AP English IV
Cole
1-15-13
Dan Needham Soliloquy After I married the love of my life, Tabitha Wheelwright I became the missing father to the young John Wheelwright. I have always been great with kids, mostly because I am still part kid myself. John took a liking to me right away, as did Owen who could be considered a brother like figure to John. My functionality in the novel is rather simple. I was brought into the novel to be a father figure to John just before his mother passes away. “Dan said he thought of me as his son, anyway, and he would never take a job that took him away from Gravesend Academy until I’d had the chance to graduate.” I help advance the plot of the work when I marry Tabatha to allow her death without as much sorrow experienced by the reader on the behalf of John. I interact with other characters as a teacher and a friendly father like figure. I stay in touch with John throughout the novel and act as a friend and somewhat of a father. I also try to be friendly and helpful to Owen Meany as well. My interaction with John and Owen is important because I act as comic relief and a helpful person that is actually nice to Owen. When I supply the stuffed Armadillo to John and Owen I am adding a very key part to the story as well as a piece of comic relief on the arrival of the armadillo. I am kind of geeky, badly dressed, and a little awkward, but I am goofy in the good way, a great type of guy to really connect with John and Owen in the novel. I represent the perfect father that John could have wished for. Owen even tells John that he may not want to know the real identity of his father due to the fact that John wouldn’t get much of a better father than me. I mean I am a smart, fun loving drama teacher that is great with kids! What more could you really ask for? I help convey the idea of independence as I have severed connections to my family when they disapproved of my marriage to Tabatha. I am independent