Flying Troutmans Essay

Flying Troutmans Essay
The Flying Troutmans
By: Miriam Toews
The Flying Troutmans by Miriam Toews showed many experiences related to situations that occur
in an individual's daily life. The novel shows evidence that proves dysfunctional in a relationship
such as husband and wife relations, a child and a mother relations or relations between two sisters
who live a different life.
In everyday life, a relation is always identified as trust and support. In this novel, a relation between
a husband and a wife is shown in a different way. Min, one of the characters in the story, is shown
losing her mental stability and is living with her two children. She did not have any contact with her
husband in few years and neither did he try to contact ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
"Hey, said Thebes, what did Min whisper in your ear at the hospital? I can't remember, Hattie
replied. Yes you can, think said Thebes. She said we should go find our father," Hattie answered
(Page 25, 26). Later, when things started to get different, Hattie decides to go on a road trip, to find
Cherkis. The only problem was they did not know where he was. But being Min's only sister, she
decides not to give up. To her, the only thing that mattered was travelling. Their Journey begins
from North Dakota where they had to stay at scary motels, meet hippies and avoid scary noises
coming from their van. Hattie survived with this just for her sister. Just like Min threw Cherkis out
of her life. She didn't want her sister to interfere either. She ignored and stayed away from her.
Last, a relationship between a Mother and her children which is always memorable. In this novel,
the author tried reversing the role of a mother and two children. Thebes and Logan are shown taking
care of Min. Thebes who is eleven year old is described as a purple– haired, dirty street girl. Despite
being her daughter, she tries to help her as much as possible. But how much can eleven year and
fifteen year old children do? They then decide to give up and send her to a Psychiatric hospital and
inform Hattie about it. These children lived life without their parents and are living a life of an
Orphan. "She told me she's been trying to take care of things but it wasn't working anymore. Min
... Get more on HelpWriting.net ...

Book Analysis Of Nomi Nickel '
Style
Upon reading the first page, I knew this would be an enjoyable read. Not only is Nomi's family
entertaining because of their quirky ways but Miriam Toews sarcastic sense of humor thrown into
Nomi's everyday activities keeps the tone of the book light even when Nomi goes through trialing
times. The book is written in the first–person narrative, told from the perspective of Nomi Nickel
and read similar to a memoir. The story starts off smack–dab in the middle of Nomi's present–day
teenage life and quickly moves into her childhood which is done to show why she is the way she is.
Ultimately, this is effective because it helps me to step inside the main characters head to view her
thoughts and helps me to understand the reason behind her ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net
...
While I'm not entirely sure what the meaning of blood means yet ___it could mean____ after
reading further it should become known. A clear juxtaposition observed would be between the old
town and the new. Even tourists see this connection as one commented: "now there's a priceless
juxtaposition of old and new."
Reaction
I do not like The Mouth and find him creepy. The reason being is mostly because of the tight hold he
has over the town through the bizarre purge he started when he became the pastor. Although after
learning his backstory, it all made sense, and I began to feel sorry for him. The Mouth changed from
an ordinary guy finding his way in the world to an extreme religious leader. It seems he uses his
religion to protect himself because of what happened in his past when he went out into the world to
explore. Moreover, outside of the Mennonite faith, everything was too free, and he couldn't handle
the pressure of it as he's more comfortable in the boundaries of his religion where no one can judge
him. Travis does not seem to be competent boyfriend material. He shows little respect for Nomi by
leaving her out in the rain, and through his constant quest to change her. Nomi expresses questioning
thoughts when she often feels pressured to talk and carry intelligent conversations to satisfy him. It
disheartens me to think that she stays with him; I believe boredom and low self–esteem cause this. I
think the type of people that follow this religion are born

Swing Low, By Miriam Toews
Swing Low, a novel and memoir written by Miriam Toews, explores her father Mel Toews' life
leading to his suicide. Mel Toews is difficult to fully understand as it stems from Miriam 's view of
her father; however, she succeeds in portraying her father by convincing the readers he is narrating
his own story through a believable recapitulation of his life.
Before the memoir begins, the author clearly points out that she will be writing as her father while
retelling his life story after gathering information about his life. The prologue is the main reminder
that the memoir is written by the daughter about her father who had taken his life, and later on in the
epilogue as well. More importantly, the author takes away the surprise of the novel by mentioning
her father "took his own life" (Toews 1) which tells the readers exactly how the story will end. In
spite of revealing the ending, Toews uses suspense as a literary technique to pique the reader's
curiosity and investment by wondering what leads to his suicide. However with this fact brought out
from the very beginning, the reader focuses on the life Mel Toews leads to explain his spiral descent
in depression. Rather, through symbolic scenes such as the egg scene or the dream of finding a
home, the author presents eerie foreshadows implying the subject's aimlessness in the world he finds
himself in. For example, in the egg scene, he states "[w]ho will keep [him] warm before [he]
breaks?"(89). The quotation is a potential

A Complicated Kindness Literary Analysis
Loss in Real Life vs. in A Complicated Kindness
In many fictitious stories and even in real life, people experience loss of family members, someone
they know, and are brought down from their previous state of happiness. Everyone will most likely
experience some traumatic event where a loved one is gone forever or being isolated from everyone
else. These similar occasions occurred to me in my own life and to a great deal to a character; Nomi
from the novel, "A Complicated Kindness" by Miriam Toews. It is then realized that the loss of
family, being excommunicated from your community and your people force you to adapt so you can
maintain the strength to keep moving on and continue with your life. One eventually comes to
discover that the ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
As it sends a chain of reactions that also essentially bring that particular group down from the result
of its own actions. On Chapter twenty–seven, the Mouth or Hans Rosenfeldt arrives at Ray and
Nomi's house to say "It's been determined, said The Mouth. What has? Asked my dad. Nomi's
excommunication, said The Mouth. I looked at him and whispered yikes, (Toews 235). Hans decides
to excommunicate Nomi, which in turn causes her father, Ray to leave East Village so she can
finally be free to leave. Trudie's own older brother exiles Trudie from the church and is one of the
primary reasons that Trudie left, which marked the complete collapse of Nomi's family. This is like
the time during my sixth grade presentation assignment at school. The groups were picked by the
teacher and I was included in a group with three other classmates, who were the biggest bullies in
our class. They had said they wouldn't work with me and excluded me from their group discussions.
I was also not allowed to meet up with them or interact with them in any way. I treated it as a solo
presentation, however on the presentation day, all the members of my group ate up too much time
from the given fifteen minute time limit, so I had to rapidly go through my ideas and information.
After getting our marks back, I realized that I did really poorly and since it was a group

Paul Simon's Separation Of South Africa
In 1986, the United Nations made a grave mistake. The cultural boycott of South Africa encouraged
"member states and organizations...to cut 'cultural, educational and sporting ties'" with South Africa.
The censorship silenced the voices of liberal musicians and artists who could have contributed to the
fight against apartheid. Moreover, the faulty amelioration justified UN members' isolation of South
Africa. Through the release of Graceland, Paul Simon brought awareness to the state of South
Africa. By spreading their music and culture, he threatens the discourse on apartheid. In this paper, I
will argue how Paul Simon's breaking of the cultural boycott benefited the black South Africans.
Paul Simon broke the cultural boycott by bringing two cultures together through a collaborative
process. He diminished the binary of "us" and "them" by creating music beyond cultural boundaries.
When he created the album, he "didn't want it to be just an African album". By doing so, Simon not
only brought awareness to African culture, but conveyed how the unification of two separate
cultures can create something beautiful. In his songs he included lyrics, which mixed African and
English words. The hegemony of South Africa wanted to control what was spoken to control power.
However, this amalgamation undermined the discourse on apartheid as those who were able ... Show
more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Nevertheless, by combining South African music and American music, he conveyed the world the
beauty that may arise from mixing cultures. Simon did not just tell the world of the good
amalgamation can do, but he told the world how these artists were affected under the rule of
apartheid. He further combats South Africa's power structure by granting black South African
musicians the opportunity to travel abroad for music's sake. Through breaking the cultural boycott
and undermining discourse on apartheid, Paul Simon aided the black South

The Critique Of World Music
Introduction
Is it a bird...is it a plane...? This is too "shay"... World Music Cliché?!
When dissecting music, we mainly tend to pay attention to its ethnicity, culture, whether or not its
indigenous, traditional or tribal. World music is flavoured by native music culture. Often native
music is considered sacred or used to dissolve egos and ignite their awareness of spiritual fire!
Ever listen to a piece of music and think, "I've heard this before?"
Western civilisation has forgotten about centuries–old reincarnations. Even in languages: The
English seem to forget about its Germanic Constructs.
We could consider World Music as a Pseudo–musical term in marketing...
We complain about this matter because of its ability to relegate something for its exotic experience;
cute, weird but safe, exotica is beautiful but irrelevant. The subtle way within in reasserts the
hegemony of Western Pop Culture. The context of world music has become so analogous. The fact
that we can appreciate it on the radio, T.V, internet etc. we also train our ears consciously and
subconsciously to adapt to Euro–American ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
In this way, world music is exploited for financial gain. One may argue that this is simply an
alternative manner of promoting world music, but the purpose of the artist is to promote him or
herself, not the world music as a style or its corresponding culture. The exploitation of world music
and aspects thereof also contributes to the loss of the music's unique character, as it is performed
outside of the context for which it was designed and for reasons other than those for which it was
created. The fact that artists make use of world music or its characteristics in order to make a profit
means that the music has been

A City In Winter And A Complicated Kindness Analysis
The Necessity of Sacrifice in the Lives of the Innocent
The innocence of youth is often romanticized as being has days filled with laughter and energy; it is
oblivious of the stress and responsibilities of this world. In such a picturesque world, however, it
becomes easy to forget the many limitations of youth:. nNo right to vote, to make decisions, to own
property or to even stay up past a specified bedtime. The idyllic life of a child is easily disagreeable
to those youth who want know what they want; to those youth with great aspirations. Many children
– both real and in fictional literature – experience great struggles while trying to achieve goals by
their own accord. Western North American authors Mark Helprin and Miriam Toews effectively
portrayed this plight of a willful child in their novels A City in Winter and A Complicated Kindness
respectively. Mark Helprin's A City in Winter is the tale of an extraordinary young girl reclaiming
her kingdom. Yet even with her wit, charm and innocence, her progression is ultimately
unsuccessful until her surrogate father swoops in – quite literally – to save the day knowing it is at
the expense of his life. Likewise, Miriam Toews' A Complicated Kindness is about a young girl who
knows exactly what she wants, but lacks the moral strength and maturity to obtain it. Her father,
who is both morally strong and mature, must eventually sacrifice his comfortable way of life for his
daughter. In both novels the girls lack power due to

Rebellion In The Breakfast Club
Rebellion is an unavoidable yet beneficial aspect of any teenager's life, and is often used as a theme
in literature and films. The Novel A Complicated Kindness by Miriam Toews explores the
constricting Mennonite lifestyle imposed upon Nomi Nickel and her rebellious tendencies resulting
from it. The film "The Breakfast Club" directed by John Hughes illustrates the complicated lives of
five teenagers, most notably John Bender and his constant rebellion against his school and principal.
Both of these works use rebellion as their respective protagonist's outlet for the frustration they feel
towards their environments. Nomi and John both engage in recreational drug use in their
unaccepting environments. They disrespect their authority figures through ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
In A Complicated Kindness, Nomi builds up a lot of unexpressed anger towards The Mouth over the
course of the novel, and is never able to express it. When she sees the message he put up on the
church sign, she becomes so infuriated that she destroys the sign out of anger and hatred. Nomi feels
that The Mouth is insane for "making threats and using God as a dummy," and proceeds to walk
over to the sign and "[kick] the shit out of it so that by the time [she] was finished black letters lay
randomly on the ground next to twisted pieces of plastic" (Toews 175). Nomi abhors the dictatorship
her uncle holds over the town. She is exhausted with having to conform to his rules and ideals, so
she destroys his sign as a way to revolt against him. Having been forced to abide by his rules for her
whole life, Nomi finally breaks out of that mold when she stands up against him. In "The Breakfast
Club," Mr. Vernon constantly antagonizes John, who always reacts with anger. Upon receiving
multiple detentions from Mr. Vernon, John responds by passive aggressively ripping apart the books
in the library and throwing the pages around the room. When one of his peers reprimands him for
his action, he sarcastically replies "you're right. It's wrong to destroy literature. It's such fun to read"
and continues to rip apart pages (Hughes 23:16). John despises how narcissistic and

A Complicated Kindness And Catcher In The Rye
A Complicated Kindness is an adolescent novel by Miriam Toews, published originally by Knopf
Canada in 2004. Inspired by her experience as a Mennonite herself, Toews crafts a story around a
teenage girl known informally as Nomi. Nomi experiences the hardships of religious oppression
only to let her family give in first. Catcher in the Rye is, too, an adolescent novel written instead by
J. D. Salinger. Comparable to A Complicated Kindness, Catcher in the Rye saw some inspiration for
the story by Salinger's experience as an angsty teenager in New York. The resulting tale is of a
young man named Holden who abandons schooling and his wealthy home to find a place to belong.
These two narratives – more than fifty years apart – have some striking parallels about them. The
central theme in both novels is how the benefits to maturity are greatly desired by youth, but the
path to ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
The second dress lies on the barn roof initially, but once returning to the barn the dress was no
longer there. This is representative of Nomi's mother and sister, who had left to avoid waiting for
death in East Village by leaving and never returning. Nomi also states how she felt when she did not
see it there, saying, "I had really been hoping that it would be [there] and when I couldn't find it I
felt tired and pissed off and hot and stupid" (42). Her reaction to this missing dress can be applied to
her feelings toward the disappearance of her mother and sister. She is upset with her mother and
sister leaving, but she also feels daft for not leaving herself. To conclude, the dress in the dirt
represents Nomi presently, as she is sitting in East Village and waiting to be buried. The dress that
disappeared from the roof represents what Nomi wishes to do, as she wants to leave East Village to
experience the rest of the world and do something with her life rather than wait for it to

The African Elephant : Animals And Elephants
The African elephant is the largest living land mammal and one of the most impressive animals on
Earth. The elephant trunk serves as a nose, hand, extra foot, helps gather food, siphoning water,
dusting, and digging. The trunk can reach up to 23ft. The elephant habitat is dense forest to open
planes. Elephants are herbivore. An elephant's lifespan is 60 to 70 years. A elephants predator is a
human.
Buffalo
Buffalo are extremely large animals. Buffalo stand approximately 65 inches at the shoulder and
weigh up to 1760 (males) 1650 (female). The front hooves are larger than the hind because of how
much the buffalo weighs. Both male and female carries horns. The habitat of a buffalo s dense forest
to open plane. A buffalo is a herbivore. The life expectancy of a buffalo is 18 to 20 years. The
predator of a buffalo are humans, lions, and crocodiles.
Lion
Lions are the second largest animal in the feline family. Lions stand about 48 inches at the shoulder.
Lions weigh about 416 pounds (male) and 277 pounds (female). A lion's habitat is savannahs,
grasslands, and woodland. Lions are carnivores. A lion predator is a human.
Rhino
The rhinoceros is a large primitive looking mammal that dates from the Miocene era from millions
of years ago. Rhinos stand about 60 inches at the shoulder. A rhino weighs about 1 to ½ tons (black
rhino) and over 2 tons (white rhino). A rhino habitat is grassland and savannahs. A rhino's life span
is 35 to 40 years. The predator is humans.
Leopard

A Summary Of Miriam ToewsA Complicated Kindness
The culture depicted in Miriam Toews' A Complicated Kindness is a counterculture to modern
society and Christianity. Countercultures can have either a negative or positive impact on its
members. In the case of East Village, it creates a constricting environment where citizens are unable
to expand their mind. It is a fundamentalist Mennonite community where the church is the head of
power. The citizens focus most of their energy on being faithful followers of the church to ensure
their place in heaven when the rapture comes. As a result, people aren't given the tools they need to
succeed outside of their culturally isolated community. They take the bible literally with no room for
interpretation. With the lack of change in the ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
If someone sins or acts in a way the church deems inappropriate they are excommunicated and
forced to live in exile in their own home. Instead of giving people support when they succumb to
their weaknesses, the church casts them out. The act of excommunication forces people to choose
between their faith and the love of their family. During the time period the novel is set, people were
encouraged to stand out and strive for better things. However, in East Village the opposite is true. As
Nomi said, "[T]he biggest sin in our town was to be sure of yourself" (Toews 65). She goes on to
say that, "The second biggest sin in town was to need a lot of things" (Toews 65). This expresses
how the citizens of East Village are expected to accept what they have been given and remain
satisfied with how life is. The atmosphere is suffocating and leaves no room for personal growth or
self expression. It is this kind of environment that creates a counterculture within the community;
comprised mostly of young adults looking for an escape.
East Village is stuck in its old–fashioned ways and reluctant to accept the changes happening outside
of their community. No trains run through town and the doctors are given a hard time because they
both represent modern ideologies. Within the community, many people such as Lids' parents believe
that the best way to help their ill

Margaret Steffler's 'A Complicated Kindness'
Margaret Steffler's article, Fragments and Absences, states, "Language in A Complicated Kindness,
constructed, responded to, and commented on by Nomi as first–person narrator, demonstrates a
linguistic fragmentation comparable to the material fragments surrounding the deserted daughter
and sister" (5). To understand this comment further, we have to analyze A Complicated Kindness. In
Miriam Toews' novel, we focus on the protagonists Naomi "Nomi" Nickel; she is a curious and
defiant sixteen year–old who is developing in a kind of stunted world, or as she states a "non–
progressive community" (11). Nomi is trying to find herself, and this brings her into conflict with
the community, and its authorities, especially her uncle Hans "The Mouth" Rosenfeldt ... Show more
content on Helpwriting.net ...
Her narration is filled with constant deviations, jumping around, and incomplete endings; her
inability to maintain focus, it seems, is stated at the very beginning of the novel, Nomi has a
problem with endings (1). So, instead of an ending, she simply states a memory, or begins another
story; we can see this in the spaces between some paragraphs, the lines that indicate a beginning of a
new fragment, or simply a new chapter. Another example of her inability to conclude is the novels
ending, it seems like she is writing to her teacher her final assignment. In the assignment she ends it
by saying she will do things like leave and start a new life, but in actuality she hasn't done anything
she is still sitting in the empty house, so the reader is left wondering, did Nomi really get out of the
Mennonite community? The ending in itself is not

Miriam Makeba Research Paper
Miriam Makeba influenced Texas by singing about civil rights and keeping her stature while being
exiled from her country. Life on it's own has its hardships, but imagine facing discrimination from
your home country and countries around the world. Makeba faced an innumerable amount of
hardships, yet still stayed true to her roots. She stood on her beliefs and never backed down.
Biography.jranks.org claims, "Makeba faced conflict from the moment she was born. She served a
six month term at the age of two and a half weeks" (Bigelow and Pendergast). Liptrott writes
"Makeba's family facing further issues. Her father passed away sooner than expected"
(theheroinecollective.com). She faced challenges within her home, while also dealing with racial ...
Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Makeba initially left South Africa to further her career and explore the world. Makeba said, "If I had
not left South Africa, I do not think anything would have came out of it, and that is one of the
reasons why I left. There was no scope for me there as a black entertainer. In 1958, the South
African government passed a law where no blacks could perform in the cities. Anti–apartheid songs
are not allowed to be sold or played on the radio. My songs have been banned since 1962"
(youtube.com). She sang in welcoming countries, while still relaying her message to the people in
South Africa. "During Makeba's career, there were strict rules concerning racial inequality in Africa"
(apartheid). Gaylord notes "Makeba left the country to pursue her career in other countries, but soon
felt regret when her mother passed away and was denied access into South Africa" (csmonitor.com).
Makeba says, "I never knew they were going to stop me from coming back" (csmonitor.com).
"Makeba was exiled from her own country because of her stance with apartheid"
(southafricaproject.web.unc.edu). Bigelow and Pendergast comment, "The South African
government did not agree or tolerate her opposing views" (biography.jrank.org). "Makeba being
exiled from her home country definitely caught the attention of others. "Many countries gave
Makeba citizenship in support. She became a symbol for the world and it's struggle with racial
inequality

Introspection in A Complicated Kindness and The Catcher in...
Miriam Toews' A Complicated Kindness and J.D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye are two novels
in which characters reflect on their attitudes and experiences as a source of emotional growth and
maturity. Salinger and Toews show the importance of this reflection through the evolution of their
characters' – Holden Caulfield and Nomi Nickel – similar attitudes towards their schools,
communities, and lives. Though Nomi and Holden both do poorly in school for various reasons,
Nomi overcomes her obstacles by working to identify the source of them. Both characters also
resent their communities because of the hypocrisy found within them. However, Nomi manages to
find good within the East Village through self–reflection, while Holden completely ... Show more
Though Nomi escapes these negative feelings using drugs and her imagination, she expresses to her
guidance counsellor that she feels a need to change her views on the educational system and learn to
love it. The novel's convoluted plotline does not show step–by–step, how Nomi goes about changing
her attitudes. However, Nomi engaging her environment in deeper thought is evidenced in her
coming to realize that she does poorly in school because she is: "already anticipating failure."(Toews
2) With this new insight, Nomi writes her story as an assignment for submission to Mr. Quiring as
an attempt to gain his approval and achieve academic success. A disparate situation is presented to
readers in The Catcher in the Rye. Early in the novel, Holden expresses the reason for his difficulties
in school as his being: "always surrounded by phonies."(Salinger 13) Holden is correct; he is
completely incapable of relating to his peers. However he takes no time to consider potential
solutions to his problem. During his conversation with Mr. Spencer, Holden communicates that he
deals with his troubles by simply quitting; putting minimal effort into academics and socialization.
Since Holden never addresses his emotions directly, he fails to realize

Compare And Contrast The Kite Runner Insecurities
Throughout our lives we all experience things that may make us feel uncomfortable or make us feel
insecure, some people experience these more than others. By being put into situations like these
people's insecurities are shown. Here we will be looking at two characters from two different stories.
The first character is Amir, he starts off as a young boy growing up wishing to please his father and
make him proud of him for the work that he wants to do and we follow him as he grows throughout
his journey. The second character is Lucy, she is an 18 year old single mom living on her own with
her 8 month old son. In this essay we will look at common experiences that point out these two
characters' insecurities and how they either developed or were ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
An example in text of Lucy feeling disgraceful is in this next quote where she talks directly to the
reader. "I should tell you right now how I got to where I am: single mother on the door, public
housing, all that. It wasn't a goal of mine, certainly."–Pg15 As Lucy tells the story of her having a
child she talks about how embarrassing and painful it is to be in her situation. She speaks of how she
never dreamed for this and that she had other plans but in the end she has failed herself. Later in the
story Lucy has to go to a dole appointment. While she is there she talks about how the workers there
recognize that she is of lower class and it disgusts the worker at the desk. "With the puke now on his
pants and one boot missing he looked horrible, and I think seeing him depressed the dole staff.
Anyway, they got me in and out of there pretty quickly." Pg–50 At the end of this quote she says that
they got her in and out really quick, thinking that the staff wanted her out as fast as they could so
they didn't have to deal with her because they didn't want her there because her lower class, grossed
them out making her feel like a stain on society. Seeing this Lucy takes into account that just
because she's a single mom people start thinking of her differently adding onto her insecurities.
Amir also faces the feelings of disgrace, for example in this quote

Grade 12 Comparative Essay
A Means of Existence
How do experiences, good or bad, shape the identity of an individual and make them stand apart
from others? In the award winning novel A Complicated Kindness, by Miriam Toews and the classic
best seller Anne of Green Gables, by L.M Montgomery, the struggle and desire to find personal
identity is profound. Through a series of experiences, the main characters in each novel, one a
rebellious Mennonite and the other a red headed orphan, are forced to look within themselves and
realize one of the most commonly asked question, "who am I?" As both Nomi and Anne grow
internally, not only do they find gratification for themselves, but they also allow others to be set free
in the same way. From the beginning of the book to the ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Through Matthew's death, Anne realizes her full potential and the meaning of her life. Death of life
is a shared experience in both A Complicated Kindness and Anne of Green Gables. Although death
of life affects many of the characters in the novels, it mainly affects Nomi and Anne, who take their
mourning and use it to grow. Because of this death, both characters make life changing decisions;
Nomi decides to leave her community in East Village and Anne decides to refuse her scholarship at
Queens University and stay home with Marilla, her mother figure. Finally, death of religion defines
Nomi as a person when she is unable to follow her religion, "People here just can't wait to die, it
seems. It's the main event. The only reason we're not all snuffed at birth is because that would
reduce our suffering by a lifetime. But I'll have no part of that", (5, Toews). As a Mennonite, Nomi
is expected to follow her religion. One important part of religion to Mennonites is the thought of
afterlife, which as Nomi states, is all people seem to be living for. However, instead of following the
pessimistic outlooks that people have on life, Nomi decides to rebel against her religion and live her
life how she pleases. In Anne of Green Gables, the death of religion can be seen progressing Anne's
identity through her decision to turn her back on the Catholic faith, "Anne hoped that tears would
come in solitude...she found it hard to

Analysis Of A Complicated Kindness
Literature is arguably the most significant aspect taught in high school. It allows us to expand our
minds to interpret human nature and its consequences. Several high school curriculums neglect the
importance of improving the novels to better fit current generations, which consequently reduces its
impact. A Complicated Kindness is a novel by Miriam Toews that should be implemented in the
English curriculum, as it not only relates to high schoolers in today's society, but is also deemed one
of the best Canadian books through its personal touch and prominent themes that relate to other
important novels. Novels in the curriculum have a level of significance in the literature world that
evidently shows its importance and authenticity. A Complicated Kindness has been awarded with
several awards such as the prestigious Governor General's Award for English Fiction in 2004 and the
CBA Libris Fiction Award. It has also been regarded as the novel all Canadians should read in the
2006 Canada Reads competition. Numerous critics have noted the personal touch that comes from
Toews extensive background. A critical review from Margaret Boe Birns states, "A Complicated
Kindness explores both the old–fashioned world of the Mennonites and its bete noire of encroaching
modernity––and although the Mennonite community is subjected to a great deal of Toews' brilliant
wit, it is interesting to see the degree in which it survives her interrogation." The author has her own
experiences

Essay On African Descent
Artist–Activists of African Descent For change to take place, there must be a call for action.
Someone has to stand up and demand that a way of thinking or a set of laws be changed. Those who
bring attention to the problems at hand, and who demand for change to take place, are called
activists. The term activist means "a doctrine or practice that emphasizes direct vigorous action
especially in support of or opposition to one side of a controversial issue." (Merriam Webster
Dictionary) Activists are essential for us to have a world that runs efficiently. If everybody was
afraid to speak their mind, and if nobody pursued change, then we wouldn't have means of
transportation (cars, boats, planes, etc.), the New World would have never been discovered, and
there would still be slavery. The activists that I am going to be talking about are Maya Angelou,
Harry Belafonte, and Miriam Makeba. Each of these people are ... Show more content on
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While she was in school, in 1944, she gave birth to a son at the young age of 16. She would have to
work multiple jobs to support herself and her son. Angelou landed her first role in the play Porgy
and Bess and began getting more and more roles in off–Broadway shows. Then, after a few years of
acting, she moved away to Egypt and then Ghana in 1961, where she began working as a writer and
editor. After spending eight years out of the country, she moved back to the United States and began
writing about her life experiences.
Commitment to Social Justice: In 1969, her writing resulted in the memoir I Know Why the Caged
Bird Sings, which was about her childhood and young adult years. This gave her the start that she
needed, as she began writing more and more and becoming increasingly successful. Angelou was
able to get her drama, Georgia, Georgia produced in 1972, becoming the first African–American
woman to do so. She also went on to win a Tony Award, as well and an Emmy

Identity In The Kite Runner
How identity is shaped in The Kite Runner and A Complicated Kindness The main protagonists in
the novels A Complicated Kindness and The Kite Runner convey that identities are socially
constructed. The following factors shape identity: parenting, conflict, culture, gender, and genetics.
These factors all intertwine and are the primary influencers for developing the protagonist's identity.
Furthermore, this is formed by the people that surround a person from their cultural stereotypes,
how they teach others, and how a person learns. This essay will discuss how these factors affect the
protagonist's identity and why they are important. Parenting plays a role in a person's identity
through the love, acceptance, and encouragement they give to a child. In The Kite Runner, Amir's
father Baba holds back on showing love to Amir. To Amir it seems that everything he does is never
good enough for his father and because of this, Amir seeks love and acceptance elsewhere. When
Amir writes a story and shares it with, Rahim, his father's friend, Rahim gives Amir the utmost
compliments and encourages him to write stating that "...a person who wastes his God given talent is
a donkey" (Hosseini p. 26). As a result, this compliment gives Amir a taste of what it's like to have
someone give him love and encouragement. Through this encouragement, Amir identifies himself as
a writer. In A Complicated Kindness, it could be said that Nomi receives love and acceptance from
her father even though his

Miriam Toews' A Complicated Kindness Essay
In Miriam Toews novel A Complicated Kindness there are many references to pop culture. There are
references to music, books and films. These all lead to the development of key ideas in the novel.
East Village is supposed to be a town free form the influence of most media. The children are
allowed to watch certain films but only the ones the church deems fit. Yet somehow the un–holy
films find their way into the procession of kids in the town like Nomi. The films are used to develop
key ideas by showing that not everybody is happy with a strong importance on religion, where Nomi
gets some of her influence for wanting to move to New York and how the church uses the ban on
films to remain in control. The church isn't successful on banning ... Show more content on
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Showing that the films sneak their way into the culture shows the cracks in the town's commitment
to their faith.
Nomi wants to get out of the East Village in Manitoba and go to the East Village in New York
although she has never been and knows very little about it she has decided that New York is the
place for her to go. One of the films mentioned in the novel is West Side Story, which takes place in
the upper east side of New York City. This could be one of Nomi's inspirations for her desire to
move to New York. This could also add to her fascination of America overall. Nomi would often
fantasize that her father was "going to Minnesota for a coffee" (Toews 88) and she would go to the
border and "stare at America" (Toews 56). Nomi has no aspirations to move to larger city in Canada
like Vancouver or Ottawa. She has the mentality that the American dream is what she needs to be
happy; a concept that the media often likes to show. If Nomi never had access to these films it would
be more likely that she would want to venture somewhere closer to home like Winnipeg. Since
Nomi only had minimal exposure movies that portray the idea of the American dream her view on it
is slightly twisted. She doesn't know exactly what would be waiting for her in New York but she
hopes that it would be her Mother and Sister. Another movie that mentioned in the novel is The
Sound Of Music, which is about a woman who failed at being a nun and ended becoming a
governess of

Hamlet Strengths And Weaknesses
Strength is essential to overcome obstacles, however people in similar circumstances may have
disparate decisions, leading to various outcomes and consequences. In spite of all challenges,
discouragements and impossibilities; strength distinguishes a strong soul from a weak one. Through
the literatures of William Shakespeare, Miriam Toews and Lawrence Hill, it is evident that ethics
and morality play an important role in affecting decisions of the main characters. Assuredly, Hamlet,
Naomi and Aminata, participate in situations where their courage is tested to its fullest, impacting
their fate; for the better and for the worse. Despite bearing cultural and periodic differences, Hamlet
by William Shakespeare, A Complicated Kindness by Miriam Toews and The Book of Negroes by
Lawrence Hill all demonstrate judgements that enrich and destroy the lives of the protagonists and
of those around them. Firstly, Hamlet in Hamlet shows dreadful judgement by consuming himself in
revengeance, resulting in his own downfall. Hamlet becomes obsessed with avenging his uncle,
King Claudius for murdering his father, King Hamlet. As a result of this, corruption takes hold of
Hamlet's life, in which it becomes full of hatred, reprisal and bloodlust. Hamlet questions himself of
which act is more noble. Is it more noble to suffer from the wrong deeds that one has done onto
another or if it is more noble to end the suffering by fighting? In this soliloquy, it is clear that
Hamlet is torn between

The Theme Of Identity In A Complicated Kindness
Nomi Nickel's Identity Crisis Many people go through issues and they may change a person. These
issues or things can form one's identity. When faced with challenges, an individual's identity is
revealed. In the novel, A Complicated Kindness by Miriam Toews, involves a young girl named
Nomi and her search for identity. Numerous factors such as culture, rebellious actions and the
evaporation of family all aid in Nomi's search for who she is. An individual's identity may be
formed due to their culture. One may be forced into an identity based on their culture. Nomi Nickel
is born into a Mennonite family. She is identified as a Mennonite or 'meno' considering that is all she
has ever been seen as. Throughout the novel she struggles with this ... Show more content on
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The vanishing of one's family member may cause an identity crisis. When Nomi's sister leaves runs
away, Nomi is feeling a sense of loss and abandonment. Once Tash is gone Nomi develops insomnia
and has "nightmares of Tash screaming while she [burns], a hand reaching out for help" which
shows Nomi's love for her sister (Toews 162). She leaves and although Nomi is seeing it as a bad
thing in her life it helps shape her into the person that she is supposed to be. Nomi has to go through
all of these hardships in order to become a stronger and wiser person. When Tash disappears Nomi
goes through a period of confusion which leads to rebellion. Being a teenager is already a difficult
thing to go through and adding in her sister leaving Nomi is confused as to who she is. It causes her
to question everything and go on a rebellious path. Likewise, a mother cannot be replaced therefore
the evaporation of one's mother can lead to distress. Since Trudie has left East Village without
Nomi, Nomi again feels a sense of abandonment. Losing both her mother and sister within months
of each other is a very hard thing for Nomi to deal with. When Tash left Nomi at least had her
mother there to be with her. Even though "after Tash left, [her] mom's church singing got quieter"
she still had her mom with her (162). This time around Nomi has only her father and herself. With
her mother and sister leaving Nomi had to change and teach

Analysis Of Nomi Nickel
Upon reading the first page, I knew this would be a good book to read. The story started ______.
The writing style is in the first person told from the perspective of Nomi Nickel and reads similar to
a memoir. This is effective because it helps the reader to step inside the main characters head to
view their thoughts and helps the reader to understand the characters actions. We are able to view
the shaping of the character through the characters thoughts when events happen. Like when, Nomi
did such and such this told the audience that she is a person who ______. The first ten chapters give
us a look into Nomi Nickels past, her opinions, and thoughts. As a result, I can see why nomi turned
from a strict religious follower to a rebellious teenager. They show the transition of her thoughts
from a straight edge Mennonite follower to a rebellious teenager. Miriam Toews has a dry sense of
humor that is thrown into Nomi's everyday activities. This keeps the book interesting and is a
surprise when it happens, such as when the garbage men throw out Ray's hutch, not only was this
unexpected but Ray's reaction was unforeseen. Rather than express his thoughts or feelings on what
happened, Ray shuts himself in his room. This is seen as a childlike reaction rather than an adult, as
a result this sets the tone for Ray and Nomi's relationship. In the town, many of the teens represent a
character foil. On Saturday nights they go out drinking, partying, having sex, and on Sunday they
return

A Complicated Kindness By Miriam Toews
The current generation is quizzical of the importance that religious teachings hold in our evolving
pro–choice society. In past generations, spiritualism was a method of uniting the community and
nurturing the young. However, we find that faith has the adverse effect. While separate from other
religions, a rise in hate fueled discrimination and separatism is observable between different
communities in all corners of the globe. In this generation, it is only logical that as religion is taught,
after learning from present and past events, the very essence of the teachings is skewed and put into
question.
Miriam Toews' novel, A Complicated Kindness, explores the aspects of one's interpretation of faith,
their reintegration into society and self–improvement. These elements are explored through Natasha
Nickel's formulation of her newfound faith, a step in which she soaks knowledge, questions what
has been learned, and then incorporates the changes into her lifestyle. Through this critical thinking
process, Tash becomes the most logical follower of faith in the community.
Tash's curious nature represents her critical thoughts about God's true love, his meaning and his
reliability. These thoughts mold her unique interpretation of God. This particular thought is observed
after "[Tash] threw herself out of a tree and broke her elbow... [Tash] [thinks] God ... let it happen ...
[Tash] ... want[s] to throw me out of a tree to test God's love and my mom [says] no, there are such
things as

How Does Hattie Change Throughout The Play
The main characters Hattie, Logan and Thebes set off on an adventure to find Thebes and Logan's
father in the book The Flying Troutmans by Miriam Toews. Hattie does not feel like a big part of her
family, but that does not change her mind on protecting, taking care of and loving them. Even if
Hattie's family mistreats and misbehaves she will still help them emotionally and physically and
protect them.
First of all, Hattie is a very loyal sister to Min, even though Hattie is loyal Min acts as if she does
not want Hattie around. Hattie will do what she can to help her sister even though Min treats her like
dirt. After Hattie has tried to call Min a few times she realises "Min didn't want to see her kids. Min
didn't want to see me. Her kids wanted nothing more than to be with her" (Toews 61). This quotation
relates to the thesis because Min has always been the sister to push Hattie away ... Show more
When Min is in the hospital and she does not want to see Hattie or the kids, Hattie still worries
about her sister and so she will do what she can to check if she is okay and she takes the children so
Min can heal physically and emotionally. Next, Min not only treats Hattie like she does not want her
around now, but she treated Hattie like dirt even when they were kids "One time I waited all night in
minus twenty weather outside her front door, begging her to open it and let me in...She phoned the
cops and told them I was stalking her" (54). This is proof of the thesis because even though Min was
not the greatest sister when they were young, when Min pushes Hattie away, this quotation

Summary Of The Book 'A Complicated Kindness'
Nancy Nguyen ENG 4U1 Ms. Miszczak March 12, 2015 Religious and The Effect of Power in a
Small Society Oscar Wilde once said: "Everything in the world is about sex except sex. Sex is about
power." Here, he shows his opinion about the rights between men and women, which means men is
the one control the power. As much as same idea in the novel A Complicated Kindness written by
Miriam Toews when women are punished for their actions, while men are not. A Complicated
Kindness is a story of a teenager girl who lives with her father in a very religious town, where most
of people's career are killing chicken in a factory. However, Nomi mentions her past memories about
her mom and her sister, because they fled away the town at the different time, and ... Show more
At first, Nomi was born in a place where she couldn't choose a religion for herself : "Imagine the
least well–adjusted kid in your school starting a breakaway clique of people whose manifesto
includes a ban on the media, dancing, smoking , temperate climates, movies, drinking, rock'n'roll,
having sex for fun, swimming, makeup, jewellery, playing pool, going to cities, or staying up past
nine o'clock. That was Menno all over. Thanks a lot, Menno." (Towes, 5). From this, the author
provides us the idea that Nomi likes to do everything that against the Mennonite beliefs such as
movies, dance, musics, boys. This also proves to us that this society is lacking of the various from
many aspects as languages, nations, religions,...which lead all the people in that town are so bored.
As well as the second faults, which makes Nomi always want to escape from her homeland is the
silent in this town: "I dream of escaping into a real world. If I'm forced to read one more Narnia
series book I'll kill myself. I would love to read the diary of a girl my age–a girl from the city. Or a
textbook on urban planning. Or a New York City phone book." (Towes, 6). This quotation shows
that Nomi really wants to leave this town, a silent, bored and heavily religious place. Thus, she
wants to be free, like her mom and her sister. As a final point, which also is the big problem in this

Importance Of Art And Literature In The Perception Of Society
The importance of Art and Literature in the Perception of Society
Art and literature contain the power to transport one to extraordinary settings and time periods.
Depending on the novel, the reader can travel the lands of Narnia and uncover ways to prevent
bullying without even leaving the chair. Likewise, with art, one can join the Picasso era and identify
the struggles he encountered. Clearly, creative compositions aid in portraying the different aspects of
society and Miriam Toews effectively unravels this mystery in her novel The Flying Troutmans. The
author demonstrates how art and literature helps one make sense of the world around them by
considering different perspectives, by analyzing character developments, and by building intellect.
This eventually leads to self–understanding.
Art and literature become a source of guidance when one learns from the integrated insights of
human experiences. Many writers incorporate unique characters, allowing the audience to view
situations through unfamiliar perspectives and discover significant information. For example, Min,
Logan and Thebes mother, attempts suicide several times, experiences heartbreak, and eventually,
refuses to meet with her family. For Min, novels are "[her] girl guide to the universe...[Her] library
of loss" (Toews 167) since she can identify with the central characters. Specifically, because she
suffers from a mental illness, she focuses on the protagonists who endure a comparable disorder.
Thereon, she

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