Eng 11th/Pd.1 February 9, 2013
Critical Lens Essay #3 Joanna Kathleen Rowling once said, “It is our choices that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.” Rowling’s words suggest it is our decisions that show who we really are more than our capabilities. It’s not about what we can do or how fast we can get it done, but it’s ultimately about the decisions we make to do something or not. Rowling’s words are in fact valid. The choices you make in a difficult situation can fundamentally show the people around you what you’re made of and what you’re about. Evidence of Rowling’s words exist in Ashley Antoinette’s novel Moth to a Flame through the use of characterization and Sidi’s novel Fatou: An African Girl In Harlem also through the use of characterization. Both Antoinette and Sidi’s work show that the decisions we make ultimately show who we truly are. Sidi uses the characterization of the Fatou in his novel Fatou: An African Girl In Harlem to show that the choices we make basically show who we really are. Fatou is the protagonist in the novel. She was brought from African to America at twelve years old to marry a forty year old man named Lama. Fatou was sold to this man so her family could live wealthy in Africa. She always thought America was the land of greatness and freedom until she got there. Her forty year old husband did nothing but abuse her. Fatou wanted nothing more than to get away from Lama and make a better living for herself. She decided to go to school and get her get her diploma. Moreover, she decided to no longer be someone else’s property. The characterization of Fatou in the novel clearly shows that your decisions show who we truly are. Instead of being someone’s slave, Fatou chose to run away and make a better life for herself. Furthermore, she showed everyone around her that she’s not property and she’s no longer going to be oppressed by her forty year old husband. All things considered, by using Fatou Sidi shows or choices are what show what we truly are, not our capabilities. Ashley Antoinette uses the characterization of Raven in her novel Moth to a Flame to show the decisions we make fundamentally show who we are as a person. Raven is the protagonist in the novel. She is the daughter of Benny Atkins. At seventeen, Raven began dating a known stick-up kid named Mizan. Unknown to her, Mizan had different intentions. He wanted to take Raven’s father off his throne. Raven’s Father, Benny Atkins, was the king of the whole drug scene in Flint, MI and Mizan envied him. Her Father sensed there wasn’t something right about Mizan and forbid Raven to see him again. Unfortunately, this only pushed Raven closer to Mizan. From then on, Raven’s life began to spiral downward. Her father died, her mother was sent to jail, and she was left to take care of her six year old sister. Raven and her little sister moved in with Mizan. Shortly after, Mizan started abusing Raven. After losing her child because of the constant beating, Raven finally found the courage to leave Mizan. She reached out to Ethic, a man that worked with her father, and he helped her and her little sister get on their feet. Raven and Ethic ended up falling in love and starting their own family. Raven also applied for college classes and eventually got her degree. Antoinette’s portrayal of Raven shows that your choices are what make you who you are. Raven chose to leave Mizan and make a better life for her little sister, instead of being someone’s punching bag. Furthermore, Raven chose her life. She showed many individuals around her that she can stand on her own two feet and even with her struggles, she was going to make it. Thus, by using Raven Antoinette showed that your capabilities are nothing compared to the decisions you make. Joanna Kathleen Rowling’s quote, “ It is our choices that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities” , illustrates that our abilities are nothing compared to the decisions we make, our decisions are what show those around us who we ultimately are. Rowling’s words were validated by Ashley Antoinette in her novel Moth to a Flame using the characterization of Raven. She showed her readers that abilities mean nothing because the protagonist wasn’t capable of overcoming her boyfriend. Instead, the protagonist chose to leave him and she saved her life doing so. The lens is also proven true by Sidi in his novel Fatou: An African Girl in Harlem in which he uses the characterization of the protagonist Fatou to show that some things you’re not capable of controlling but you can make a choice to remove yourself from the situation. Writers like Antoinette and Sidi show readers that our choices are what show the individuals around us what we’re made of not our capabilities.
You May Also Find These Documents Helpful
-
Self-expression is extremely vital for the reason that, it is what distinguishes us, and defines an individual by the decision he or she makes. Notably, in the stories “Harrison Bergeron", “The Pedestrian", and Fahrenheit 451 all by Ray Bradbury, where individual self-expression is a key aspect of the story. In the short story “Harrison Bergeron” by Ray Bradbury the government has tried to make everyone equal by requiring those who are more talented than others to wear “handicap” equipment to make everyone the same, however the principle character Harrison is forced to wear more equipment than everyone else and is placed in prison, owing to the fact that he is considered substantially more gifted than the rest.…
- 117 Words
- 1 Page
Good Essays -
According to Ernest Hemingway, “...all things truly wicked start from innocence.” This quotation means that everything that is evil was once pure. I agree with the quotation because when your are pure of anything contaminated, the environment can create evilness in a person. Through the use of symbolism in Lord of the Flies, and irony in Oedipus the King, William Golding and Sophocles shows the readers that corruption stems from innocence.…
- 711 Words
- 2 Pages
Good Essays -
Your task: to write a Critical Lens essay using TWO of the characters from The Crucible.…
- 726 Words
- 3 Pages
Satisfactory Essays -
“The evil that is in the world almost always comes of ignorance, and good intentions may do as much harm as malevolence if they lack understanding.” - Albert Camus. In the novel Lord of the Flies by William Golding, a group of British schoolboys become stranded on a deserted tropical island after their plane is shot down. Without the rules and structure of civilization the boys quickly descend into savagery. Some of the boys who are led by Ralph, the group’s chosen leader, are peaceful and work together to achieve common goals. The others led by Jack are hunters who act selfishly and indulge in violence. William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, tells the story of Macbeth, a brave Scottish general, who receives a prophecy from a trio of witches that one day he will be the King of Scotland. His ambitious thoughts and influence from his wife spurs him to murder King Duncan and seize the throne. Macbeth becomes a tyrannical ruler and is forced to commit more murders in order to protect himself from suspicion. In literature, evil seems like a good choice and is slightly successful but in the end it is proven to be less than good, possibly even harmful. The idea that evil often triumphs but never conquers in literature is true. This is shown in Golding’s Lord of the Flies and Shakespeare’s Macbeth. In Lord of the Flies, Ralph is chosen the leader and sets the goal of getting rescued using a signal fire to attract ships. Jack is the leader of the hunters and wishes to use authoritarian rule over democratic rule. Jack is ruled over by evil through his selfishness in wanting to hunt and forget about the fire. He hides behind a mask and quickly moves towards complete savagery. He never gets that far since the boys are rescued by a naval officer. In Macbeth, the main character, Macbeth is persuaded by his wife, Lady Macbeth, to murder the king of Scotland so he will take the throne. Lady Macbeth makes Macbeth feel unmanly and cowardly so he…
- 1959 Words
- 8 Pages
Good Essays -
“All literature shows us power of emotion, it is emotion, not reason that motivates characters in literature.”This powerful quote was once said by Duff Brenna. Yes this quote is true. This quote means that author’s put life into the characters they create in literature. Characters that act on emotion, gets the reader gets emotionally attached to them and they just want to keep reading that book without putting it down. The Glass Menagerie written by Tennessee Williams and Romeo and Juliet written by William Shakespeare help to prove this is true.…
- 474 Words
- 2 Pages
Good Essays -
The British naturalist and politician John Lubbock wrote, “Your character will be what you yourself choose to make it.” I agree with John Lubbock, because I believe we choose our character traits. We make decisions in our lives, some life changing decisions, some small irrelevant decisions, that could change our minds according to how we process our choices. Our personality affects our character heavily, our personality tells one everything about us. Our character is also affected by our ability to perceive things positively or negatively. I believe that we chose our character traits by the decisions that we make, our personality, and our ability to perceive things in a positive or a negative way.…
- 411 Words
- 2 Pages
Good Essays -
Nicholas Cage once said that, “I like flawed characters because somewhere in them I see more of the truth.” This quotes means that characters are much more unrealistic when they are perfect. Characters with flaws give the reader a more accurate view of humanity because all people have flaws.…
- 615 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
The work of literature I have chosen to read from the perspective of the quote "character is what you are in the dark" is "The Scarlet Ibis" by James Hurst. In this piece of literature there is a boy that is doing something for the wrong reason and he's the only one that knows it .Ones the boy realizes what he done he cry's hides it and dosent show his emotion to any one but himself. His family also thinks hes something else and dosnt know the real reson why he did what he did. There is much more to learn reading a story through the lens of a quotation then there would be if it was read regularly.…
- 436 Words
- 2 Pages
Satisfactory Essays -
One views character as the qualities and traits that make a person who they are. While discussing what makes up one’s character Gladwell states that “character is more like a bundle of habits and tendencies and interests, loosely bound together” (Gladwell 160). By stating that one’s character is “loosely bound” it implies that one’s character is malleable and can be shaped. These “habits and tendencies and interests” are free to develop, changing the experience of the self while being molded within the environment, altering the overall traits of an individual. Nelson complicates this through her notions of spectating. When presenting what happens when we truly spectate something, Nelson states that “the world presents us with a composition in which a multitude of meanings and realities are available, and you are able to swim … in that … sea of multiplicity” (Nelson 311). Through spectating, an individual gains new perceptions of the world by revealing new “meanings and realities.” Nelson’s metaphor of being able to “swim” in a “sea of multiplicity” implies a sense of freedom. An individual has a choice in one’s newfound perceptions of his or her environment, and this choice is not binding. One could freely “swim” between perceptions, living within the boundaries an environment presents. Through one’s new perception of the world, an individual is able to…
- 1359 Words
- 6 Pages
Powerful Essays -
J.F. Clarke once stated, “The bravest of individuals is the one who obeys his or her conscience.” To me, this statement means that any individual who follows their conscience, and what they find to be right or wrong, is most brave, or strong, because they step away from society’s opinion and go with their own feelings whether it be what they need or desire. I agree with this statement because I also feel that an individual who listens to their conscience shows bravery. In my opinion someone who follows their conscience rather than society’s standards shows a lot of strength. It takes a lot of character for a person to leave their comfort zone to do the right thing, especially when that person has no support. Two literary works that support my opinion are The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain and The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. In both of these literary works the protagonists are faced with life altering decisions where they must make choices and differentiate right from wrong while having no support from other characters.…
- 1057 Words
- 5 Pages
Satisfactory Essays -
It is widely debatable as to whether we benefit from learning about the flaws of people we admire and respect. However, it is definite that we benefit from learning about the flaws of people we admire and respect. This can be best epitomized by the analysis of the highly acclaimed novel, To Kill a Mockingbird as well as the scope and breath of Steven Jobs’ life.…
- 959 Words
- 4 Pages
Good Essays -
Author, Harriet Davids, of “The Extended School Day” believes all elementary schools should adopt an extended school day policy. Davids main ideas focus on the safety of the children, whether it be in the care of a nanny or home alone, safety is the number one priority. Davids not only states that an extended school day will be beneficial to the parents and the students, but also the teachers and staff involved in the after school programs. In an affective essay there are seven essential elements that must be followed to skillfully create a forceful essay. Unfortunately, Davids lacks many of these elements in the entitled essay, “The Extended School Day”.…
- 656 Words
- 3 Pages
Satisfactory Essays -
Anne Lamott said, “Good literature substitutes for an experience which we have not ourselves lived through.” Good literature allows individuals to live through events which they have not encountered in their lives. I agree with this quote because I believe it is true. This quote is shown to be true through the books, Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens and Hatchet by Gary Paulsen. In both pieces of literature, characters had an experience which we haven’t had or been through. Books help us understand the situations that we haven’t faced yet.…
- 638 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
J.F. Clarke once said, “The bravest of individuals is the one who obeys his or her conscience.” I think that what Clarke meant is that people who listen to their heart, people who do what they know or believe to be right, even if everyone else is or would be against them for it, are the bravest people of all. I agree with this quote because it’s usually hard to do the right thing, especially if one has no support. Two books that show this are Arthur Miller’s The Crucible and Lightning by Dean Koontz.…
- 1062 Words
- 5 Pages
Good Essays -
“The only thing you sometimes have control over is perspective. You don't have control over your situation. But you have a choice about how you view it.” by Chris Pine. This quote deeply portrays the idea of how different people in the same type of conditions can act very differently depending on their perspective towards the issue. Over time, we all develop a sense of perspective and opinion towards people and things, however, these perspectives are prone to change as we grow up to be more mature and thoughtful. In the novel, To kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, the Finch’s family develops the idea that despite your rank in the social hierarchy, personal values and beliefs are determined by one’s personality. This idea was further developed…
- 1351 Words
- 6 Pages
Good Essays