Full Tilt Character Analysis

Gaining Courage In reality, most people will eventually end up facing their greatest fears in their lifetime. Just like Blake in Full Tilt. Blake has to survive eight rides in a mysterious, phantom theme park. In Full Tilt, Neal Shusterman uses the character of Blake to portray how it is that one may change throughout a set period of time. In the beginning Blake is coward; however this changes as he goes on the rides. After the eighth ride Blake has overcome practically all of his greatest, and deepest, fears, so he feels as though he can accomplish anything. In the beginning, Blake seems to be a scared little boy. In one scene Blake is trying to go on to the Kamikaze. “What a waste of time,” he protests, “let’s find something else to do.”(11).
It is as if Blake is the opposite of his friends. They are excited to ride the Kamikaze, whereas Blake is scared out of his mind. Just a little later you are informed that Maggie can obviously see that Blake is scared. “Are you scared Blake?”(11). It isn’t hard at all to tell that Blake is afraid; Maggie was able to point her finger on it. Blake can’t help the fact that he is terrified of rides. In the middle Blake begins to show some signs of a little bit of courage. Blake finishes his third ride and is confronting Cassandra. “It was a kiss of defiance...of determination.”(90). Blake is now becoming a little brave. He kisses her to show that he is dominant. Later in the book, after Blake kisses Cassandra, he is off to his fourth ride thinking, “I was neither scared.....”(90). Blake is now showing that he truly is brave inside. He isn’t scared by her, so he is feeling pretty confident in his abilities.