Wednesday, February 18, 2009
How do you think the main theme of family will continue to play a role in The Grass Dancer?
So far throughout the book, family, ancestry and tradition have all played a key role in Harley's life. The Sioux tribe in the book revolves around their traditions in the past and all of the legends and tribesmen/women that came before them. Harley's Father died before he was born and it has become apparent that his absence affects Harley greatly. My question is how do you think this will continue to mold Harley into the person he is/is going to become? Do you think his past will continue to follow him or do you think it will become inconsequential later on in the book?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Like Harly, each person is a direct reflection of their family's history, traditions, morals and values. The way that our parents raise us will determine what kind of person we will be and will determine our morality. Harly was constantly reminded of his father's absence because of his mother's deciscion to become a mute after the incident. his mother's weakness and reaction to what happened to her husband is a constant reminder to Harly, of what happened, and in a way is haunting him. this prevent shim from moving on and reaching his full potential as a person.
ReplyDeleteAs the novel continues it is going backwards in time so I believe the values of a family will have a greater impact on their beliefs and decisions. We can relate to this because we believe are parents are old school. As we go back in history people are different and so are people's beliefs. The Sioux are going to be more strict as the novel continues because they are closer to their ancestors who created these beliefs.
ReplyDeleteThe role that family plays is something no one can escape. As people grow up, they are constantly influenced by family, and if not family, then by the peers or strangers that they interact with. Even though someone might want to forget where they came from or suppress their background, it is almost impossible. The traditions and values people grew up around will always follow them because they grew up with them; even if they do not practice such values themselves, it's still part of who they are. After all, you can't choose the family you were born into. Harley obviously is influenced by his family, as shown when he recalls the silence of his mother after his father and brother’s death. He also recalls having a black, empty hole in his chest that he can’t seem to fill. I believe that’s the result of not losing his father at such an early age, as some people believe that they are defined by the people their mother and father were. If he did not get to know his father, then he may believe that he doesn’t know himself. As the story continues, I believe that Harley will discover more about who he is with his father in mind. However, while doing so, he may have to deal with the challenges of Westernization or risk losing himself to a different culture.
ReplyDeleteAlthough Harley's past and family have a great influence on the life he leads, I believe that in the future he will have to move on. It is important that he steps out of the shadow of his brother and father's tragedy to find himself. Otherwise the hole he imagines in his chest will never be filled. Thus, I believe that as his life progresses Harley will need to metaphorically walk against the flow of the river. (From Katie's quote) Only upon doing this and reaching the source of the river can he find himself.
ReplyDeleteThe important thing about family influence is that one should let it shape them, but not necessarily define them. It is important for an individual to allow personal experiences, firsthand accounts and direct contacts to affect them, because that makes each person uniquely who they are, but still there's a point where you need to move on. In this case, Harley's mother has allowed the death of her loved ones to completely consume her life. Without her husband and son she seems empty and miserable as she allows her depression to whirl her into a world of bleakness and isolation. She's kind of like the hole in Harley's chest - consuming. She is stuck in place. Harley needs to be more like water - adaptive, flowing, progressive. He needs to find his own path, as he learned from imitating Ghost Horse. I don't think the death of his father and brother will ever lose significance in Harley's life. I think it will always provide a framework for the bigger picture of Harley's life.
ReplyDeleteThe role of family influences how we live. We can lived trapped in the things that occur in our lives or try to step out and not let the past stop us from moving forward in life. I believe that family (relatives and friends) influence is the foundation of a person's life, but I don't think that it should rule over how we live our lives. In this case, Harley is having trouble moving forward. There is no one to really help him do so. His mother is in a depressed state in which she let the deaths of her husband and oldest son control her life. Just like Harley, they both have a dark hole in them and won't let go of the passed and move forward. (Agreeing with Alyssa) Harley should become more like water- adaptive, flowing, and progressive. With the help of his friends and some of the history that he has learned, maybe he will soon move forward and find his own way of life.
ReplyDeleteAs a person your past, present, and future is what makes you as a person. For Harley his past is going to influences how he thinks about his father and if he every become a father how can't he not make the same mistakes.History and family are going to be the main components of the story. Each characters ideas and decisions are going to be influences by how their ethical ideas and family traditions.
ReplyDeleteI believe Alyssa nailed this one right on the head...family, background and tradition are indeed very important...but they should not be allowed to define us. Shape us, indeed, whether we like to admit it or not...shape us they absolutely do.
ReplyDeleteHowever, every single one of us has the power, and yes, right, to work on finding our own definition of who we are.
Like many of the others I to belive that ancestry and where you are from are important to who you are. When Harley's father died it changed alot for him even though he didn't know his father. People around you friends, teachers, family are all part of creating charcaters in ourselves. Like Alyssa was saying we cant let things of the past control our live sure at times it maybe hard but that is where your family is suppose to be supportive
ReplyDelete