Whale Rider Duty

At some point in our lives, all of us look up to somebody for guidance or help. The essence of life sometimes is that we shall not go through life alone. We all need someone to rely on or to follow her or his steps as well. Some people follow the steps of their idols, whether they are singers, actors, sportsmen or women, etc. Similarly, other people may find inspiration in their more intimate circle of family or friends. But why do the inexperienced or the young seek for the guidance of a mentor? Well, certainly human beings always tend to search for someone for guidance and inspiration. Usually when we are kids we tend to follow the steps of an older person. As for myself, I remember trying to shave in front of the bathroom’s mirror when I was 10 years old because my brother did. A mentor is needed …show more content…
Having someone to count on is fundamental to our survival. But what happens when that person is harsh to us or even mean? Does our mentor really wants to teach us a lesson or is it just nonsense? Actually, this particular person might teach us some of the most memorable and important life lessons - in an extremely subtle and indirect manner. Mentors might not be nice to us sometimes. They will always feel the need of pushing us to the limit for us to grow stronger. This seems to be the case of Paikea in the movie “The Whale Rider” directed by Niki Caro, as well as of the son in y James Baldwin’s short story “Notes of a Native Son.” Both stories deal with a harsh and almost hateful mentor that pushes his or her apprentice to the limits so as to teach them a lesson they would never forget. Although both stories develop in totally different contexts, we are able to discover two beautiful fatherly relationships: Paikea Apirana and her grandfather Koro; and a father and his son who live in times of discrimination against their race. So, we might say that Paikea and the son learned unvaluable life lessons, despite the difficulties aroused from the harshness of their