Monday, August 19, 2019
The Character of Soka in Children of the River :: Children of the River
In stories of any genre, characters may change dramatically. This holds true for many characters in Children of the River, a story that tells the true nature of change. The most prominent change is evident in the character of Soka. Her character begins as very stubborn and strict and changes to that of a caring person. This essay will explore the true nature of Sokaââ¬â¢s behavior. At the beginning of Children of the River, the story unfolds in Cambodia. Soka has given birth to a baby (who dies later on). A warring faction, named the ââ¬Å"Khmer Rougeâ⬠have begun to attack the city where the family, and self live. She becomes stubborn, unwilling to leave her home, since she becomes weak. Her stubbornness almost costs her familyââ¬â¢s lives. This also leads to a conflict with her husband. Stubbornness can become a very distracting trait in people, as is Soka. However this trait will become less prominent later on during the story. In the middle of the novel, Soka changes once again somewhat, from being very stubborn to very strict. She shows her strictness mostly towards her teenager niece, Sundara. It is sometimes uncertain of her behaviour. She believes very highly of her cultureââ¬â¢s customs and beliefs. She thinks the Cambodian way is the only way. Her beliefs get very annoying sometimes, especially towardââ¬â¢s her niece. These patterns of behaviour distances Sundara from her aunt, turning her partially rebellious side towards her family. Sokaââ¬â¢s trait keeps the story woven together, and adds a thorny edge to it as well. But this trait changes once again. The last part of this story is essential to Sokaââ¬â¢s last change. She starts to show sympathy towardââ¬â¢s Sundaraââ¬â¢s needs. Albeit, slowly. This change is the most prominent throughout the entire story. What mostly surprises the reader is that of Sokaââ¬â¢s allowance of Sundaraââ¬â¢s seeing her friend Jonathan. What first sets this chain of reaction off is Sokaââ¬â¢s allowance of Sundara to help Jonathanââ¬â¢s father, Dr. McKinnon with her language due to a medical urgency needed in Cambodia. I believe this is the most exciting part of the story. This change in Soka takes away some of the distance from Sundara because of her second change. This is a much needed change in Sokaââ¬â¢s personality. In conclusion, all of these changes in Sokaââ¬â¢s personality change the story in their own unique way.
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