Thomas bared no malice towards Arnold for starting the fire that killed his parents. Arnold became a father figure for Thomas. He enjoyed Arnold’s company and obviously did not resent him for the role he had in his parent’s death. Thomas tried to set an example for Victor by not allowing the past to dictate his feelings towards Arnold. He possessed the ability to see the fire was an accident and liberate Arnold. In fact forgiving Arnold became a blessing for Thomas because in return he acquired a father figure.
The film reflects what will happen when you do not forgive others. Victor’s rage and resentment towards his father caused him to grow into a bitter, angry young man. He did not trust anyone and viewed the world with hatred and spite. Through his anger and animosity he did not allow anyone to know the real person inside. I do not believe Victor truly recognized how he developed into such an angry man. Thomas wanted to teach Victor that he needed to pardon his father for what he had done. He knew it would be impossible unless he could show Victor why his father truly left the reservation. Thomas knew for Victor’s sake he must forgive his father. Through his and Thomas’s experiences on the road, Victor learned multiple lessons that helped him understand why his father left, which was the first step to forgiveness. With Thomas’s help, Victor achieved the ability to forgive his father.
The film characterized why people should exonerate one another. It represented how people experience great pain when they are unable to forgive. I think Victor eventually understood the grief and guilt his father experienced from the accident and deserting his family. Through gaining the ability to forgive not only did he release the fury inside of himself, but also he released his pain.
Works Cited
“Forgiveness.” Wikipedia. Wikimeida Foundation, 20 Apr. 2011.
Web. 20 Apr. 2011.
Web. 20 Apr. 2011.
Hello ! this is a good essay but I would strongly recommend you to cite from a different source because Wikipedia is not very reliable. You can find many journals and information in the online Santa Rosa library, it is very easy to use!
ReplyDeleteMy other concern is that I understood from the movie that Thomas didn't know that Arnold was responsible for the fire. Maybe I am wrong but I think you should double check on that :)
I think this is a really good start for a essay, your sentences are clear and well organized.
Good luck !
Natalia
Hi Natalia - I appreciate your opinion, but I believe Wikipedia is a wonderful resource especially for defining a term. I'm not sure if you know this but they know longer allow random editing.
ReplyDeleteAlso I believe Thomas knew the entire time that Arnold was responsible for the fire. I believe that is why Thomas kept asking Victor about his father to find out if Victor knew what happened. He needed Victor to find out from another source other then him because they did not have a good relationship at that point. Yes, Victor did mention something to Thomas at the end of the movie, but it wasn't new information.
Thank you,
Sarah Baker
Sarah,
ReplyDeleteI really liked the fact that you quoted a definition for forgiveness. It certainly helps us form a good idea of what is required when pardoning someone. It's terminating that resentment that you have towards someone. This is something that Victor really had to work at and I think that you clearly point that out. You make some very good points in this draft.
I'd strongly recommend writing a lot more. You can really expand on the topic. You have basically created an outline for what your essay will consist of, now you just need to explain in detail what it is that you're trying to get across to your readers. I actually wrote my essay on the same topic and I know that I can also elaborate so much more. It's a good topic that requires plenty of details and examples.
Hello,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading your essay and thought it was very well worded. The thesis statement I believe is "Many people choose to not forgive others and live a lifetime engulfed in self-pity, hatred, and resentment." I think you did an excellent job on stating your evidence and tying your thesis throughout the essay and a great conclusion.
Thanks for sharing,
Mandy Ericson
I really liked the fact that you put up a definition of what forgiveness is, this whole story is a definitition of forgiveness in my opionion. I really enjoyed your essay. It is a bit short so you'll want to lengthen it up a bit by adding examples of how thomas and victor acted towards each other, etc. I found that a lot of people chose to write about this subject and every essay seems to be about the same topic between victor and thomas. I like that you included the relationship between thomas and arnold. It defnitely stands out between other essays. One last bit of advice I can give you is you can probably lengthen the size of your concluding paragraph. Not that it already is good, but just add more details. Thank you
ReplyDeleteJarrod
I really like that you start your essay with the definition of forgiveness. I found that your thesis was clear, "Many people choose to not forgive others and live a lifetime engulfed in self-pity, hatred, and resentment." I think it'd help if you made your essay a bit longer though. Add some more examples to help support or maybe a quote or two.
ReplyDeleteI really liked your essay, however I believe you should include a little bit more examples as to how Thomas forgave Arnold or include quotes that show why Victor was upset or got to understand and forgive his father for what he did. From what I remember, Thomas did not know that Arnold caused the fire until the very end. In fact, I thought no one knew why he had left the rez in which Victor felt some kind of blame for his reasoning of leaving. You might want to investigate this a little bit more.
ReplyDelete1. What is the writer’s thesis? Can you find the statement? Is it the main point the rest of the essay works to develop?
ReplyDeleteMany people choose to not forgive others and live a lifetime engulfed in self-pity, hatred, and resentment.
2. What evidence is cited to prove and support the writer’s thesis? What pieces of evidence are cited from the readings and/or the writer’s observations to support the thesis?
You provided some great evidence.
3. Is the writer’s reasoning/critical thinking provided to explain how the evidence proves and supports the thesis?
Yes.
4. What else could the writer cite as evidence in this essay?
I think that you should maybe put in a quote or two that shows forgiveness in the movie.
6. What’s strong about the essay?
Your thesis statement was very strong. Your introduction and conclusion were the strongest parts of your essay.
7. What other suggestions or feedback do you want to provide the writer?