Growth through Hardship
In life, everyone encounters problems that need to be resolved. In the novel Tangerine, written by Edward Bloor, a young man named Paul Fisher moves to Tangerine, Florida, where he gains a new perspective on life. The author uses three very clever symbols to convey his point, muck fires, Paul’s glasses and Paul’s new clothes. Through the use of symbolism the truth sets Paul free from past hardships in life and allows him to grow into the person he is meant to be.
Paul is restrained and aberrant, until he discovered the truth of what really happened to him earlier on in life. Without the barriers that hindered him, Paul is able to develop into his own person. Unfortunately for Paul, muck fires represent challenges and hardships that are never ending. The first morning in Lake Windsor Downs, the Fishers smell smoke and are told it is a muck fire “[something] that never …show more content…
The muck fires that permeate the Fisher household reflect the problems of Paul’s past that continue to billow around the family. This indicates that the problems will never go away, just like how the muck fires will never go away. Even though Paul thought he would never escape his family’s troubles, when he returned to St. Anthony’s, he noticed that the wind was blowing the muck fire smoke away from him, showing his that his problems were going away. Even though others attempt to distract Paul, he still manages to recognize the truth. During a frustrating game against Palmetto Junior High, Paul was knocked to the ground and became an easy target for one of their team members to viciously “stretch out [his] goggles from [his] face, [scoop] a handful of mud, and smear it in [his] eyes” (122). The mud on Paul’s glasses not only blocks his vision but represents the need to conceal problems. Mud is the lies; it is trying to cover up the truth, but it cannot be covered. Paul reacted
In life, everyone encounters problems that need to be resolved. In the novel Tangerine, written by Edward Bloor, a young man named Paul Fisher moves to Tangerine, Florida, where he gains a new perspective on life. The author uses three very clever symbols to convey his point, muck fires, Paul’s glasses and Paul’s new clothes. Through the use of symbolism the truth sets Paul free from past hardships in life and allows him to grow into the person he is meant to be.
Paul is restrained and aberrant, until he discovered the truth of what really happened to him earlier on in life. Without the barriers that hindered him, Paul is able to develop into his own person. Unfortunately for Paul, muck fires represent challenges and hardships that are never ending. The first morning in Lake Windsor Downs, the Fishers smell smoke and are told it is a muck fire “[something] that never …show more content…
The muck fires that permeate the Fisher household reflect the problems of Paul’s past that continue to billow around the family. This indicates that the problems will never go away, just like how the muck fires will never go away. Even though Paul thought he would never escape his family’s troubles, when he returned to St. Anthony’s, he noticed that the wind was blowing the muck fire smoke away from him, showing his that his problems were going away. Even though others attempt to distract Paul, he still manages to recognize the truth. During a frustrating game against Palmetto Junior High, Paul was knocked to the ground and became an easy target for one of their team members to viciously “stretch out [his] goggles from [his] face, [scoop] a handful of mud, and smear it in [his] eyes” (122). The mud on Paul’s glasses not only blocks his vision but represents the need to conceal problems. Mud is the lies; it is trying to cover up the truth, but it cannot be covered. Paul reacted