Young People's Journey to Independence: Brother Dear by Bernice Friesen - Essay Sample

Introduction

Many young people across the world like embracing their lifestyle. They enjoy venturing and establishing what best suits them. Over time, they develop their style, dress code, ideas, thoughts, tastes and preferences. The unique combination of such factors makes them become independent people. Brother Dear, authored by Bernice Friesen, is a perfect example of a story that explores the theme of independence in an environment that embraces traditional social conventions. The narrative is centered on the lives of Sharlene, the protagonist character, her brother Greg, and their father, Jack. Greg believes that he should be granted the freedom to make independent decisions that will allow him to attain his goals in life. Further, Greg observes that in future, he does not want to find himself in a profession that he does not fancy as is the case with their dad, Jack. The theme of independence further gets evidenced when Sharlene expresses her desires to travel abroad after graduating. However, there is a setback that their father tries to enforce his wishes on them. This is against their desires. There exist several instances that exemplify the theme of independence in Friesen's story, Brother Dear. They include Sharlene's interests to travel abroad after graduation against her father's wish, Greg's feeling that he should be allowed to make personal decisions, and Jack's failure to put into consideration the aspirations and desires of his children regarding their future life.

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Firstly, the theme of independence is evidenced through Sharlene's desires to travel to Europe and become a nanny as well as learn a different language. Her interests get illustrated in the phrase, "these dreams of running off to Europe for a couple of years, being a nanny and learning a language or two" (Friesen 26). However, it is notable that her desires are against the wishes of her father, an act that could dramatically ruin their relationship. As such, Jack's wishes sharply contrasts with the one held by Sharlene. Markedly, her father takes pride in his elder son's life who attends the University of Alberta. Notably, the primary factor that necessitates the protagonist to seek independence is the environment that they live in. The setting is in small-town called Grassbank, which gets described as a boring place and land of few opportunities. Sharlene describes Grassbank as "the land of sheer boredom" (Friesen 26). Few activities keep people engaged throughout the day. What is more, she knows that her father is pushing his children to join the University of Alberta since he regrets not having enrolled in such programs. However, Jack fails to understand that his wishes might not be reflecting on Sharlene's desires. It is only after heeding to his brother's advice that she gets the courage to share her passions with her dad. At the end of the narrative, Sharlene decides to take control of her life, consequently defying her father's wish. Despite Jack's desire of his children to attend the University of Alberta, Sharlene seeks independence when she observes that she want to go to Europe and become a nanny as well as learn another foreign language.

Moreover, Greg's feeling that he should be allowed to make personal decisions is yet another act that exemplifies the theme of independence in Friesen's story, Brother Dear. Many incidences pervade throughout the story to support this assertion. For instance, Greg advice to her sister to embrace her dream-"you are not what you do. You are who you are" (Friesen 32). Seemingly, this phrase affirms that Greg strongly believes that have the liberty to make his decisions since it is only through this that he can become whoever he aspires to be in future. During the conversation at the dinner, Greg let other members of the family know that he has turned to a vegetarian, a decision that he made personally. Greg's definitive moment that illuminates his independence also gets highlighted when his father yells at him for having to pay his school fees and rent. Jack questions Greg, "So I am paying your rent and tuition at the best university in the west so you can fart away your time? (Friesen 30)" In his response, Greg retorts, "some things are more important" (Friesen 30). Through this, Greg lets his family know that he does not want to follow his father's wishes. For example, he let them know that he did not do well in exams since he skipped the assessment to join a protest. Besides, he also tells them that he will not be going back to school as he will be planting trees during summer. These examples give a firm conviction that Greg is an environmentalist, who is concerned about conserving the environment. Greg's acts of encouraging his sister to pursue her dreams, skipping exams, becoming a vegetarian, and joining other groups in planting trees show that he has grown to become an independent person dedicated to his principles and ideas.

Additionally, the theme of independence also surfaces when Jack fails to put into consideration the aspirations and desires of his children regarding their future life. Jack gets portrayed as an independent person who wishes his children the best in their future life. However, his beliefs differ from that of his children. Indeed, this is illustrated in Greg's statement, "Be something. Be something. That's all I ever get from Dad" (Friesen 32). The phrase underscores how Jack is compelling Greg to pursue something that is he believes is essential, such as pursuing a degree course. Undoubtedly, this is the primary reason why he is so happy when he recalls that his eldest son, Dennis, is pursuing a degree program that he wanted. Through inheritance, Jack had received a John Deere dealership from his dad and "was always sorry he hadn't tried to be a doctor" (Friesen 27). Although Jack gets depicted as a domineering father, he is always advising his children to pursue a degree course from the University of Alberta as a way of seeking assurance of a better future. Seemingly, Jack's personal decision to encourage his children to pursue a degree course exemplifies the theme of independence.

Conclusion

To wrap up, Friesen's story, "Brother Dear" serves as a perfect example of how children must at one point separate from other members of their family if they are to develop a meaningful sense of who they are or wish to become independent citizens. Sharlene's desires to travel to Europe, learn new languages, and become a nanny form an integral part of her pursuit to become an independent person. Similarly, personal decisions such as quitting school, becoming a vegetarian, and participating in tree planting activity also embody the theme of independence since all these acts are against his father's wish. Finally, Jack's wishes his children the best in their future life, which is yet an independent decision that is not influenced by any other person. Ultimately, this literary work shows that independence starts from within and that personal desires should always get prioritized while at the same time taking advice from others.

Work Cited

Friesen, Bernice. Brother Dear. Print.