The Brothers K Essay, Research Paper
The Brothers K by David James Duncan
Theme Statements:
1. The Brothers K represents the concept of social interaction between people, whom have very different belief systems.
2. The novel, The Brothers K, enables the reader to understand a child?s idolization of a given sport, in this case, baseball.
3. The novel represents the world and its inhabitants on a miniscule level, by conveying the differences between the characters and how they act towards one another.
Quotes:
Quote 1:
"Irwin is in his easy chair, reading last October?s Organic Gardening. Winter is lying across his lap." Page 644
This quote represents the generational gap as it dwindles into nothingness. Age has become such an important factor for anyone in this era. Few realize, though, that every generation is nearly the same. The only difference between any two generations is technology. All generations are plagued by the same problems and all hope that their children won?t face the same hardships. That is a case, which will never happen.
Quote 2:
"?Except the bad thing is, the real humdinger, see, is that I tried for CO status, being a Christian and all. And weird things happened. And?well?I didn?t get it." Page 358
The dramatic realization of the fact that the war will affect a member of the Chance family is apparent in this quote. The amount of sorrow and emotions felt by the Chance family, and for that matter, all families who had children, brothers, husbands, or fathers, drafted into what many felt was a needless war. The novel brings to life what heartache many Americans had to face during the Vietnam era, a heartache that few in my generation have had the ability to realize.
Quote 3:
"Problem #1: War" Page 371
The novel illuminates light on the situation not just during the Vietnam era, but also rather throughout all history and the future to come. Throughout mankind?s occupation of earth, we have been plagued by war and the sufferings caused by it. Nearly every generation of people to walk this earth have experienced a great war once in their lifetimes. For instance, Vietnam for my father?s generation, World War 2 for my grandfather?s, and World War 1 for my great-grandfather?s. War has become an unavoidable factor of life. Looking through history and toward the future, I grow concerned over the war that will plague my generation, for it might be the last war.
Quote 4:
"Then I noticed how first President Johnson and now President Nixon pretty much talk gibberish and lie like rugs and all my older brothers except Irwin hate them. But nobody shoots them. So creeps survive." Page 370
The cliché, "the nice guys finish last," which is very apparent in our society. Children are taught that anyone they don?t know is an enemy or someone out to injure them. Thus, causing people to be wary of everyone, showing no trust to anyone. The ones who are able to survive are the ones who do not leave themselves open to even the remotest chance that someone will hinder them. However, that security is paid for with a heavy price, the loss of anyone trusting them or befriending them. The rest of the world then proceeds to judge the person as a creep, even though the rest of the world is always trying to do the same thing.