Peak Character Arc Essay

Peak Character Arc

Life has many important lessons that are best learned through experience. For example, one must realize how to learn from their mistakes and take responsibility for the poor decisions they make. In the novel Peak, Peak sneaks onto skyscrapers to climb them. Because this is illegal, Peak keeps himself hidden and climbs to the top. When he gets there, he spray-paints the roof with his signature tag. Peak is a disobedient and selfish teen that does not listen to other people's input. Climbing makes Peak feel alive, and he will do anything, even risk his life, to climb. Whether it’s a skyscraper or Mount Everest, Peak is going to want to get to the top. Peak wants to summit Mount Everest, in order to do this, Peak needs to learn

Smith uses Peak to help advance the plot through his thoughts, actions, decisions, and changes throughout the novel. At the start of the novel, Smith introduces Peak as a somewhat selfish, disobedient, and ignorant teen. However, by the time the novel ends, Peak is hardworking, trusting others, and making good decisions. When he first starts to show development, the plot is advanced by Peak's bad decisions and rebellious acts and the consequences that these acts will have. For example, after Peak climbed the building, he thought, “The mystery, that’s the point. And there’s not enough of it in my opinion” (Smith 8). He decided that he will take risks to experience the mystery and the exhilarating experience that climbing entails. Another example is when Peak decides to climb Mount Everest, even though he knows the risks involved. His love to climb and poor decision-making drives the plot for Peak to end up on Everest. When Peak gets to meet with his real dad for the first time in years, the author decides to have a part where Peak’s dad is setting up the climbing trip without Peak knowing. As Peak is being developed, so is the plot. Roland Smith uses