To have courage means to face one’s fear or to have strength in the face of pain or grief. As humans, we go through many hardships, whether that would be with family, friends, or ourselves; we believe that problems will never be solved and we will never get over that hurdle. However, eventually we take up the courage and face the problem head on. The protagonist of Paperweight is Stevie, a 17 year old girl who battles with bulimia, an eating disorder. After her mother left and her brother died, she constantly blamed herself. She eventually finds the courage she has been yearning for to overcome the blame and face the reality of these situations. In Meg Haston’s novel, Paperweight, her theme is that a person can overcome a struggle that they
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Many of us struggle with wars in our minds that seem to take over our lives. Stevie’s war was bulimia. She had a hard time controlling her food intake, due to her mother not allowing certain foods and the emotional trauma she had faced. She never felt worthy of anything or anyone. This eating disorder quickly took over her life; to the point where she no longer had control. “I gasp for breath, but if I stop I may never start again- so I might come to the conclusion that I’ve lost my mind” (Haston 172-173). Stevie realized that she was not in control of anything in her life anymore; her mother leaving, her brother dying, and even her own self. As much as she wanted to die, she found the courage through reliving those frightful moments to help her fight her …show more content…
But, some do not have the courage to overcome it; or are too scared to face it. Stevie, however, found it and that was the first step in her healing process. In the novel, Paperweight, Stevie surpasses many situations that seemed impassable, all visible through the vivid and believable characters. She overcame the abandonment of her mother, her brother’s death, and finally faced the existence of her eating disorder. The theme of courage is portrayed throughout the novel by using characterization of Stevie herself, her brother, and her
Many of us struggle with wars in our minds that seem to take over our lives. Stevie’s war was bulimia. She had a hard time controlling her food intake, due to her mother not allowing certain foods and the emotional trauma she had faced. She never felt worthy of anything or anyone. This eating disorder quickly took over her life; to the point where she no longer had control. “I gasp for breath, but if I stop I may never start again- so I might come to the conclusion that I’ve lost my mind” (Haston 172-173). Stevie realized that she was not in control of anything in her life anymore; her mother leaving, her brother dying, and even her own self. As much as she wanted to die, she found the courage through reliving those frightful moments to help her fight her …show more content…
But, some do not have the courage to overcome it; or are too scared to face it. Stevie, however, found it and that was the first step in her healing process. In the novel, Paperweight, Stevie surpasses many situations that seemed impassable, all visible through the vivid and believable characters. She overcame the abandonment of her mother, her brother’s death, and finally faced the existence of her eating disorder. The theme of courage is portrayed throughout the novel by using characterization of Stevie herself, her brother, and her