Everyone has experienced some kind of change throughout their life be it changing schools, getting a new sibling, or moving to a new house, some openly accept these changes while others are terrified of them. In most stories the herald is embodiment of all these changes. In Edward Bloor’s novel Tangerine Antoine Thomas acts as the mythological archetype of the Herald or the bringer of change.
To begin with, Antoine Thomas is shown to be the Herald by delivering the “Call to Action” to Paul (the hero).After the incident at the awards night , Paul visited Mr.Donnelly’s house because he heard Betty Bright was there. While there he met Shandra Thomas and her brother. Her brother Antoine said to Paul, “Don’t spend your life hiding under the bleachers …show more content…
The truth shall set you free” (Bloor 269). The meaning behind Antoine's words are that Paul should stop hiding and keeping the truth from everyone around him. The metaphor “Don’t spend your life hiding under the bleachers…” means he needs to stop lying to others and not letting himself be free by telling the truth. So far throughout his life he has been unable to tell on Erik. Therefore , he has figuratively been hiding under the bleachers all his life. Antoine also feels sorry when he says this to Paul because he, too, knows the trouble and pain of keeping a secret for so long. Antoine also kept his secret of not living in Lake Windsor Downs and getting more people caught up into his lies. Antoine's words were very important to Paul because they perfectly match what Paul is going through and Antoine understands that because he went through something nearly the same. Another instance that shows Antoine delivering the “call to action” was the day after Paul met with Antoine. Paul read The Tangerine Times that day:”... In a single statement Thomas confessed to lying about his eligibility to attend Lake Windsor High School” (272). The meaning this statement carries is that Antoine listened to his own advice that he gave to Paul. He told …show more content…
After Tino was hit by Erik while at Paul’s house, Paul thinks to himself, “I was on the verge of asking him “Dad? Did you see Erik hit Tino in the face so hard that he nearly knocked him out?” But I didn’t. I couldn’t. I had the words all picked out, but I couldn’ say them”(207). Paul couldn’t gain the courage to confess what he saw Erik do. He should’ve been able to even he himself knows that he should’ve, but he just couldn’t. He was agonizing greatly over what happened to Tino, but he was too afraid to do anything about it; be it because he was afraid of what Erik would do to him if he did, or if he was afraid, no one would believe him. His father was the only one who might’ve see Tino get hit, but he had to have known that if he told his father, he would say he didn’t see it happen even if he had actually see it. Paul was completely terrified of the truth and its consequences. Antoine then forced Paul to confront his terror at the truth. After Paul’s initial attempt to tell the truth he thought “I sat there agonizing about it.Why couldn’t I tell? I’d ratted out Tino at the carnival. Why couldn’t I tell my own parents about Erik? What was wrong with me? What was wrong with all of us” (207). Here Paul begins to notice that there is something terribly wrong with him and his family, no matter what happens, they always act like everything is perfect. As Paul begins to
To begin with, Antoine Thomas is shown to be the Herald by delivering the “Call to Action” to Paul (the hero).After the incident at the awards night , Paul visited Mr.Donnelly’s house because he heard Betty Bright was there. While there he met Shandra Thomas and her brother. Her brother Antoine said to Paul, “Don’t spend your life hiding under the bleachers …show more content…
The truth shall set you free” (Bloor 269). The meaning behind Antoine's words are that Paul should stop hiding and keeping the truth from everyone around him. The metaphor “Don’t spend your life hiding under the bleachers…” means he needs to stop lying to others and not letting himself be free by telling the truth. So far throughout his life he has been unable to tell on Erik. Therefore , he has figuratively been hiding under the bleachers all his life. Antoine also feels sorry when he says this to Paul because he, too, knows the trouble and pain of keeping a secret for so long. Antoine also kept his secret of not living in Lake Windsor Downs and getting more people caught up into his lies. Antoine's words were very important to Paul because they perfectly match what Paul is going through and Antoine understands that because he went through something nearly the same. Another instance that shows Antoine delivering the “call to action” was the day after Paul met with Antoine. Paul read The Tangerine Times that day:”... In a single statement Thomas confessed to lying about his eligibility to attend Lake Windsor High School” (272). The meaning this statement carries is that Antoine listened to his own advice that he gave to Paul. He told …show more content…
After Tino was hit by Erik while at Paul’s house, Paul thinks to himself, “I was on the verge of asking him “Dad? Did you see Erik hit Tino in the face so hard that he nearly knocked him out?” But I didn’t. I couldn’t. I had the words all picked out, but I couldn’ say them”(207). Paul couldn’t gain the courage to confess what he saw Erik do. He should’ve been able to even he himself knows that he should’ve, but he just couldn’t. He was agonizing greatly over what happened to Tino, but he was too afraid to do anything about it; be it because he was afraid of what Erik would do to him if he did, or if he was afraid, no one would believe him. His father was the only one who might’ve see Tino get hit, but he had to have known that if he told his father, he would say he didn’t see it happen even if he had actually see it. Paul was completely terrified of the truth and its consequences. Antoine then forced Paul to confront his terror at the truth. After Paul’s initial attempt to tell the truth he thought “I sat there agonizing about it.Why couldn’t I tell? I’d ratted out Tino at the carnival. Why couldn’t I tell my own parents about Erik? What was wrong with me? What was wrong with all of us” (207). Here Paul begins to notice that there is something terribly wrong with him and his family, no matter what happens, they always act like everything is perfect. As Paul begins to