The verse novel The Simple Gift by Steven Herrick, the film Catch Me If You Can by Steven Spielberg, and the short film Harvey Krumpet by Adam Elliot all communicate aspects of the “In the World” elective. The variety of texts deal with aspects of growth and transitions to new stages of an individual's life such as achieving independence, which shows the importance of responsibility in the adult world; the characters try to redeem themselves; relationships, showing their love and friendship with other people; and the problems of growing up surviving in an adult world and dealing with the grief when someone you love dies or leaves. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay In all three texts the protagonists' main problems all stem from their inability to live at home anymore. Billy, Frank and Harvey all leave home to escape an intolerable situation at home. While these transitions into new phases of the characters' lives help them escape the sad memories of their previous childhoods, they soon discover that living an independent life has its problems. They all really enjoy their new situation, but they also realize that they have to deal with the responsibilities that come with leaving home alone. Some of the problems the protagonists face are survival issues, such as separation from loved ones; find a ride out of town; a place to sleep. In Simple Gift Billy's problems are quickly overcome when he finds an empty train carriage, which he calls "My Motel Bendarat". From there he finds a river where he can wash himself; a farm where you can pick fruit and work; and a nearby McDonald's where he goes to eat other people's leftovers. Harvey's situation is very similar as he also finds the simplest house he can afford which provides him with all his living necessities. Frank's problems like Billy's are initially easily overcome but, unlike Billy's, are ongoing. Finding a place to stay is difficult for Frank because he is always running away from the authorities and cannot stay in the same place for more than two weeks. This means that he is always looking for a new place to stay; new clothes to buy and new identities to become. Frank overcomes these problems with the money he creates by cashing his counterfeit checks, which give him the right to stay and buy new clothes. His confident personality also allows him to fool people into thinking he is someone else, such as a pilot. Although there are problems in their new independent life, this independence also brings benefits. Neither Billy nor Frank have to attend school, which they hate; all three characters are able to go off and learn in whatever way they see fit. Billy uses the library to learn by reading books, Harvey uses everyday life to learn by gathering facts, and Frank uses people's experiences and movies to learn; and everyone can escape the unpleasant experiences they left behind. The responsibilities of living alone are all tied to survival in the adult world. To be successful they must become independent enough and take care of themselves. Even if Harvey doesn't choose the healthiest lifestyle, he is still able to take care of himself and his family. The use of repetition in Simple Gift creates meaning in the novel to show Billy's maturity in taking on the responsibility of being able to live alone in an adult world. "I'm poor, homeless, but I'm not stupid" The search for redemption that shines through in all the protagonists' lyrics is a main aspect of their transition towards a style of.
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