Have you all noticed that the themes in the novels Siddhartha, The Kite Runner, and Native Son have a connection?
Siddhartha expected to find himself immediately after he left home, to find the answers that couldn't be taught by man, but it was not until he experienced life, fully. Siddhartha had to make mistakes and fail before gaining success.
Amir, from The Kite Runner, spent his entire life in self loathe and hatred for prior mistakes in his life. Seeming to never find an escape from this personal abyss, he plants a life over it to forget the past. However, "the past claws its way out", and Amir was forced to confront it. Similar to Siddhartha, Amir found peace in the end, but only through undergoing and facing his trials.
Bigger Thomas, from Native Son, wasted his life in fear. Fear of the whites, fear failing. This confined fear caused Bigger to make irreversible mistakes and become imprisoned. Although he remained a static character, Bigger was no longer afraid; he accepted his death and became content with the person he was. Furthermore, he found his own tranquilly, able to die in peace.
It took a process for the characters to find themselves. If anything, these novels teach us to let time take it's course.
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I completely agree with the similarities between the books. But it also seems as though the theme of only acquiring peace through life experiences is a universal one. Since it is very commonly said especially to teenagers, that the peace of wisdom merely comes with time. We can see this in other books, like Life of Pi, Frankenstein, etc.
ReplyDeleteAlso, we can see this in real life. If you ever sit down and have a coversation with older people (grandparents), there is this sense of tranqulity about them, and wiseness. It almost leaves you in awe, which is why it also amazes me that the authors of NAtive Son, Frankenstein, The Kite Runner, etc., were younger. Especially Mary Shelley.
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