to be bigger than themselves. This motivational emotion is ignited everyday in one way or another. Whether it is ignited through the courage to speak in front of a class, battle in a war, or simply by stepping out of one’s comfort zone, courage exists in every human being. Due to this powerful emotion, there are millions of descriptions of courage as a concept, if it can even be described in words. Tim O’Brien beautifully encases scenarios of extreme courage throughout his novel Going After Cacciato. Throughout his book, he displays characters and stories in which individuals find and act upon this emotion in varying ways.