Theme Of Shadows In Tangerine

“Keep your face towards the sunshine and the shadows will fall behind you.” In the book Tangerine, by Edward Bloor, shadows are an important symbol which shows the relationships between people and the tone of a time period. As Paul struggles with living in the shadow of his brother, he feels invisible, but soon he learns that he is as good as Erik, and he begins to regain his self confidence and becomes a new person.
At the beginning of the novel, Paul Fisher was a quiet and polite boy with only one friend who attended Lake Windsor Middle School, who eventually perseveres and overcomes one of the biggest challenges in his life. Several times in the novel, Paul mentions his Dad’s obsession with Erik’s football, all of Erik’s athletic achievements, and how amazing Erik is every day, so that makes Paul feel neglected and like he will never be as good as his brother. Overall, Paul feels like no one cares about him and that his father dislikes him, which makes Paul become angry at Erik and his Dad. “When I got to putting away my clothes in the dresser, I came across a box that said ERIK’S TROPHIES. I suddenly felt a surge of anger…” Since this statement validates the fact that Paul is constantly reminded of how great his brother is, Paul …show more content…
After years of living in Erik’s shadow, Paul learns to stand up for himself and take the power away from Erik, regaining confidence and overcoming one of his biggest challenges. Paul then recognizes that the changes you make influence the future, so it is important to make the most of every opportunity and make good choices that will affect the future. Subsequently, Paul learns that it is crucial to remember that every change and challenge brings a new opportunity to accomplish something