Preview

Naveed John Heffernan Character Analysis

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
770 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Naveed John Heffernan Character Analysis
The novel Naveed by John Heffernan shows examples of how people can use certain situations to benefit themselves, while others choose not to become a victim and take up an altruistic lifestyle. “ I am not what has happened to me. I am what I choose to become.” - Carl Jung. A victim is someone who has been caught in a horrible situation. Therefore a victim mentality is taking on the traits of victim even if you have had no negative cause on you. Characters like Naveed are incredibly selfless and altruistic rather characters like Akmed choose to choose to dwell in self pity. Many of these characters are just like Naveed but many are like Akmed, this is where we see a stark contrast in this novel.

Usually it is not a terrible situation that determines whether a person will suffer for the rest of their lives, but its the person themselves who decide. Jake, the Australian soldier, chose to provide optimistic opportunities to Naveed, “she might be able to save other lives as well”, his sister and even give hope to Afghanistan. Even though there was a war all around him Jake does not let that defeat him but he see’s the bright side of all the circumstances thrown at him. Many people do not believe that Jake can help
…show more content…
After getting her legs amputated when they are blown up by an IED, improvised explosive device. Regardless of her environment she has joy and her attitude remains cheerful even when everyone else see’s her condition as a disadvantage. “I used to be sad about having no legs” “but now I realise it’s a blessing in disguise”. She broke out of the victim mentality and found a motivation to go on and inspire others, especially Naveed, “Nor has she ever shown any sign of self-pity. The opposite in fact”. While some would view themselves as victims, unlike Anoosheh, and believe that they can’t do anything to improve their situation, which will never get them to any place of

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Krakauer wrote that Chris McCandless was, "green, and he overestimated his resilience, but was sufficiently skilled to last for sixteen weeks on a little more than his wits and ten pounds of rice"(Krakauer 182). In this quote it seems that Krakauer thought that McCandless was well equipped with his skills, so that made moderately prepared to survive in any situation. I feel that McCandless was rather prepared, yet again he never could have been fully prepared for the unexpected. My opinion is that McCandless was vaguely aware of the struggles that he would encounter in the Alaskan wilderness such as his epiphany that "happiness is only real when shared" was realized when his body was dying of starvation. I believed that he found what he was…

    • 148 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    As analysis is conducted into the characters of both Chief Bromden and Randle McMurphy, it is easy to conclude that both have characteristics and preform actions that can be considered heroic. Physically both Bromden and McMurphy are huge. But, unlike McMurphy, Bromden does not have the self-confidence to match his gigantic exterior. This contrast in personality is due to the idea that Bromden has constantly been maltreated for the entirety of his life. McMurphy, on the other hand, refuses to be brought down because of his indomitable spirit.…

    • 1048 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    If one had to describe Andrew Nafarrete in one word, he or she would be at a loss because Andrew cannot simply be minimized into one singular concept. After sitting down to take on this interview, he proved that he is an individual bursting with character, passion, and wisdom. With his relentless jokes, he answered the questions light-heartedly but with complete and utter honesty; creating not only a productive atmosphere, but a pleasant and entertaining one as well. With visible joy, he shared his accomplishments, his plans for his future, and the sentiments that are all derived from Andrew Nafarrete.…

    • 615 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In Hansberry’s play A Raisin in the Sun, the protagonist Walter is portrayed as stubborn, childish, and later determined to show his transition into manhood.…

    • 630 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Soldiers from all the different periods of time have faced the hardships of war. In history, there have been millions of troops. One of the soldiers to compare is Odysseus from Homer’s “The Odyssey. The other are soldiers from the second world war. In Homer’s The Odyssey, Odysseus experiences are similar to those of modern soldiers returning from war, such as the deaths of their fellow soldiers, the amount of time for which they left, and the ill treatment they faced when returning home. All soldiers experienced hardships. These experiences were proved to be obstacles for both soldiers, even though they came from different time periods.…

    • 1029 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Imagine facing the horrors of a war at the young age of 19. In the real world as well as fictional novels, the Vietnam War was considered to be a war unlike any other. Many soldiers faced untold brutal challenges, and often wondered who the enemy really was. In many depicted pieces of literature such as Fallen Angels the fictional stories cannot begin to compare to the real traumatic ones. Research has shown that the traumatic circumstances have caused soldiers mental stress. Research shows the brutality that the soldiers of the Vietnam War went through, the novel Fallen Angels and the video series “Dear America: Letters Home” are very similar in this depiction, but also have slight differences.…

    • 954 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Most authors who write about war stories write vividly; this is the same with Tim O’Brien as he describes the lives of the soldiers by using his own experiences as knowledge. In his short story “The Things They Carried” he skillfully reveals realistic scenes that portray psychological, physical and mental burdens carried by every soldier. He illustrates these burdens by discussing the weights that the soldiers carry, their psychological stress and the mental stress they have to undergo as each of them endure the harshness and ambiguity of the Vietnam War. One question we have to ask ourselves is if the three kinds of burdens carried by the soldier’s are equal in size? “As if in slow motion, frame by frame, the world would take on the old logic-absolute silence, then the wind, then sunlight, then voices. It was the burden of being alive” (81). This quote illustrates how these three burdens, when combined, could cause immense pressure on the soldiers, and one has to ask how the soldiers manage to cope with the pressure. An example of this pressure is according to the 1990 Veteran’s administration report one in every three Vietnam veterans suffer from post traumatic stress; this includes thirty percent of soldiers who went to Vietnam, or nearly one million troops, who succumbed to post-traumatic stress. Unlike physical burdens that can be eliminated in various ways, psychological and mental burdens cannot be rid of so easily and so in turn outweigh the physical burdens as well as take their toll on the soldier.…

    • 1378 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    The idea of war brings up many questions about life and death, suffering, and consequences. While many people may see war as something that affects people as a whole, such as nations or a persecuted group, war further impacts every individual, whether or not they are directly involved. War limits freedoms and individualism, and in most cases people find themselves with less rights than during peacetime. People base their choices not on what they feel, and more on what they have to do to survive. Soldiers and civilians alike are influenced by war in different ways, however, these tie together when the overall effects of war are examined.…

    • 960 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Protagonists of a story quickly become favorite characters of countless readers. In The Chosen by Chaim Potok, one of the protagonists is Reuven Malter, the son of David Malter. Along with his father, Reuven Malter is an orthodox Jew. In addition, Reuven has a great friend named Danny Saunders. Danny and Reuven meet at a baseball game between the Orthodox Jews and the Hasidic Jews. Even though other team mates think of Danny and his team as “Murderers,” Reuven decides to not judge them before he notices their character. After Danny injures Reuven during the game, the two become best friends. Reuven Malter shows numerous admiral character traits throughout the book, however, the three most prominent in the story consist of kind, fair, and admirable.…

    • 566 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    It has only been 6 months, since my sister was a hostage in the Sydney Cafe siege, and to witness the ABC host Mallah on their show was offensive. As a result of her experience my sister struggles to deal with day-to-day life, she is afraid to leave the house some days, and suffers from survivor’s guilt as she contemplates the ‘what if’.…

    • 313 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Imagine a daunting journey, through hostile environments. There is a war over religion splitting up Sudan. Rebel soldiers are fighting the government, and people are being displaced from the homes and families. This describes the experience of Salva, a 12 year old boy from the novel A Long Walk to Water written by Linda Sue park. In this novel individuals have to face challenging terrain and dangerous routes against the odds of survival. Main character, Salva Dut, was able to survive through an extremely challenging journey because of his support of family, and friends, and his self determination. Salva’s survival of the journey was unlikely, but against the odds, he survived.…

    • 463 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    While Lieutenant Cross was suffered from his love, I was suffered from my greed. If Lieutenant Cross were thoughtful and pay more attention to the operation, he would have saved Lavender, as if I were being sufficient, I would not use my saving money or borrow my close friend’s money. The story “The Things They Carried” and my experience provided the lesson on coping with adversity, which came with the consequence. Both I and Lieutenant Cross have learned the repression, to drop the desire and choose to carry the important thing. The lesson is to concentrate at on the present and consider what is the important or the adversity. The adversity could be coped by repressing, letting it go, not holding on to the past or overwhelming the future, and living with the…

    • 1002 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In the Lake of the Woods

    • 744 Words
    • 3 Pages

    War goes against what normal society thinks is morally acceptable, such as killing, injuring and shooting other human beings. Veterans also have trouble relearning to understand their emotions and open up to others. Both the narrator and John saw firsthand, the horror and death of war through all of the brutal killings. Not only that, but they were participants in this killing as well. Living through an incredibly difficult experience like this can really affect and change an individual’s life forever as it did for both the narrator and John. The narrator and John were both moved and traumatized by their past, making it difficult for them to open to others. Their disturbing war experiences caused their relationships with others to suffer dramatically. In fact, their experiences left such a great impact on their lives that they both faced anxiety and despair later on in their life.…

    • 744 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Born on the Fourth of July

    • 2037 Words
    • 9 Pages

    Some of the most popular pictures are those of soldiers running up to their families right after getting off of the plane from a tour of duty, crying, and thankful that they are back home and safe. But how many of us actually care about those soldiers beyond knowing that they are home and safe? Ron Kovic’s autobiography, Born on the Fourth of July, is out to prove that going through a war has an affect beyond what most of the population sees; there are life-long effects, especially for those who come back injured and maimed. Every aspect of Ron Kovic’s life changed when he came back from the war and couldn’t move over half of his body and, for the most part, he had to deal with all of these changes on his own.…

    • 2037 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    “Show me Yours” by Richard Van Camp narrates the promising and apparent upturned in life experienced by Richard, a middle-aged man who at the beginning has experienced a nadir in his life caused by addiction issues and harmful friendships. After a bad night, by mere randomness, he decides to glue a found baby picture of him to his grandparent saint’s necklace and wears it under his shirt. Abruptly, the baby picture necklace becomes a trend in his community and seems to encourage care and positivism around the participants of the furor. Richard, who starts experiencing acceptance and recognition around the locality also reunites with an old love, Shawna, with whom he spends the night and appears to bring more hope to Richard’s situation. At…

    • 834 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays