Describe at least one way that a character or individual changed in the text. Explain how this change was important to the text as a whole.
The novel, The Power of One, by Bryce Courtenay is a story about a boy, Peekay, growing up in South Africa during a time of conflict between the native South Africans, Boers and the English. Throughout the novel, he retells the experiences that Peekay had as a boy growing up in a Christian boarding school as an outsider.
The main character Peekay changed throughout the novel because he got exposed to different cultures and people from different backgrounds. Peekay speaks different languages and he has an understanding of other people’s culture and their language. At boarding school, the other kids would make fun of him and talk about him In another language, they thought he didn’t understand.
Geel Piet changed Peekay’s character by teaching him how to box, both the mental and physical side of it. Peekay’s boxing coach and mentor who he met in the local prison while he was getting piano lessons. Geel Piet is the person to go to in the prison if you need anything, paper, sugar, letters. Peekay learns that he can control his emotions which ultimately makes him a better boxer.
Doc – was the amazing german piano teacher that Peekay becomes friends with when he meets him up a mountain. When the second world war breaks out, Doc is arrested and Peekay manages to keep having piano lessons in the prison with Doc. Peekay is managing to sneak contraband into the prison.
He taught him to focus on the things I’m most important in his life I was shocked when I read about what the other boys at the boarding school were doing to Peekay. They were peeing on Peekay for how he looked and that he spoke English as well as Africaans
In The Power Of One, by Bryce Courtney, his created characters Peekay, Doc and Geel Piet taught him better ways to behave and react to other things other people do. These people that he has surrounded himself with have similar goals and mindset as him. We in real life can relate to this as the people who we surround ourselves with, shape our personality and mindset towards other things.
Paragraph topic Detail Evidence/quotes 1 – loneliness Before boarding school PK was happy and safe with his Zulu Nanny, Grandpa, Dee & Dum on the farm, then he arrives at school with Boer children and they pick on him for how he looks, for the languages he speaks “Deep inside me the loneliness bird laid a large stone egg” 2 – Principles Meets with Geel Piet, where he met him, what the relationship was with him, building of relationship with him First with the head and then with the heart, that’s how a man stays ahead from the start” 3 Coming of age Developing of PKs personality The death of Doc – the love that Doc and Peekay have is described as “so fierce that it burned like a flame inside of us” Sparknotes – power of one | ||
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