John Lewis And Aydin Analysis

Lewis’ Turning Points

In the graphic novels “March” by John Lewis and Andrew Aydin, John tells us the story of his life in the civil rights movement. Throughout his journey, he experiences many events that change him. Although there are many turning points in his life, three of them stood out to me the most. There is the day he got his first bible, his trip to Buffalo, and his attendance of Jim Lawson’s workshop on nonviolence. I believe all of these events made him more passionate and led to his major role in the movement.

At the very young age of four, Lewis was given his first bible from his uncle. This was a crucial moment in his life because it introduced him to religion, which was a driving factor for him in the movement. On page 26, it reads, “I’ll never forget my mother reading me the first words in that book” (Lewis and Aydin) This quote

Throughout all of the novels, John is a major advocate for nonviolence and refused any other protesting strategies. John says, “His words liberated me. I thought, this is it… this is the way out.” (Lewis and Aydin, 78) John was struck with hope after learning the concept of nonviolence. He felt a new passion for nonviolence and protesting that would change his life forever, and lead him to a position of great importance in the Civil Rights Movement. After the workshop, John was very excited about what he had learned. On page 79, it reads, “I told my classmates. I told my closest friends […] I told everyone that they should come to this workshop. (Lewis and Aydin) This quote does an excellent job at showing how much he wanted to share the idea of nonviolence and how excited he was about it. This illustrates how much of a leader John was becoming by carrying and spreading the movement. Such a passion was born that he had decided he wanted to share it with his classmates and friends and spend his life nonviolently