Ms. Rai
ENG1D1 – 09
29 April 2011
An Eventful Journey of Living on the Streets
Character traits shape the people we all are. For example, they help us face our fears through courage; they show us right from wrong through responsibility; and they show us who to believe in tough decisions through trust. Dana, the protagonist from Eric Walters’ Sketches, has a tough time learning how to show her traits. However, as a child on the streets Dana fights through many tough obstacles that enable her to become an optimistic, courageous and trusting individual.
After running away from her family Dana is very pessimistic about anything getting better, but throughout all of her tests and trials, she becomes exceedingly optimistic. A man, watching Dana paint under a freeway bridge, gives her his card for a drop-in centre. The drop-in centre doesn’t give food or shelter but instead gives homeless children a chance to do art legally. In her head Dana thinks, < ‘A useless type of drop-in centre was what I wanted to say, but I didn’t (35).’ > By thinking that the drop-in centre is useless she loses out on the opportunity to go to Sketches and risks doing art on the streets and getting arrested. Yet when Dana, Ashley and Brent start talking about renting an apartment to get off the M2 streets, Dana very is optimistic about them getting the money. < “Why is it impossible?” I asked. “Why?” […] “We could be the first then (120-121).” > Dana is excited and very confident that she is going to be able to get off the streets. It gives all three of them something to look forward to and it teaches each of them a little bit of responsibility. Given these points it obviously shows that Dana has learned to be optimistic throughout her tough journey.
Another quality Dana learns is trust. Before the supreme ordeal Dana is very closed off and untrusting, but afterwards she becomes trusting towards the friends that have helped