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Essay / An example of personality transformation in the novel Flight by Alexie
Throughout the book Flight by Sherman Alexie, the main character Zits is searching for where he belongs and why people mistreated him throughout his life. In the midst of the novel's action, Zits begins to experience character hopping, where he finds himself trapped in the bodies of different characters. Each character leap in Zits contributes to his growth and maturity by allowing him to broaden his perspectives and reflect on his own ideology. The most significant character leaps are in the bodies of the little Indian boy, Jimmy, and his father. These leaps force Zits to expand on his current ideas about revenge, violence, and forgiveness. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an Original EssayOne of the first characters Zits becomes is a little Indian boy. When he first describes his experience as a boy, he is very critical and unhappy with the situation. He is almost naked, hot and surrounded by many Indians who speak in a language he does not understand. Even though this is true, he is comforted by the fact that he has a father who loves him. At the beginning of the novel, Zits talks about his father who left him when he was born. He constantly tries to understand this betrayal in the story. Although he has a father in this section, one can identify Zits' desire to have a father in his life. This seems to be the only real way for him to be happy. Zits says, “This guy loves me…I wonder if this is heaven” (65). He wants a father and having one is like heaven. He says it's the first time in his life he's happy. Before he can enjoy this happiness for too long, Zits realizes that he is at the Little Big Horn camp before the attack and becomes interested in what is happening. He witnesses numerous murders and brutalities and is disgusted by what he sees, saying, “[he] feels sick in [his] stomach and in his brain…in [his] soul” (72). He then thinks about the idea of revenge and begins to try to justify it. Saying it's war and it's just self-defense. However, he is forced to think more deeply about it when the boy's father encourages him to slit a white boy's throat in revenge for his own. He thinks and realizes that taking revenge on others is not the best thing to do to replace his own loneliness or suffering. At this point, Zits becomes a more sensitive and thoughtful person. After committing murder during a bank robbery, Zits is transported into the body of FBI agent Hank Storm, where he reflects on violence, death, and morality. In this body, Zits is forced to shoot a man who didn't give enough information when he's already dead. If he doesn't shoot him, he will kill himself, so he chooses to shoot him. Once this is done, Zits begins to think about the murder and its cruelty. In doing so, he develops a more sensitive idea about killing people. Later in the novel he says, "Maybe you're not supposed to kill." It doesn't matter who tells you to do it. No matter the good or bad reason. Maybe you’re supposed to believe that all life is sacred” (162-63). Zits begins to understand that killing is not okay, no matter how much you want revenge or how ruined your life is. He develops a sense of morality and challenges his previous ideas about murder. Zits' final character jump is into his father's body. In this body, Zits is forced to understand why his father left him. He is able to broaden his perspective and see where his father is coming from. He understands that his father has become the product of his.