Character Traits and Making Inferences

Maggie is described to be low in confidence and esteem, partly because of the ugly burns that cover her arms and legs that particularly stand out to others. Her petite structure and apparently average looks are in complete contrast to her expressive, persistent, elegant sister Dee, who Maggie worships, yet seems to be intimidated of. One word to describe Maggie would be timorous.

In reference to the paragraphs that come before, I can infer that the narrator is the mother of Maggie and Dee. I drew this conclusion because the narrator mentions a talk show where children embrace and reunite with their parents to show appreciation, and mentions a dream she had in relation to this talk show, where Dee apparently reunited with her. I would doubt that another sister would dream of such an occurrance, which leads me to make the connection that it is a parent who feels slightly cut off from her child(ren). In addition, the narrator able to observe Maggie and Dee's personalities with perception; in most stories, it is the older, wiser, or those with higher status who are able to look down and observe another's motives and feelings.

How Does Heritage Contribute to Character?

• Race, ethnicity
• Lifestyle
• traditions
• celebrations, festivities
• religious ideals
• songs, folk tales, etc
• foods
• values

In its essence and most generic conclusion, a person's historical background contributes greatly to the personality and traits of a character. Apart from skin color, the geographical origins of one's ancestors are probably the most important factors in determining the person a character is, as these origins paved the way for their culture and lifestyle, which is passed down as heritage to a character. This heritage that is passed down is usually the generic structure of a character's personality. For instance, the native Hakka people of Taiwan have lived in the rural countryside along the mountains for generations. Because in the past they lived their lives as simple farmers with limited resources, they practiced extreme frugality. This is why Hakka people are generally more independent and seemingly tightfisted; this is not a stereotype, but aspects of their culture that have been passed down for generations. In addition, as they worked in the fields on the mountain slopes, they would often sing "field songs," songs they sang to pass time. These songs are integrated into their culture, and their culture is obviously different from that of the Chinese mainlanders who fled to Taiwan during the Chinese Civil War.

Probably a better example of heritage contributing to culture would be my ancestry from Chinese mainlanders. Traditional Chinese families emphasized hard work, family respect traditional lifestyles, and if possible, education. This was due to their geographical origins; hard work was necessary for survival, and family was considered of most value. Granted, as time pasts values may diminish and become of little importance, but some still play prominent roles regardless of time period. As more Chinese advanced from the lower to middle class, on the whole, most still tried to implement the need of hard work and good education in their lives. This is probably why there is common stereotype for Chinese people; that they are hardworking in their studies.

What must be noted is that one's character cannot be entirely judged on heritage. Heritage can be a major factor in the personality of a person, but it is never the whole story. When one relies on heritage to judge a person's character, they become stereotypical and may emphasize negative racial and/or cultural distinctions, which I do not approve of. In conclusion, heritage is be important to character and gives that person undeniable characteristics, but it does not display the entire personality of that person.

Analyze a Folk Story

It is observed that throughout history, common people have created stories that have been passed down for generations through history. Stories are told around the world, regardless of the place or culture, with different settings and ideologies, but they all serve a common purpose: Somewhere along the story they will introduce a event that explains a natural occurrence that is perceived by the people.

In the traditional folk tale of "Coyote Kills a Giant," an explanation is given for a natural phenomenon that is observed in the world. At the end of the story, when the people trapped inside the giant's stomach escape, a wood tick almost does not make it is crushed in its attempts to escape the mouth of the giant. Confronting the slightly upset tick, Coyote tells him not to complain and to be thankful that he is alive. This event supposedly explains the question of why wood ticks (minuscule, parasitic arachnids with a mottled gray colored backsides) are flat to this day.

Compare and Contrast

John (from the story "By the Waters of Babylon") and Coyote (from "Coyote Kills a Giant") have similar purposes for embarking on their journeys. They both are motivated by a calling. John wishes to learn about the world and seeks to visit place of the gods, and Coyote decides to seek the giant. Both in a way are searching for truth (John searching truth about the gods; Coyote about the giant) and both journey to places they have not witnessed before.

There are similarities and differences between the settings of the two stories. The obvious differences would be the exact locations of the stories. "Coyote Kills a Giant" takes place in the southwestern United States (as it is a Navajo folk tale) and "By the Waters of Babylon" is situated somewhere in the Northeast near present day New York City. There also aren't any giants that John encounters, and Coyote doesn't stumble upon great rivers or deserted cities. There are similarities however; both stories exist in an uncivilized world, and nature plays a major role in the story. In addition, the unfamiliar environments of the Giant's insides are similar to the winding roads and wondrous remains of the destroyed New York City. Both characters journey through these environments to seek what they are looking for. These are the similarities and differences of the settings between the two short stories.

Conflicts - Internal and External

In the short story "By The Waters of Babylon" the main character John experiences conflicts that are both internal and external. Internal conflicts are those that arise within a character's mind, as in a mental or emotional struggle. An external conflict deals with a force acting against the protagonist. John faces internal conflict throughout the story. The arching internal conflict is attempting to understand what happened to the gods that destroyed their civilization, and its application to his current state. Another smaller example of an internal conflict is when he decides whether to obey his father and avoid the sacred places, or to go with his feelings. The external conflict is the battle against the physical forces around him that hinder his progress (character vs. nature), as he treks rivers, scales mountains, and wanders through the deserted remains of what was known as New York City. Specific examples of external conflict in the story is when John is chased by the dogs, or when he rafts across the "Ou-dis-son" river (obviously the Hudson River).
These are a the external and internal conflicts presented in this post-apocalyptic short story.

Unfamiliar Place

It would mark the first time I transferred schools, and it would not be the last; but the transition from Hsinchu to Taipei was, up to now, one of the most life-changing moments of my life. Stepping into the unfamiliar environment of Bethany, sensing all the new sights and sensual stimuli around me triggered a new sensation that I had not felt for a while; the anxiety, the hope of a new place. However after years of schooling in Taipei, I am now so used to it that I have trouble adjusting back to Hsinchu, and cannot wait to go back to the city.

The car pulled up in front of the school, a rather plain, brown tiled building. As I stepped out of the car and into the frontiers of Taipei city, I inhaled deeply and the overwhelming smell of diesel fuel and gasoline was enough to make me stagger. Grabbing my bookbag and waving a quick goodbye to my dad, I strode up the steps towards the school, so anxious that I was oblivious to the deafening roar of Taipei traffic. From the outside, the tainted doors and windows prevented me from seeing much inside, but as the door opened I blinked rapidly at blinding bright light ablaze in the lobby. Mobs of people swarmed beside me, calling to fellow classmates; announcements blazed through the school intercom system; cries of delight were heard from the playground door across the room. I stood there, slightly dumbfounded, and people pushed past me to get through. I inhaled onc again, and the air contained a sort of freshness. I glanced around the walls to find brightly clad posters proclaiming school events, school facilites, and artworks. My anxiety was not suppressed, though, and I felt a sudden wave of fear as I realized I did not know what to do next. I then spotted an acquaintance from the new student orientations a couple of days before. He was tall, and stood in a corner towering over other children. and hurried towards him.

The first year I never got a chance to really go around Taipei, and still was not used to the bustling city streets. However, by the second and third year, I had gotten used to my way around. The smell of motor oil and the sonorous rumbles of scooter engines no longer bothered me as much, and I understood the methods of transportation around Taipei, to an extent of course, considering I do not live there. And as the years went by, Bethany also became a second home. But, homes change; and now I am getting used to the unfamiliar enviroment of PAS back in Hsinchu.

Quick Write - By The Waters of Babylon

Of most good stories, whether told through oral tradition, movies, or written records, there is always a main character who undergoes a change, a transformation that brings an enlightenment of knowledge or wisdom.


One such a novel I want to talk about is one of my personal favorites and is also a classic American Gothic novel: To Kill a Mockingbird, written by Harper Lee. The story starts out with Scout, the main character, still a little girl. She is naive to the complex, discriminative, and cruel world around her and stays true to her innocence. However as the story progresses, characters and events are introduced where she witnesses the true cruelties of American southern culture of the time, as she encounters cases of rape, racial injustice, and separation of class. As these events unfold around her, she realizes the world is not as it seems and slowly learns about the harshness  of life and reality. Conflicts dealing with injustice, courage, and compassion are introduced in her life as she learns the true personalities behind the "outcasts" of society and sees the world as it really is. From the encounter with Boo Radley to Miss Dubose, from Tom's biased trial to Bob Ewell's attack on Halloween, Scout slowly gains wisdom and understanding, making a transition from innocence to experience, learning morals and lessons such as compassion and true courage (which, as Atticus explains, is not holding a gun, but standing up for something that you know you will lose, but see through it no matter what). These lessons were so deep that the adults within the story had yet to learn them.


This is an example of such a story where the main character undergoes a change and learns lessons of life.