Favorite character in literature?

[bleachededen]

When I was in grade school/junior high, the "gifted" class (or extra challenges for intelligent students, whatever they call it these days) consisted of myself and three other boys who spent most of their time goofing off while I was trying to be serious about gaining the extra learning. They were my dear friends, but they irriated me so, and I believe I actually said on more than one occasion, "Don't you boys ever read?" So when Hermione said it, several years after my graduation and beginning of college, I definitely saw my 11-year old self in her and couldn't help but picture my three pals in place of Harry and Ron.

I'm also considered to be a know it all, and love knowledge and sharing my knowledge, so I definitely relate to Hermione.

[pinkpink_1217]

Favorite character in literature?
That must be Elizabeth Bennet and Mr.Darcy in Pride and Prejudice.
They are so adorable,Lizzy is full of wit and she is sensible and extremely intelligent.
And Mr.Darcy is just so generous and romantic!

The best couple had ever created by Jane Austen!!!

[caseyjo]

When I was in grade school/junior high, the "gifted" class (or extra challenges for intelligent students, whatever they call it these days) consisted of myself and three other boys who spent most of their time goofing off while I was trying to be serious about gaining the extra learning. They were my dear friends, but they irriated me so, and I believe I actually said on more than one occasion, "Don't you boys ever read?" So when Hermione said it, several years after my graduation and beginning of college, I definitely saw my 11-year old self in her and couldn't help but picture my three pals in place of Harry and Ron.

I'm also considered to be a know it all, and love knowledge and sharing my knowledge, so I definitely relate to Hermione.

Such a cute story! Sounds very much like Hermione.

[bleachededen]

Thanks.

I even looked awkward like she did, with crazy hair and sometimes silly purple glasses.

I also cried a lot. One of those guys I mentioned, my closest friend of the three and future (now former) boyfriend, drew a picture of all four of us and I had my head in my hands and was crying! I yelled at him the entire bus ride home and hit him repeatedly for making fun of me. Then he felt bad. I so do not miss junior high.

[Saffron]

It is really hard for me to select only one or even two favorite characters. Two of my favorites, that are tied with each other, from the same book are Rudy Steiner and Max Vandenburg from "The book Thief" by Markus Zusak.

[Robert Tulip]

Who has been your favorite literary charcter(s)?

I've enjoyed the escapades of Kilgore Trout, since as alter-ego he's not retricted to convention. Also,,,, there's Atticus Finch,who back in my youth, changed my concept of what it meant to be tolerant, since at that time there weren't role models for that behavior.

Kilgore Trout is right up there with Yossarian. I also like Juan Matus.

Speaking of Atticus Finch, here is an essay my daughter Diana has just written.

‘I have a Dream’ – Martin Luther King Jr.

Americans always thought of their nation as the beacon of justice in our world. Their great self-image was even evident in comics such as Superman, with the slogan ‘Truth, Justice, and the American Way’. These three values were embedded into American minds, and yet they didn’t extend these values to apply to all people, of every race. People of America were ignorant to the injustices occurring just streets away; they had raised themselves on a pedestal and couldn’t admit their faults.

To Kill a Mockingbird, written by Harper Lee, confronted Americans with their double-standards. The racism occurring in Maycomb, Alabama was of course fictional, and yet undeniably based on reality. A year after the book was published, in 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. stood at the Lincoln Memorial and faced Americans with yet another account of their wrongdoings. The theme of racism was intricately laced in both these texts.

In To Kill a Mockingbird, the townspeople of Maycomb misjudged African-Americans. When speaking of the blacks in Maycomb, the townspeople referred to them using the label of “trash”, however very few of the townspeople actually had any first-hand knowledge or experience of the black people and their culture, and as such, this label was formed by their ignorance and based on preconceived notions. In this novel, Lee expressed one's ethnicity and appearance changing other's opinions about a certain character, without knowing the characters personality and beliefs.

Tom Robinson, an African-American man, was accused of raping Mayella Ewell; since he was an African-American, he lost the case. Tom was given a defence attorney, Atticus Finch, who was chosen by the judge. Atticus Finch was a white man and he was an experienced lawyer. He tried his best to win Mr. Robinson's case and he proved that Mr. Robinson was not guilty of raping Mayella. Despite this, the jury still found Mr Robinson guilty, and it is clear they had been influenced by some sort of group judgement. The theme of racism in this novel was portrayed as being quite a major part of society, and this can be seen as a reflection of American society at that time in history.

A text that also presents the theme of racism is Martin Luther King Jr’s ‘I have a Dream’ speech. King presented this speech at a time when racial injustice was at a high, and he was calling for an end to racial inequality and discrimination. He was able to support his urgency to make a change not only in the words he spoke, but also in the way he said them. King’s words were able to educate, inspire, and arouse hope in Americans of the time.

King appealed to his audience by using various techniques to convey the issue of racism. One of these was the political shaming of racist views. King was making an attempt to evoke regret and shame in the individual racist, as well as the various institutions promoting racism. Towards the beginning of his speech, King, in reference to the Emancipation Proclamation that abolished slavery in 1863 said that “it came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity”.

What was seemingly a great turning point in history had been impeded in the 100 years that followed. Racial segregation still prevailed; African- Americans still had to cope with discrimination; black poverty still existed. America was proclaiming equality but then maintaining a society based on inequality, which King vehemently regarded as hypocritical and shameful.

King conveys racism in his speech by relating a lot of it to the difficulties faced by black children of the time, in an attempt to evoke indignation so his listeners will join him in demanding changes. These appeal directly to people’s emotions, and many would be greatly ashamed at having caused harm to innocent children. King says “We can never be satisfied as long as our children are stripped of their self-hood and robbed of their dignity by signs stating: "For Whites Only."”.


When speaking of matters of racism, we must understand that the term ‘whites’ is purely a generalisation for the people in white society who are actively racist towards black people, and also the institutions and laws preventing blacks from having equal rights. By making this distinction, you can argue that ‘whites’ are the ones causing the problems. Since the enslavement of blacks hundreds of years ago, whites have been responsible for keeping blacks from achieving their full potential through segregation and discrimination policies. Prior to the 1960’s in America, segregation was socially and legally enforced, primarily separating the African Americans from other races.

Social impacts included the prevention of blacks eating in the same restaurants, using the same public transport and various other facilities. In T o Kill a Mockingbird, we saw the blacks attending their own church; living in their own section of Maycomb that restricted their access to public facilities. While legal segregation in America was abolished in the 1960’s, social discrimination lived on. King said “One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later, the Negro is still languished in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land.“

King is appealing to the minority in white society who aren’t racist, in an attempt to compel them to lead America to a better future. This plea is for the individual as well as the government to make a change. It appears that big cities were not leading the rural states to a country without discrimination, and were turning a blind eye to the racism occurring in these states. Larger cities needed to provide scrutiny of these smaller states, and ensure that they were allowing equal rights. Even those enforcing the law (ie police, courts and judges) were actively racist and discriminatory themselves, and this can be seen in To Kill a Mockingbird. People often form their own opinions and become immovable, as evidenced in the novel when the jury has been presented with a very strong case of Tom Robinsons innocence and yet they ignore this and declare him guilty. This is an example of prejudice, as blacks are considered guilty until proven innocent, when they should be innocent until proven guilty. By shaming these sorts of acts, King was alerting people to their prejudice and attempting to change the climate of opinion. King knew that one person could not make much of a difference, and he needed to inspire a population of people to recognise their mistakes.

So, King's speech initially explores what has been happening, primarily focussing on the issues racism has caused and the severity of its impacts. He presents racism by shaming and demoralizing those engaging in racist acts. As the speech advances, King begins to present a vision of hope for a racially equal society. He offers his dreams and aspirations of a fairer and better future for America, with racial harmony and equality of opportunity. In the novel, Lee also portrays Atticus as pleading for the people of Maycomb to find their inner empathy, and thrive for equality across all races. Atticus speaks of the courts being “the great levellers, and in [his] courts all men are created equal.” Like King, Atticus is imagining a future where courts bear no prejudice on which race someone is.

The picture that King paints is something anyone can find appealing, be they black or white. It opens up opportunities for people to make changes, and helps them become determined to follow these changes through. King has a balance of pragmatic and idealistic ideas for the future of America. It appears King is idealistic enough to establish this great vision within himself, and pragmatic enough to understand how to implement it.

Once again in an attempt to play to the Americans emotions, King speaks of a better world for future generations to live in. Parents may find this pleasing, as no parents want their children to grow up in an unfair and at times unsafe community. He says he has a dream that ‘there in Alabama, little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers’. Here, King is calling for friendships to be formed across the racial divide.

Calpurnia makes a similar attempt in the novel, by taking the children to her church. This call for friendship brings King’s plea closer to home, to a more personal level and makes people consider their families and what is best for their children. Once again, those who are not racist have even more incentive to go out and correct the wrongdoings of others, and furthermore alter the mindsets of those racist individuals in the community.

King reveals his ideas for change at different levels, be they national, political or individual. At a national level, King dreams “that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: ‘We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal’”. He dreams of the entire nation working towards what was originally at the foundation of American ethics. At a political level, King cites the Constitution that promised ‘unalienable rights’ of ‘Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness’.

As well as this being part of the law of America, it was a basis for American values. This was during the African-American Civil Rights Movement, so this desire for the laws to be correctly instilled was a common ambition of the time. At a personal or individual level, King dreamt of his country working together, praying together, struggling together, standing up for freedom together, and knowing that they will be free one day.

A difference seen between Lee’s novel and King’s speech is that King seemed to have a much greater effect on his audience than Atticus did during Tom Robinson’s trial. Atticus appeared to prove Tom innocent and the court seemed absorbed by the beauty of his words, but then when it came time for the jury to produce their verdict they declared him guilty. This shows that Atticus’ words did not sink particularly deep in the audience, as their racist attitudes have not been significantly influenced.

King, on the other hand, has made a difference and has brought about change in America. People felt compelled to dispel racism in their country due to King’s magniloquent and metaphorical words. In this poster, we are able to see the different effects Atticus and King had. The colour emanating from each of their lips signifies the coloured people they are representing, as well as being an illustration of the eloquent and colourful language both use. The amount of colour and the area it covers signify the depth of effect Atticus and King had. As seen here, King seemed to have a much more profound influence.

[missyannlala]

Well, after just finishing Atonement by Ian McEwan, I must say that I really loved Cecilia Tallis. She seemed so carefree, especially when it came to doing what she wanted to do, even if her mother disapproved. I wish that I could be more like her. Just hold my head high and not worry so much.

Professor Dumbledore was always so genuine and compassionate.
Francie Nolan from, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn has a wonderful way of observing everything around her. Which of course I admire.
Jane Eyre, she didn't fuss with the high, superior life. She felt happy just doing what she loved to do and being herself.

[gordonb]

I think the character and one of the greatest opening lines is "Call me Ishmael," from Moby Dick.

[Centaine]

Scarlett O'Hara, "Gone With the wind"
Luna Lovegood, "Harry Potter"
Jane Eyre, "Jane Eyre"
Elias Fogg, "Around the World in 80 days"
Sam, "The Lord of the Rings"

and of course, Mr. Sherlock Holmes...

[stahrwe]

It has to be Flower from Flower, A Story of the Nativity.