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Posts by moeydw98
Name: Zarif Mashrur
Joined: Oct 28, 2013
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School: Hurlstone Agricultural High School

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moeydw98   
Oct 28, 2013
Book Reports / Discuss how "Journeys are always learning experiences" applies to two texts [2]

Yallah doggies my essay is due in about 3 hours, please help me out so it gets full marks thanks habibs

"Journeys are always learning experiences"
Discuss how this statement applies to your set text and one related text of your own choosing.

There can be no doubt that our life journeys are learning experiences, presenting us with opportunities and experiences to develop and mature our character. Often the learning curves which our journeys take us help generate a deeper understanding of the workings of the world around us. From the situations we encounter, our perspectives of the world may change for the better, broadening our moral and ethical understandings. Two texts which testify to these notions are Ursula LeGuin's novel A Wizard of Earthsea and Walter Salles' film The Motorcycle Diaries.

On the journeys we have in life, we are often presented with learning experiences which develop our self-identity. In Earthsea, Ged undergoes a traumatising experience with the shadow monster, where his friend Vetch reminds him of who he is. This is illustrated in the quote "He knew once more, at last, after this long, bitter, wasted time, who he was and where he was," where LeGuin uses the technique of accumulation to build momentum and continuity to the realisation he has come to about his character - that he is fearless and brave. Later on his journey Ged's character makes a sharp turn as only now does he take the active role. He becomes superior over the shadow as "For the third time they had met and touched: he had of his own will turned to the shadow, seeking to hold it with living hands." The imagery provided combined with a tone of confidence and optimism shows that Ged truly matures into a fearless and brave man - giving evidence that journeys are learning experiences.

Similarly, Motorcycle Diaries constructs a context of bravery and sacrifice in order to represent lessons on strength and resilience. An example of this is the scene where Che visits a sick mother on her death bed. As a consequence of this experience, Che's perspective of the world changes and he wishes to help the poor, destitute persons. The tone of the dialogue in this scene is very softly-spoken, for instance Che articulates his thoughts and feelings in a voiceover "I knew I was powerless to help her". A close-up shot of his remorseful face shows this experience serves as a lesson to Che, as he learns to be more remorseful, humble and honest towards the plight of the proletariat. Hence this is an educational milestone of the journey which send's Che on a sharp learning curve. The motorcycle journey evolves from a physical journey of juvenile exploration to journey of psychological and spiritual learning. This shows that experiences in a journey can develop into a broader learning experience.

Furthermore, a journey will always present the traveller with learning experiences as to the depths of human behaviour and interaction. In Earthsea the Master Hand is telling Ged that it's fine to make illusions, but dangerous to actually change things. "But you must not change one thing, one pebble, one grain of sand, until you know what good and evil will follow on that act. The world is in balance, in Equilibrium." LeGuin uses a lexical chain and capitalisation of the word 'Equilibrium' to emphasise importance in the learning experience of the relationship between power and responsibility. This is reinforced in the quote "To light a candle is to cast a shadow" where an analogy is used to portray the importance of using power with responsibility. Ged's journey teaches us that in order to be successful you must choose your path wisely as intelligent choices result in positive consequences and vice-versa.

Che's development of character in Motorcycle Diaries similarly shows the importance of learning experiences to one's character. This can be seen where Che visits a village full of leprosy patients separated from the doctors by a river which acts as a line of demarcation between the two people. This ethical complexity strikes Che's mind and he becomes more remorseful. As a result Che disrupts that distinct power binary as he solely swims across indicating he wishes to be one with the lower-class. As Che becomes aware of such inequality existing in the world he provides a birthday speech in which he states: "We believe after this journey, that the separation of America in false and uncertain nationalities is completely fictitious [...] I raise a toast for Peru and America United." Che's optimistic tone of dialogue indicates his realisation of injustice around the continent and what he has learnt from his experiences. Che evolves from boy to man, developing a mature character, conscious of the ethical complexities of his world - vital evidence that journeys are learning experiences.

The journeys we have in our lives always present us with opportunities and experiences to develop our character, as evident through Ged and Che's experiences in A Wizard of Earthsea and The Motorcycle Diaries respectively. Therefore it is without a doubt that journeys are always learning experiences.
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