Discovery Essay

Discovery is uncovering what is not known. The core text ‘Away’ written by Michael Gow and related text The Pursuit of Happyness directed by Gabrielle Muccino simply implies that every significant discovery brings change, growth, and strong relationships. The characters that are present in these two texts face conflict, and learn how to overcome their problems through their support of family and friends. Therefore, they are able to evolve as a person and although the texts differ in their contexts, they both illustrate discovery as a product of self-actualisation, and an appreciation for our environment. ‘Away’ and The Pursuit of Happyness gives us an insight into how a character changes and grows as a person once they are faced with an obstacle. In ‘Away’, Coral is a woman who experiences the loss of her son during the Vietnam War. She believes in her mind that he will come back for her. In the last act, she mentions, “I’m walking. I’m walking. I’m walking.....” this is repetition and she discovers that her son will never come return to her, and how she will continue to live life without him, showing how acceptance of the inevitable will allow us to be happy. “You know what you’re becoming? Snide. A nasty, snide girl. No one likes a snide girl, always arguing....” Gwen is rude, and is not accepting her daughter for who she is, because she would like her to follow her rules. She is seen as dominating, and unknowing. This quote is an exaggerated quote. It is conveyed to the audience as Gwen exaggerating too much about the issues she has with Meg. In The Pursuit of Happyness, Chris Gardner is a man who struggles to support his family. As a result, his wife leaves him and his son to fend for themselves. “Hey. Don't ever let somebody tell you... You can't do something. Not even me. All right?” This truncated sentence demonstrates that Chris loves his son, and does not want his son to go through the hardships he is faced with. He wants his son to work for his