Haley Lakin

Block 3
6-10-14

Self
Discovery
Self discovery is common in many books. It's a common theme. I have read five books but
was assigned to pick four out if the five; Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston,
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, How To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper

Lee, and The Catcher in The Rye by J.D. Salinger. I was also asked to pick a theme that ties these
books together, I chose Self Discovery. The them self discovery is depicted in the books: Their
Eyes Were Watching God, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, To Kill A Mockingbird, and
The Catcher in The Rye because the main character learns about themselves by having their own
opinion and beliefs. In the book Watching Their Eyes Were God the main character is Janie
Crawford, Jamie felt that she had a good childhood and by the time she had experienced her own
life problems she realized that she allowed her grandmother to make decisions for her. She had
no control of anything in her life, people make the decisions for her. Her grandmother wanted her
to marry Logan Killix, so she did. Even though Jamie wanted love and passion in her
relationship and wasn't attracted to Logan. She ended up meeting a man named Joe(Jody) Starks.
Jody told her to leave with Logan and promised a better life and to treat her like a princess. She
wasn't happy with Logan anyway because she didn't love him. So she told Logan that she was
leaving. Jody took Janie to a town that needed a mayor and Jody really wanted that position.
Janie and Jody married quickly and their relationship was always about what Jody wanted and
wanted Jamie to do. Janie became unhappy in that relationship as well. She knew so was
unhappy once Jody hit her in the kitchen because her cooking wasn't the best that night. Jamie
stayed with Jody for 20 years. Jody ended up dying because he was very sick and it was too late
to do anything about it. After Jody died Janie felt better about herself, she didn't have him around
all the time for him to tell her what to do or have to listen to him judge her about her looks. She
had fun. She tried to find suitors but all they wanted was her money, she was looking for love.
One day when everyone in town went to a baseball game a young man came into Janie's store,
after laughing and talking she became very interested in him. They fell in love over time. This
man that Jamie felt she wanted to spend the rest of her life with was Tea Cake. Tea Cake and

Janie were always a happy couple, they decided to leave the town and get married. After they got
married they decided to live in the mucks. Janie inherited all of Jodys money when he died, but
Tea Cake had a gambling problem and spend a lot of Janies money. Janie changed over time
while she was with Tea Cake, the way that she dressed and the things she did. One day the town
was flooded and Janie had to hold on to a cow so she wouldn't drowned. There was a dog on the
cow but it acted different, it was very tense. When the dog started to growl and tried to attack
Janie, Tea Cake tried to kill it so it wouldn't harm her. The dog bit Tea Cake but Tea Cake still
ended up killing it. He became very sick and paranoid, he had rabies. Tea Cake finally got too
paranoid and tried to shoot Janie three times. The last time he shot at her they both shot at each
other, but Janie shot at him out of self defence. After everything she went through she didn't care
what people thought of her. She was tired of everyone controlling her. Tea Cake had his ups and
downs but he made sure that they were always happy. In the book The Adventures of
Huckleberry Finn the main character, Huck is a troubled kid. His father was an abusive drunk
and his mother was dead. His father came and took him away but when his father left him locked
in the house Huck was planning on running away so when his father came back and he was
drunk Huck staged his death after his father passed out.. Huck left and he ended up meeting a
slave named Jim who Huck already knew because Huck lived with Jims owner. Jim told the
truth about why he ran away, he ran because he didn't want to be sold down the Mississippi river
because he didn't want to be away from his family. Everyone back in town thought that Huck
was killed but thought that he was either murdered by his father or Jim because Jim had ran
away. Jim and Huck started an adventure to get Jim to Cairo, by going on the Ohio river. They
had trouble trying to get him there, they ended up losing each other through fog and they met
two older men that acted like they were kings. They literally made them call them King and

duke. The two men sold Jim and pretended to be someone's uncle to inherit their dead
brothers money. Huck realized that he cared for Jim and doesn't want anything to happen to him
so he goes out and looks for Jim. Huck pretends to be someone he's not to help out his friend. By
the end Jim is free by not because Huck frees him, but because Jim was a free slave. Jim's former
owner died but in her will she gave him his freedom. In the book How to Kill a Mockingbird, the
main characters Scout and Jem never really had their own opinion on things but went along with
what other people said and did. Over time Atticus; Jem and Scout's father, teached them right
from wrong and they developed their own opinion for things. Everything changed when Atticus
did Tom Robinson's case and because he was a colored man Jem and Scout had to choose what
they thought was right and wrong. They changed their beliefs by opening their minds to what
they believed was right.The book Catcher in the Rye, the main character Holden Caulfield went
to a private school and was kicked out because he chose not to do his work and didn't want to
grow up. He was a young teenager and wanted to save children from growing up and becoming
adults because to Holden adults were phonie. He realized that everyone had to grow up even
though he dreaded the idea of it. His sister Phoeby helps him grow up.
In the four books; Their Eyes Were Watching God, The Adventures Huckleberry Finn, To
kill a Mockingbird, and The Catcher of The Rye, each book had a character that stood up for
themselves. In Their Eyes Were Watching God Janie was always pushed around by her
husband Jody. She finally had enough and she stood up for herself. "Naw, Ah ain't
no young gal no mo' but den Ah ain't no old woman neither. Ah reckon Ah looks mah
age too. But Ah'm uh woman every inch of me, and Ah know it. Dat's uh whole lot

more'n you kin say. You big-bellies round here and put out a lot of brag, but 'taint
nothin' to it but yo' big voice. Hump! Talkin' 'bout me lookin old! When you pull
down yo' britches, you look lak de change uh life."(Hurston, pg.79). Jody was
picking on Janie and was telling his friends about her body and how it's changed, it
made Janie feel uncomfortable and embarrassed. He wouldn't stop saying horrible
things about her and Janie couldn't take anymore so she hurt him back by taking his
masculinity. By the end of the book Janie didn't care anymore. She didn't care what
people thought, she was happy with herself and even though Tea Cake was gone
now she still had lots of self confidence. "Let 'me consolate themselves wid talk.
'Course, talkin' don't amount tuh uh beans when yuh can't do nothin'
else."(Hurston, pg.92). When Janie came back to her town everyone was judging
her because she had changed the way she was. She wasn't dressed in a classy dress
but she was wearing overalls. Janie left as a widow and that had nice clothes and
was rich, but when she got back she was a widow again but all of her money was
basically gone. In the book The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, it was a different
experience for Huck because he made his own choices but he built a moral education for himself,
he was a strong person. "I know what you'll say. You'll say it's dirty, low down business; but what
if of is? I'm low down; and I'm a going to steal him, and I want you to keep mum and not let on

let on. Will you?"(Twain,pg.239). Huck stands up for himself by doing what he believes he what
is right, and to him he thinks that by him stealing Jim he is doing the right thing to set him free.
Huck is not the only one who stood up for what they believed in and stood up for themselves.
"Well, I b'lieve you, Huck, I-I run off."(Twain,pg.53). Jim ran off because he didn't want to stay
and be sold farther away from his family and because he liked where he had to work. In the book
Catcher in the Rye the character Holden stands up for himself differently because he doesn't want
people to know who he is. "I told them my name was Jim Steele, just for the hell of it."(Salinger,
pg.75). Holden pretends to be someone he's not so he can protects himself. He doesn't only do
this once but twice."'Rudolf Schmidt', I told you her- I didn't feel like giving her my whole life
story."(Salinger, pg.54). He was talking to a classmate's mother and because he didn't want her to
ask questions why he went to that school so he lied about his name. In the book To Kill a
Mockingbird the characters stand up for themselves by standing up for what they believed in,
what they thought was right."First of all,'he said, 'if you can learn a simple trick, Scout, you'll get
along a lot better with all kinds of folks. You never really understand person until you consider
things from his point of view-'...'-until you climb into his skin and walk around in it."(Lee,
pg.30). Atticus was telling scout that she had to put herself in other peoples shoes to undtabd
where they are coming from. "As Atticus once advised me to do, I climb into Jem's skin am
walked around.."(Lee, pg.57). Scout decided that she would do that he father said and she
realized he was right.
In all four books that I focused on in each book the character to only stands up for themselves
but for others as well. In Their Eyes Were Watching God Janie stood up for others but they were
not necessarily people.When the mule was in front of the store, Lum went out and tackled him.
The brute jerked up his head, laid back his ears and rushed to the attack .Lum had to run for

safety. Five or six more men left the porch and surrounded the fractious beast, goosing him in the
sides and making him show his temper. But he had more spirit left than body. He was soon
panting and heaving from the effort of spinning his old carcass about. Everybody was having fun
at the mule-baiting. All but Janie.(Hurston, pg.45) Janie felt sorry for the mule because of the
way he was being treated. She felt that these people were being cruel and hurtful. "They oughta
be shamed uh theyselves! Teasin dat poor brute beast like they is! Done been worked tuh death;
done had his disposition ruint wid mistreatment, and now they got tuh finish devilin im tuh
death. Wisht Ah had mah way wid em ali."(Hurston, pg.46) Janie finally had enough and said
something to these people about what they were doing to the mule. In the book The Adventure of
Huckleberry Finn Huck realized that he cared more than he thought he would so he helped Jim
out whenever he need him. Now Jim, you're a free man again and i bet you won't ever be a
slave again.(Twain, pg.286). Huck helped Jim escape again because he thought that it wasn't
right for jim to have to work for people. Huck never really understood that Jim was just like any
other human being, he didn't really think that colored person would have the same feelings as a
caucasian. so everyone of them promised right out and heartly that they wouldn't cuss him no
more.(Twain, pg.298). Huck didn't like the fact that everyone was always mean to him by
calling him a nigger so huck told them that they had to stop because he was a free slave and
that he deserved the same respect as others. In the book The Catcher in the Rye Holden stood up
for his dead brother Allie. So what I did, I wrote about my brother Allie's baseball mitt. It was a
very descriptive subject. It really was. My brother Allie had this left-handed fielder's mitt. He
was left-handed. The thing that was descriptive about it, though, was that he had poems written
all over the fingers and the pocket and everywhere. In green ink. He wrote them on it so that he'd
have something to read when he was in the field and nobody was up at bat. He's dead now. He

got leukemia..(Salinger, pg.7). Holden stood up for his brother not as in a defending way up to
tell his brothers story. in decided to write about who his brother was and what he was
like.Holden stood up for his brother not as in a defending way up to tell his brothers story. in
decided to write about who his brother was and what he was like.(Salinger, pg.7). Hold
described how smart Allie was to tell the reader what kind of person he was. In the book To kill a
Mockingbird Tom Robinson was treated with hate around his town but some people believed in
him.That old Mr. Gilmer doin him thataway, talking so hateful to him-(Lee, pg.201). Mr. Link
Deas was a man from town that had a colored girlfriend and he was talking to Scout, Jem, and
Dill about how he felt towards the man who was being so harsh on Tom.I know all that, Scout.
It was the way he said it made me sic, plain sick.(Lee,pg201. They were talking about the things
Mr. Gilmer said to Tom.
Each character had their own beliefs and their own opinions for different situations like in
the book Their Eyes Were Watching God, Janie didn't believe in what her Nanny was telling her
what love was. She was stretched on her back beneath the pear tree soaking in the alto chant of
the visiting bees, the gold of the sun and the panting breath of the breeze when the inaudible
voice of it all came to her. She saw a dust-bearing bee sink into the sanctum of a bloom; the
thousand sister-calyxes arch to meet the love embrace and the ecstatic shiver of the tree from
root to tiniest branch creaming in every blossom and frothing with delight. So this was a
marriage! She had been summoned to behold a revelation. Then Janie felt a pain remorseless
sweet that left her limp and languid. (Hurston, pg.14). This is what Janie believed what true
love, marriage, and passion was about. She wanted this for herself, but her Nanny wanted a
family and a husband who could provide her throughout her life even if it meant that she didn't
love her husband. The vision of Logan Killicks was desecrating the pear tree but Janie didnt

know how to tell Nanny that. She merely hunched over and pouted at the floor.(Hurston, pg.39).
Janie didn't have feeling for Logan and she didn't believe that she could love him not only
because she wasn't attracted to him but also because she had no feeling towards him. In the book
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Holden did what he believed was right even if it went
against what other people told him what was wrong. All right, then Ill go to hell and tore it up.
It was awful thoughts and awful words but they was said and I let them stay said; and never
thought no more about reforming. I Shoved the whole thing out of my head, and said I would
take up wickedness again.(Twain,pg.225). Huck didn't care what people thought anymore, Jim
was his friend and he was going to do what he thought was right and to Huck helping Jim free
wa the best thing he could do for him friend. Old Jim was gone. Then i set down and
cried.(Twain, pg.222). Huck loved Jim, he obviously really cared about Jim. Jim was basically
like a father figure in a way. It upset Huck when Jim was sold because he didn't think it was right
for Jim to be a slave again. In the book The Catcher in the Rye Holden Believed that all adults
were phony and fake because they grew up and lied about everything. One of the biggest
reasons I left Elkton Hills was because I was surrounded by phonies. That's all. They were
coming in the goddam window. For instance, they had this headmaster, Mr. Haas, that was the
phoniest bastard I ever met in my life. (Salinger, pg.60). Holden believes that all these adults
because they grew up and took up on their responsibilities. Holden didn't like that fact of
growing up and doing things that he didn't enjoy. Her son was doubtless the biggest bastard that
ever went to Pencey, in the whole crumby history of the school. He was always going down the
corridor, after he'd had a shower, snapping his soggy old wet towel at people's asses. That's
exactly the kind of a guy he was.(Salinger, pg. 13). Holden didn't like many people because
they were not like him. Holden believed in saving childrens youth so they would have to grow up

and have to pretend that they enjoyed the life of an adult. Holden lied just like he said that adults
do, he didn't like having to explain his story if he didn't have to. In the book To kill a
Mockingbird Atticus didn't like how people of the town were so hurtful and he wanted his kids to
know what was right from wrong. Dont say nigger, Scout. Thats common.(Lee, pg. 79). Scout
heard kids at school saying nigger and when she brought it up to Atticus it bothered him and
instantly told her that it was not okay. Mockingbirds don't do one thing but make music for us
to enjoy. They don't eat up peoples gardens, don't nest in corncribs, they don't do one thing but
sing their hearts out for us. Thats why its a sin to kill a mockingbird.(Salinger, pg.119). Atticus
told Scout that it was wrong for her to shoot mockingbirds and later on in the book Scout realizes
what that true means. It changed the way she looked at things.
The theme self discovery was depicted in these four books by the characters learning
about themselves, what they thought was right and learning what was wrong. In each book it
changed a character and their moral education or made them learn about themselves.