Something Wicked This Way Comes Character Analysis

Acceptance “Once we accept our limits, we go beyond them.” - Albert Einstein. Only when you are able to understand and overcome your obstacles are you able to get past them. Without doing so, you are stuck in a position where you end up wishing for the wrong things. Therefore, acceptance is the key to defeating your enemies. It can be broken down into three different categories: Acceptance of loss, death and self. In the novel Something Wicked This Ways Comes by Ray Bradbury, acceptance plays a large role in defining the characters. Jim Nightshade is the type of guy who runs away from all of his problems. He looses his father and both of his siblings at a very young age. This makes him unable to commit to anything or anyone because he is so scared of losing the things he still has. Jim’s only family is his mother, who is constantly hovering over him. “And a mother who wanted him around so very much, he just had to get away…” (93). Jim feels
They do not value their lives; instead hiding and waiting for death to come knocking on the door. Charles Halloway learns to accept death when The Dust Witch attempts to kill him. “Stop the heart...He saw her fingers working at the air...just tickling the air!...Charles Halloway did not see. He was far too busy letting the joke rush through his fingers” (227-229). When Mr.Halloway is on the verge of death, he laughs at it. “He wept beautiful glad tears...oh, ha, go on, my heart! (230). He can not help but think of death as a joke. In fact, he is able to defeat the Witch with his smile. “I have put my smile on the bullet in the rifle...the Witch fell. She fell off the platform. She fell in the dust” (251-252). The Witch symbolizes death. And by Charles Halloway seeing the Witch as a joke, he sees death as one too. As the novel progresses, not only is Mr.Halloway accepting death, he is also accepting his age and ultimately