Courage to Change
Courage to Change
“In Balfour, where he landed early in the morning, he almost lost courage when he found out that nobody understood him. But at the hardware store a man- the same who had made him a present of the cap he was wearing-had made signs to him as if pitching sheaves, meanwhile talking to him, tentatively , in short monosyllables, apparently asking questions./ he thought that now he looked exactly like a Canadian.” (Frederick Philip Grove 21-22).
Many people immigrate to other countries because they want a better life and future. However, it's often not an easy transition. Immigrants have to deal with problems such as the language barrier, discrimination, and alienation. In the story” The First Day of an Immigrant”, by Frederick Philip Grove, one of the characters named Niels Lindstedt, is an immigrant of Canada and faced similar problems when he moved. However, he was successful in overcoming the challenges of immigration because of his courage. This story demonstrates that immigrants cannot be afraid to work hard, make changes to fit in, and to seek help from others in order to be accepted into the society.
When an immigrant arrives into a new place, one of the most difficult things is to find work. In order to look for a job, one has to be able to communicate with others. But as an immigrant, without knowledge of the local dialect, finding employers is rendered impossible. When Niels Lindstedt landed in Balfour, Manitoba, he only knew how to speak his native Swedish language. He almost lost courage as he was unable to talk to, or comprehend with others. But that didn't stop him from finding work. Niels Lindstedt began working on his own initiative when he saw the two men frantically lifting some load of bushel. He immediately set out to help them even though it was not his job. This sudden cause of action both confused and impressed Jim, the Scotsman. Jim was so impressed in fact that he relayed the presence of Niels to the
“In Balfour, where he landed early in the morning, he almost lost courage when he found out that nobody understood him. But at the hardware store a man- the same who had made him a present of the cap he was wearing-had made signs to him as if pitching sheaves, meanwhile talking to him, tentatively , in short monosyllables, apparently asking questions./ he thought that now he looked exactly like a Canadian.” (Frederick Philip Grove 21-22).
Many people immigrate to other countries because they want a better life and future. However, it's often not an easy transition. Immigrants have to deal with problems such as the language barrier, discrimination, and alienation. In the story” The First Day of an Immigrant”, by Frederick Philip Grove, one of the characters named Niels Lindstedt, is an immigrant of Canada and faced similar problems when he moved. However, he was successful in overcoming the challenges of immigration because of his courage. This story demonstrates that immigrants cannot be afraid to work hard, make changes to fit in, and to seek help from others in order to be accepted into the society.
When an immigrant arrives into a new place, one of the most difficult things is to find work. In order to look for a job, one has to be able to communicate with others. But as an immigrant, without knowledge of the local dialect, finding employers is rendered impossible. When Niels Lindstedt landed in Balfour, Manitoba, he only knew how to speak his native Swedish language. He almost lost courage as he was unable to talk to, or comprehend with others. But that didn't stop him from finding work. Niels Lindstedt began working on his own initiative when he saw the two men frantically lifting some load of bushel. He immediately set out to help them even though it was not his job. This sudden cause of action both confused and impressed Jim, the Scotsman. Jim was so impressed in fact that he relayed the presence of Niels to the
Cited: Grove Philip, Frederick. “The First Day of an Immigrant.” Making a Difference: Canadian Multicultural Literature in English. 2Nd ed. Ed. Smaro Kamboureli. Print.