Everybody belongs to a family, and regardless of whether these are blood ties or not, they are crucial in shaping an individual’s life. The main characters in the texts go through challenging experiences but overcome them with the help of their loved ones.
Houran’s mother leaves his father, Rashid, for another man and this occurrence puts him in a devastating condition. On the other hand, Santiago sells his flock of sheep for the sake of his dream and even though he encounters problems in his journey, he meets people such as Fatima who support his quest. Similarly, Kit loses her grandfather who was her only guardian, and takes a risk to go and start a life with her extended family. The presence and absence of family plays a great role in determining the growth of the protagonists of the three novels.
Separation and divorce impact a child’s development negatively and his or her relationships with others. Haroun Khalifa’s joyful childhood turns into sadness and depression immediately after his mother leaves. Rushdie (1991) writes “The day Soraya stopped singing, in the middle of the line, as if someone had thrown a switch, Haroun guessed there was trouble brewing” (p.8). The young boy was used to seeing both parents together and the signs of one parent departing interfered with his happiness. No child deserves to grow up with a single parent and disagreements between parents will always impact the growth of the young one.
Strong bonds between individuals equated to families can also be built in the absence of blood relations. Santiago’s family is not mentioned in The Alchemist but the friendships he formed with the Englishman, the Alchemist, and the king, and his romantic relationship with Fatima were instrumental in his journey. Coelho (2015) explains “The boy fell to his knees and wept. He thanked God for making him believe in his Personal Legend, and for leading him to meet a king, a merchant, an Englishman, and an alchemist” (p.113). Fatima, for instance, became the love of his life and after Santiago fulfilled his dream he came back for her.
Similarly, the place of family in a person’s life can never be replaced by anything else. After her grandfather’s death, Kit leaves all her family’s wealth in Barbados to go and start a life with her aunt in Connecticut. Even with the inheritance Kit still felt that something was missing and she took a risk to leave everything in search of companionship. The author narrates, “In 1685, Kit Tyler comes from sunny Barbados to her aunt’s family in Puritan town of Wethersfield, Connecticut, with its hard, cold, restrictive life” (Speare, 1984, p.6). Kit did not just end up with new kinsmen but she also found a spouse in Nat who appreciated her for who she was. The challenges of life seem meaningless if they are faced on behalf of a family.
The developments of Kit and Santiago in The Witch of Blackbird Pond and The Alchemist were shaped by the difficulties they encountered while interacting with their loved ones. Both characters ended up finding love in their journey to uncover their dreams. Kit was a complete orphan and the void left by his grandfather could only be filled with pure love. Meeting her aunt, cousins and new friends allowed her to heal from the loss. Similarly, Santiago’s difficult quest for the treasure became more meaningful after he met Fatima. Coelho (2015) explains, “What the boy felt at the moment is that he was in the presence of the only woman in his life, and that, with no need for words, she recognized the same thing” (p.70). Love is an essential ingredient in the creation of new families.
It is impossible for an individual to understand the value of family until they lose one. Separation and death cause heartaches among loved ones. However, love is instrumental in creating new bonds even in the absence of blood relations. Kit and Santiago met new people who became family even though they were not relatives. It is necessary to nurture relationships and families because the two influence one’s general life development.
Reference List
Coelho, P. (2015) The alchemist. San Fransisco: HarperOne.
Rushdie, S. (1991) Haroun and the sea of stories. London: Granta Books.
Speare, E. (1984) The witch of Blackbird pond. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.