ipl-logo

Borders Thomas King Analysis

655 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Symbolism in literature essay

In this acclaimed short, Borders by Thomas King many themes occur through the rising action to the climax making it a truly symbolic book about identity. This story is set on the border of Alberta crossing into America where there are two remaining BlackFoot reserves on each side. The mother who is the protagonist and the son who is narrating a story of a mother visiting her daughter across the border with the border patrol as the antagonist. This story is a portrayal of an example of being categorized into different sections depending on what you call yourself. It is about refusing to integrate into society's norms or to be ignorant to think people are divided into a limited amount of groups. The prominent themes of this engaging short story …show more content…

Letitia the daughter that moves away to start a new life for herself causes her mother to worry that she will forget where she came from. The mother compares the Blackfoot reserve to Laetitia's new town making it sound worse trying desperately to pull Laetitia back to her home. In the text it states, “Laetitia told us to watch for the water tower… Over the next rise. It’s the first thing you see… We got a water tower on out reserve”. Through this example it is obvious to see that the mother is concerned the daughter will conform to society's norms and expectations. Family is a key part to the mother's identity where it’s who she grew up with that taught her what type of person she should be so she wants to preserve that. For example the mother says, “... my grandmother used to take me and my sisters out on the prairies and tell us stories about all those stars” reminiscing over her past displays how much she treasures it. The connotation of identity reveals who you are or how you got to be who you are so the mother is repulsed by the fact that she had to be categorized into a country where she isn’t from.
In conclusion there are many crucial themes in which build this story but overall the main themes that build upon this story and really affect the characters is persistence in fighting for what you believe is correct and

Show More
Related

How Does Vonnegut Use Figurative Language In Harrison Bergeron

215 Words | 1 Pages

In the short story “ Harrison Bergeron” written by Kurt Vonnegut the solemn, melancholy and nightmarish moods are expressed by the theme and figurative language, and it helps the reader understand better the story. Vonnegut used simile to describe when the buzzer went off in George's head(22). Also, when Harrison showed how easy it was to take off the handicaps showing that it was as fragile as tissue paper(25). People were impressed on how easy it was to take the handicap off. Vonnegut used hyperbole to describe events that were exaggerated.

Read More

Hatchet Theme Essay

752 Words | 4 Pages

The novel has two themes displayed through the novel. One theme is to never give up. Another theme is when an individual is scared to do something they can overcome

Read More

Out Of The Dust Theme Essay

643 Words | 3 Pages

Characters Help Establish a Theme Characters are used to help develop a theme and create a more relatable story. In the book, “Out of the Dust” by Karen Hesse, Billie Jo and her father stay strong through the dust bowl and the death of their family members. Billie Jo and daddy, from “Out of the Dust”, helped to develop the theme that when you’re at the end of the rope, tie a knot and hold on because of how they persevere through their hardships. Daddy shows persistence in how he never lets his sadness overcome him. First, even though his wife was gone, he never stopped digging the pond.

Read More

Blackfoot Identity In Thomas King's Borders By Thomas King

719 Words | 3 Pages

Modernity has been mainly characterized by its imperialistic policies and colonizing endeavors, which while creating the current legal organization of the world have largely marginalized the many indigenous groups who originally occupied the conquered lands (Andrews and Walton 600). Although post-modern societies have seen an increase in the awareness of these matters, American-Canadian author Thomas King has dedicated his work to throwing light on issues still not tackled. In his short story “Borders”, King tells the adventure of a Blackfoot mother and her child, who try to cross the border to the U.S. but refuse to declare their nationality. It is through his masterful choice of narrator and the careful depiction of the mother’s struggle to maintain her Blackfoot identity that the author conveys the many difficulties First Nations face in their effort to keep their heritages alive.

Read More

My Mother's Pieced Quilts Summary

977 Words | 4 Pages

“My mother believed you could be anything you wanted to be in America-America was where all my mother's hopes lay,” (Tan). In this quote from the excerpt we see the views most people have coming to America from another country. “I was just as excited as my mother, I pictured this prodigy part of me as many different images,” (Tan). In this quote we can see how the daughter has the same view as her mother concerning their future. Due to their same cultural views and experiences, such as, coming from a hard life in China they have similar views on the world and

Read More

Identity And Identity In Thomas King's Short Story 'Borders'

608 Words | 3 Pages

In Thomas King’s short story, “Borders”, he writes about the Canada-America border. Within the short story, the main character refuses to identify her citizenship even though she is from Blackfoot. Even though the story is being told through the young boy’s point of view, the main issue focuses on another character, the mother. When approached by guards on the border, the mother insists that she is a Blackfoot, which causes issues because her son is a minor and must stay on the Canadian side of the border.

Read More

The Theme Of Love In Toni Morrison's Song Of Solomon

588 Words | 3 Pages

This underlying theme significantly contributes to the overall storyline providing a unique characterization to each character, allowing the reader to really experience the character’s emotional development through the novel. The theme of love can be identified from the very beginning of the novel.

Read More

Short Story Borders By Thomas King

401 Words | 2 Pages

What must one do when forced to choose between two options and they are neither? This short story emphasizes the importance of pride, persistence, and perseverance when the mother and her son are standing up for themselves. In the short story Borders, Thomas King reveals that pride, persistence, and perseverance is key when a point needs to be proven. Throughout the story, it is evident that the mother does not like the idea of Salt Lake City and thinks that what she has in the reserve is everything she needs.

Read More

Reader Response: The Birthmark: Reader's Response

947 Words | 4 Pages

Considering the events that occur in this story it is very easy to see that the biggest theme in the story is humanity cannot survive without its

Read More

Barn Burning Theme Analysis

1313 Words | 6 Pages

Describing the characters in the ways they would like us to remember and what they want us to remember. He shows us Literary Devices mainly as foreshadowing telling us what the guy Abner Snopes) knows is going to happen and guilt he has on his shoulders. These are the three main events that William Faulkner wants to catch our eyes with. Some of the themes the author uses are Loyalty and Betrayal talks about the family and how this theme is the most repetitive because even though their family is supposed to be loyal and show Loyalty they do not ,they show Betrayal because the little boy at the end of the story runs away so you have to know their is some Betrayal because of this event. Also another theme is Courage how the boy shows this by lying for his dad

Read More

Characterization In The Most Dangerous Game By Richard Connell

961 Words | 4 Pages

The theme is the overall meaning of the story. We can see this when Connell writes, “Be a realist. The world is made up of two classes--the hunters and the huntees. Luckily, you and I are hunters”. Then later on in the short story the main character has to adapt

Read More

The Outsiders: Comparison Of Book And Movie

779 Words | 4 Pages

To me the best theme in the story is friendship. I believe that every person needs to show friendship to

Read More

St. Sucy's Home For Girls Raised By Wolves Analysis

1107 Words | 5 Pages

The main character Claudette expresses this idea through the quote: “...but who did we have to run back to? Only the curled black grimace of the mother. Only the father, holding his tawny head between his paws. Could we betray our parents by going back to them?” (Russell 232).

Read More

Compare And Contrast The Old Man And The Sea

757 Words | 4 Pages

Every novel or stories gives a fundamental ideas or lesson for the readers. Most of the lesson are informative and it brings a changes to the readers mind. There will be a universal of an ideas explored in a literature and readers can abstract numerous themes depending on each individual. Similarly, in the novel “the old man and the sea” Hemingway depicted several themes related to nature, people and so on. However determination can also be one of the theme for the readers because the old man, Santiago didn’t gave up fishing even if he had cramp but he took this as an encouragement in his old age.

Read More

On The Jellicoe Road Analysis

725 Words | 3 Pages

All the themes of the novel link together, as family and friends resolve Taylors story arc by giving her a place to belong. Ultimately, the themes of the novel are used in such a way that allows readers to gain a better understanding of the characters. The themes of the novel are themes of the major characters worlds, essentially giving readers a look inside the characters head. Melanie Marchetta applied language techniques to furthermore emphasise the themes of the story. Overall, the authors use of themes created a fictional world full of complex and realistic

Read More

More about Borders Thomas King Analysis

Related Topics

Open Document